Contemplating Our Blessings

The world is fraught with unfortunate events. We all know it, recognize it and abhor it. We so often write about it and tell our horror stories in chapter and verse, make movies, reports, scream it from the rooftops. We see so many unfortunate things happening around us, in our backyards, and around the world.

Does one tempt fate if one recognizes that one can also be the recipient of blessings? Is it dangerous to recognize that the world can also evolve to grant us blessings beyond our wildest dreams? Dare we venture to announce that to all and sundry? Can I tell the world I am remarkably happy? Can I recount my relative good health, the love of my Bride, how our children, grandchildren and my great-grand-daughter are flourishing? Don’t you have that similar story to tell in your lives?

Can we announce our joy at the accomplishments of our children and grandchildren                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    that they exceed our hopes, dreams, and aspirations, in the wonders of their accomplishments and the satisfactions they are earning? Isn’t this your story too?

Can we dream that the world has been made a better place due to the existence of our offspring, in spite of our own personal failings? Has overweening pride been added to our list of mortal sins? I am dancing in my mind and shivering with happiness at these thoughts. Can you dance with me too? Is all this against the laws of man and G-D? Are we challenging the laws of physics and nature in expressing our joys?

Shall we hide these thoughts in a black box under our beds where no force can be tempted to reverse the joys we see before our eyes, relish in our mind, arise to dance us across the room? Have we become giants in our own eyes, in our minds, without in the least deserving it?  The credits may lie elsewhere. The long hours of dedication and commitment, thankless work and determination to win out, may have been mostly efforts on the part of others? Nevertheless, the blessings of good fortune are with us, tempting the fates to intervene.

We have so much in the way of good things to sing about!  Shall you and I keep quiet about it and relish it just among ourselves? Shouldn’t we share the good news?

We cannot be blind to the realities of the world we live in. I do not live in a fool’s paradise. But I will not allow our cloudy days to drive the sunny realities from our minds. Yes, we need to rally our strengths to oppose the evils we see. Yes, we need to stand on guard to protect the things we value, the ideas we value, work to build the kind of world we value. But we cannot afford to cease our contemplation of our blessings.

I am singing this song to myself but I am singing it for you as well!

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