Big Yellow Taxi

Today in world religions class my professor asked us why we need to see someone who is blind to be grateful that we can see? 

That question has been on my mind all day 

Why is it that we need to see what others don't have to make us grateful for what we do have?

I don't have a good answer to this question. I think it is human nature to not know how much we have until we see something different. The chorus to Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows says:

Don't it always seem to go,

That you don't know what you've got 

Til its gone

It's true a lot of the time we don't know what we have until its taken from us, or if see someone who doesn't have it. I think that this is a good thing! Last year I spent 5 months working with individuals who have disabilities. I learned so much in that five months that it would take me hours to list, but the most important thing that I learned was to be grateful. I learned to be grateful that I could walk, see, put my shoes on, zip up my coat, drive a car, eat without help, read, jump, dance, run, cook, sing, paint my nails, ice skate, brush my hair, buy a soda out of a vending machine, grab the change out of my wallet, type an email, and make my bed in the morning. 

This experience made me realize that I needed to work on being more grateful, and lately I have made an effort to do so. I am amazed at the impact that is has had in my life. I find that the small things that go wrong in my day are not a big deal, I see beauty wherever I go, and find it easy to love the people around me. I am so glad that my job gave me the nudge that I needed to make a change my outlook.

Since it has been stuck in my head all day here is the Video for Big Yellow Taxi