DON’T BLINK

If every blog I posted was nothing but cheery and light, you’d have to wonder, is this lady for real and does she live in the real world?  Responding in order, I try, she is and yes, she does.  So to be completely fair and painfully real I’m going to share something with you that I’m not terribly proud of, something not very “Grammy-ish” because Grammy’s are always wise and wonderful, right?

I’m boppin’ along this afternoon, on my way to meet a friend at one of the Wichita River Festival events when a song came on the radio that really got my attention and in fact, left me feeling a little ashamed. You’ve probably heard the song, “Don’t Blink” sung by Kenny Chesney.  The theme is that every moment is a gift and precious.  I’ve heard this a hundred times and you probably have too. 

In the song a man celebrating his 102nd birthday is being interviewed and asked about the secret to life and his reply is, Don’t Blink, a hundred years goes faster than you think.  The old man goes farther to say, “Best start putting first things first cause when your hourglass runs out of sand you can’t flip it over and start again.  Take every breathe God gives you for what it’s worth”.

Like many people I sometimes tend to take my blessings for granted, almost as though I were entitled to them and…..NEWS FLASH, I’M NOT, neither are you.  Blessings, that in my quest to get through a day or complete a project, I overlook entirely.  Things like a happy, healthy and growing family, a comfy bed to sleep in, the pleasure of being able to walk into a clean kitchen and get something to eat when I’m hungry.  You know what I mean, the important things in life. 

In the past several months, I’ve attended or sent flowers to four funerals and I can tell you that in all but one case, the death was unexpected.  Were they bad people, no, quite the opposite.  Each one made a quality contribution to the lives of those around them and was a member of a loving family.  Did they remember to count their blessings or like me, did they get caught up in the drama of daily life and forget to “start putting first things first”?  Given the opportunity, I’m sure each one of them would like another 24 hours or even 1 hour to put first things first. 

I hope to have many more years in which to count my blessings.  Whether its years or days, this Grammy is thankful for all the little joys and blessings in my life and newly aware that those “little” things are really the big things.