Be grateful for what you have

I have a weekly meeting in a local restaurant’s conference room with several other area business owners.  When it was over, and before getting into my car to drive to another errand and then back to the studio, I stopped off at the restroom to get rid of some of the Diet Pepsi I’d had with lunch.  Keep reading…

When I entered the restroom, a middle-aged gentleman was standing in the middle of the room holding a white cane with a red tip.  My presumption was that he was blind.  He was waving the can to and fro in an attempt to find his way.  I asked if I could help in any way, and he told me he just needed to find the toilet.  I gave him direction and distance, and he was able to get there without further delay.

Then he dropped his cane.  Given the tight space he was in, and knowing he would hit his head if he bent over (not knowing there was a wall there), I offered to pick up the cane and did so.  When he had finished, he turned around and I handed him the cane and directed him to the sink (he wanted to wash his hands).  I washed mine as well, and handed him a paper towel (the upper towel dispenser was empty, and I’m not sure he would have easily found the lower dispenser).  He explained that he became blind after an accident in 2005, so most of his life has been with sight.  He also thanked me several times.  So did the woman he was with, who waited outside the bathroom for him.

This post is not about helping those in need.  I know that most of you would do that anyway.  It’s not unkind to help without being asked, even for someone who wants to do it themselves.

No, this post is about being grateful for the things we take for granted sometimes.  As a photographer, I take for granted that I will be able to see the light, my subject, the surroundings, and the beauty that is my world.  I can’t begin to imagine how devastating it might be to lose my sight.  I’m daily grateful for my health, and my ability to help others see the beauty around them.

I’m hoping you all take a few minutes to look at the beauty around you… even if it means stepping outside for a few minutes.  And rejoice in your health.

Comment ( 1 )

  1. Diana

    No wonder I love you so. And the most beautiful thing I'm thankful to see is you. Every day.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published.

You may use these HTML tags and attributes:

<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>