Wednesday afternoon I went to a bakery. While I was there, three air force men walked in to get some lunch. They were acting pretty normal: slightly macho, serious, and not very talkative. I wasn't surprised. I don't know if I've ever been there without at least one service member dining. They were looking in the case of cake, pie, sandwiches, cookies, and other baked goods. The first man ordered a turkey sandwich and pasta salad. The other two were still looking. All of a sudden the second's eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "Is that carrot cake?!" The third whipped his head around and had the look of a little boy in a candy store. They went on and on about how excited they were about the carrot cake and both ordered a piece. See? It really wasn't a big deal, but it made me think. They were so excited about something as small as carrot cake. What would happen if I lived my life with that kind of excitement over the little things? What would happen if everyone lived like that? What would the world be like if we were all a little more grateful for the simple things in life? This made me think of a Henry David Thoreau quote. He said, "I make myself richer by making my wants few." When I stop and think about how blessed I am, I feel silly for wanting so many things - stupid little trinkets in the grand scheme of life. I want to be a "carrot cake person." I want to find my joy in the little things in my life: the rabbit I see every morning out walking, the pesky bee that annoys me every time I go outside, my sisters, my friends, my awesome church family, the fact that my health is (very, very slowly) improving, my home, my bed, my pantry with food in it, and my central heat and air. Some of these things are more important than others or I just tend to take for granted more than others. I can honestly say that there was a two-year period in my life where I didn't have a single friend, so I thank God every day for my friends now. I'm not even kidding. When I wake up, when I get a text, when I see a picture of them, and when I go to bed you can be sure that I am uttering a prayer as simple as, "Thank you, God, so much for (insert person's name)." Ironically, I know I haven't thanked God for my home this month, and maybe not even last month. This bothers me. A lot. I desperately want to change this about myself. Not only is gratefulness the only appropriate response for all I have, but being grateful is the first step to contentment.
This may be a huge overreaction to two air force men ordering a piece of cake, but would you honestly expect anything less from me?
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