Count Your Blessings

It can't hurt to be reminded sometimes of things we take for granted. Here is a parable that makes the point.

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which read, "I am blind. Please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were going. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."

I wrote, "Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it."

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But, the second sign reminded others that they were lucky they were not blind. Should we not be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

The moral of the story: Be thankful for what you have and for all your many blessings. Take time each day to focus on the precious good in your life and give thanks for your wondrous gifts.

Remember, the most beautiful thing in the world is to see a person smiling...and even more beautiful, is to know that you are the reason behind it!

Be kind. Be caring. Be grateful. When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.

If you are limping, be glad you can still walk. If you are heartbroken, be glad you have felt love. If you have your health, but no money, be glad that you were blessed with something money cannot buy.

Robert Quillen says, "If you count all your assets, you always show a profit."

About the author: Amy Sherman, LMHC is the author of Distress-Free Aging: A Boomer's Guide to Creating a Fulfilled and Purposeful Life.

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