Things that we sometimes take for granted

• Breathing. When I hear people say, "Take a deep breath", I would be surprised that the breaths I take are short and sometimes wheezy. When foul odors whiff to my nose, I am unpleasantly reminded that I could breathe and do not require the use of a respirator, and that's something to be thankful for. But as they say, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breaths away." Cheesy, huh?
• Our 5 beautiful senses! Use them to enjoy life and the world that God has created for us.
• I love you's that are genuinely meant. I love hearing those words from my hubby, and I hope I hear them from my daughter in the future. We really appreciate words said and actions taken that come from the heart, don't we? Sure, we do remember hypocritical ones, but from those people we stay aloof.
• Sincere smiles. And stuff that makes us smile.
• Water supply. Admit it, life is quite hard without clean water. We drink it, clean ourselves and our surroundings with it, cook with it, we even make art with it (think watercolor)!
• Help from a complete stranger. Who are we to them that they should help us? But, in spite of that, they still extend a hand. They are part of the blessings from God.
• Work. Oftentimes, we hear people complain about their work, their bosses, their salaries or their environment Work is often viewed as an outlet for earning moolah to sustain ourselves, our families or our vanities. Work enables us to be not idle for "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." It enables us to use our 5 beautiful senses and our God-given talents. It gives us an opportunity to serve others and to learn from them.
• Disenchanting experiences. Of course, we feel down in the dumps when things don't go the way we planned, when our pets die or when we had a fight with our partners. The Lord sends the rain to gently remind us of His presence and love. And when we don't budge, He sends the storm. These experiences help us grow, so God allows them. He just wants us to know that He is with us every step of the way. He desires to be close to us.

We are blessed beyond measure, and there are many things in life that could spur a grateful heart in us (even simple and mundane things). I came across a blog that enumerates the things he is grateful for on a daily basis.