If you have lived...

If you have lived take thankfully the past.  John Dryden

An acquaintance of mine just passed away two days ago.  She was the same age as me.   Brain cancer.  She had a hard life, having been in a serious car accident about 20 years ago with lots of pain  from hip replacements and mended bones.  She  took it all in stride,  enjoyed her life and showed her dogs, changing to a smaller breed so she could manage  the dog in  the show ring at a slower pace.  Yesterday my sister's friend's daughter,  around 20 years of age just passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.  She was in foster care   and obviously had a tough start on life.  If we were to ask these two people with about 40 years difference in age, I think they both would say that they were grateful to have lived, regardless of the troubles they had in their past.    And I am sure that they both would have wanted to continue living.

 I can look back on the tough times in my life and bemoan the fact that my life was not as easy as other's.  I could   compare and wish that things were different ...  but I have lived  a good life,  much easier than most of the people on this planet who struggle for day to day survival.  Life is so much easier and freer when we focus on what  is good, when we focus on the present moment and live it fully.

Give thanks for the past for it has brought us to where we are now, but there is no need to dwell on it and relive past hurts and hardships.  Live fully, freely and gratefully  now.

In gratitude for my life,
Marg