Music as a reminder.

Sometimes I think we don't remember what we have. And sometimes life is good enough to remind us. I went to a concert tonight, invited by my beautiful curly-haired daughter and it was wonderful. Probably not many of you have heard of Patty Griffin, but she is amazing. I'm not sure I can find the right words to actually describe her. She is this tiny woman with fabulous shoes who can belt out a song like the voice comes from God. And, if there is a God, he or she must be really happy with her. She is a singer-songwriter who speaks from her soul, music that just moves me to the point that it is almost an exhausting emotional experience to listen to her. But those, again, are just words and words really cannot describe the pleasure of being surrounded by her voice and her songs. And the joy of having this experience by invitation of my own daughter.

But back to the point. My daughter and her friends are getting close to forty years old. Many of them have never married and the married ones are still trying to have children. Surrounded by this generation so different than mine, I was sad to think that many people in our privileged society may live lifes in which their dreams are never fulfilled. And I was sad that I sometimes think of what I, myself, don't have, such as a high-paying job, the ability and time to travel whenever and wherever I want, a fancy car, a new love. But how selfish of me! I have had many great loves, have seen the Mona Lisa in person and made love in Paris, have given birth to and raised an amazing daughter, have a son-in-law I dearly love, and watched the birth of my twin grandbabies. I have a roof over my head, a dependable car, a fulfilling job, wonderful old and new friends, and the company of grandbabies twice a week. I can see, I can hear, I can walk, and I have food in my kitchen. I can't even fathom how many people have lived and died not having even one of my blessings.

So I vote that we take time every day to remember what is good in our life, that even if we are missing something now it might be something we have already had the pleasure of experiencing or something that is soon to come into our life. And ever if we never, ever have it, let's be grateful for even the smallest things we have now.