Life has changed dramatically for all of us lately and most of us are anxious to get back to normal routines. Like you, there are so many things I miss being able to do and people I miss being able to be with! Yet during this time, I have more time to think about the things that really matter to me – things I often take for granted. Sometimes experiencing a lot of cloudy days is the only way we realize how much we appreciate the sunshine.
In February, we had someone new move into our neighborhood. As soon as we were warned about how contagious the coronavirus is and asked to stay home as much as possible, she went around the entire neighborhood putting a flyer in each mailbox, offering to help in any way she could. I am grateful for people who look beyond themselves and make life better for all of us! Kindness is a glimmer of sunshine on a cloudy day. Kindness matters! And kindness is contagious!
Our attitudes are also contagious. Attitude makes all the difference in how we see life. I’ve often told my children to look for the positive because the negative has a way of finding you on its own. A positive attitude and sincere gratitude can bring sunshine to otherwise cloudy days – sunshine that can’t help but be shared with others. Robert D. Hales once said, “Gratitude on a daily basis means we express appreciation for what we have now without qualification for what we had in the past or desire in the future.”1 I love that! Being grateful today matters! No matter what our circumstances are, there is something to be grateful for – today!
The disruption in our lives has made most of us reevaluate what really is important. Soon life will go back to normal. I hope we don’t forget the valuable lessons we have learned. I hope we come through this better, kinder and more grateful. Consider this question Dieter F. Uchtdorf once asked, “How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?”2 Without rain, there would be no rainbow! Often in our trials we come to more fully understand and appreciate our blessings.
References:
How to Show Gratitude – Robert D. Hales
Grateful in Any Circumstances – Dieter F. Uchtdorf