When this is over …
It seems we humans tend to not appreciate things—like, our good health, or our people, or a way of life, or our freedoms—until we lose them.

Once upon a time, I was in a living situation where we were allowed one shower a week. To this day, I am overly grateful for hot showers.
Through the years, but particularly as my husband, Gary, was dying of cancer, I’ve tried to practice gratitude for those things (and especially those people) I would miss if I were to lose them.
In this thoughtful poem, Laura Kelly Fanucci expresses my sentiments exactly:
When this is over
May we never again take for granted
A handshake with a stranger
Full shelves at the store
Conversations with neighbors
A crowded theater
Friday night out
The taste of communion
A routine checkup
A school rush each morning
Coffee with a friend
The stadium roaring
Each deep breath
A boring Tuesday
Life itself.
When this ends,
May we find
That we have become
More like the people
We wanted to be
We were called to be
We hoped to be
And may we
Stay that way — better
For each other
Because of the worst.
16 Comments