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Today's
Meditation:
When
I look up at the sky and see the clouds that bring us rain,
what are my thoughts? Do I think of the annoyance of
the rain and the cold, or do I think of the importance of
the moisture in this world? When I walk past some
trees or bushes, do I think about the oxygen that they put
into the air so that we can breathe and survive? When
I go for a drive and see beautiful landscapes, do I feel any
sort of obligation for the beauty, or do I just look at it
and enjoy it? I
don't think Seneca was talking about an obligation to go out
and save the earth, even though that would be a noble thing
to attempt. No, his first sentence mentions being
thankful, and his next then talks about obligation. He
takes the idea of gratitude even further than most people
do--it's no longer an option that would enrich our lives,
but an obligation that will reinforce our relationship with
all that we have on this planet. If
my gratitude is an obligation, then I must be thankful for
everything within my realm of being. If I'm not
thankful, then I'm doing this world a disservice, and this
world certainly doesn't deserve for me to do it a disservice
after all that it's done for me. I
can think. I can see. I can feel. These
are truly miraculous gifts, and I must be thankful for them
if I'm to live my life fully. I can get into my car
and go anywhere that I need to go, even driving to the
airport to catch a plane to go to the other side of the
world. Just knowing that this is possible is something
to be thankful for. If
Marcus were standing right here and he were to see me not be
thankful for some wonderful gift, I'm sure he would tell me
that I'm not living up to my obligations, and that I'm less
of a person for neglecting my duty. |
