Today, we celebrate the birth of our nation, the declaration of certain inalienable rights, that all mankind deserves life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Lest we forget that there is a cost to this choice, let's remember the men & women who choose to protect that freedom. Stop, take a moment, look around and see, really SEE the amazing gift you have been given; that for some is but a dream. That is what they are protecting. That is what is worth protecting; every day, by every one. What do you do to ensure that isn't taken away from you? What would you do to make sure it was not taken away from someone else? Maybe even someone you don't even know.
The following was shared awhile back on his daily email list (from another reader) , and it really touched my soul and made me think, how much do I take for granted every day? You can read more of Arlin here, www.arlinsorensen.com
How
much do we notice as we go through a day?????
Lisa
Beamer on Good Morning America - If you remember she's the wife of Todd Beamer
who said 'Let's Roll!' and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania
that was heading for Washington, DC back on 9/11.
She
said it's the little things that she misses most about Todd, such as hearing
the garage door open as he came home, and her children running to meet
him.
Lisa
recalled this story: "I had a very special teacher in high
school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart
attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of
her insight with a classroom of students. As the late
afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and
the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of
her desk and sat down there.
With a
gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, 'Class is
over, I would like to share with all of you, a thought that
is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important.
Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate
and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience
will end. It can be taken away at any moment.
Perhaps
this is God’s way of telling us that we must make the most out of every
single day. Her eyes, beginning to water, she went on, 'So I would like
you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on
your way home, find something beautiful to notice.
It
doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent, perhaps of
freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be
the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way
the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently
to the ground. Please look for these things, and cherish them. For,
although it may sound trite to some, these things are the
"stuff" of life. The little things we are put here on earth to
enjoy. The things we often take for granted.
The
class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed
out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on
my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a
while, I think of that teacher and remember what an
impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things
that sometimes we all overlook.
Take notice of
something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go
barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way
home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we
get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but
the things we didn't do.
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