We have all heard the old sayings about being thankful: “a thankful heart is a happy heart” and “no matter what, there is always something to be thankful for”. Well, these may not sound like eye-opening or profound, life changing phrases, but the truth they posses still remains. I have been in some pretty low times in my life, as all of us have been I’m sure, and there was always something to be thankful for. Actually, when I got to looking around and there were lots of things to be thankful for. Many, many things that good, or could have been so much worse.

Yesterday, I had an routine appointment with my eye doctor. I am contact lens wearer, and have been for many, many years. When I have to change my contacts, I have the replacement lens right there ready to go. So, there is all of about 10 seconds, I am without 20/20 vision. At the doctor’s office, the first thing they did was ask me to remove my lenses. This was all fine and good while I was sitting securely in a chair, but then they had the audacity to ask my to move to another exam room, not only once, but twice. I was walking down a hall with my eyes wide, my steps slow, and my hands a little out in front of me because, dear Lord, I could barely see. They could have at least offered the assistance of a service dog, or a hand to hold, or a cane I could tap on the floor in front of me as I walked to insure I was not about to run into things, or something!! I felt helpless and awkward, and I’m sure I gave a few people a good laugh. My confidence of being able to do something as simple as walking a few feet to another room was shaken, and as I had to walk around, lens free….well, it was eye-opening (pun intended).

I have been taught from an early age to be thankful for most everything and to always find the silver lining, per say. So it has just became a habit for me that has pretty well turned into a lifestyle of being thankful. This is something I am trying desperately to pass on to my children, and  not a sense of entitlement. Sitting there waiting on my doctor to come and complete the exam, I got to thinking, what if no one ever invented contacts or glasses…how different would me life be? I would need much more assistance that I do now. I wouldn’t be able to see my kids on the baseball fields making the winning run, because I can’t see past my nose on my own. It would effect my work and I absolutely would not need to be behind the wheel driving.  My overall quality of life is dramatically different because someone took the time to invent things to correct vision. God bless the person who did this!!

As it has been my habit, I began to be truly thankful, not only for the lens, but for all the conveniences in my life that would make life completely different if I didn’t have them. Truth is most of us are over-the-top blessed. Most of us have people who love us, support us, encourage us, stretch us, hold us accountable, make us laugh, and give meaning to our lives. We posses things that make life easier, make our homes comfortable, make our commutes possible, and make our daily tasks more convenient.

We really do ALWAYS have something to be thankful for. I uses to sing a song in Sunday School, that said “count your blessings, name them one by one”. When I do this, I am always surprised at just how long the list is. Take five minutes and begin to count your own blessings, I bet you’ll be surprised too, even is you have to start your list with something like as small as contact lens.

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