The other day, I talked with an uncle I haven’t seen in eleven years. He had just got a new cell phone and learned how to use it, and he dialed a facetime call. I was stuck in my home with a case of flu and worked from the comfort of my office when my phone rang. He appeared on the screen, and my heart jolted with a pleasure I haven’t had in a while. I touched the screen as if I was touching his face and laughed. He had changed a lot, wore glasses and had a lot of silver in his hair. We talked for a while, sharing our ups and downs, and the thousands of miles between us disappeared in the fraction of a second. They were wiped away by the modern technology.
That morning, I realized how much I was taking for granted. I kept thinking about the friends I have lost, about a friendship taken for granted, and I forgot about the beautiful world of strangers just waiting to make a connection with me while I turned my eyes away, and something stirred within me. There was so much I was taking for granted. At that moment, I had decided not to live unconsciously.
The revelation that I had everything I needed in life to make me happy was as refreshing as a breeze on a hot day. I wonder how many of us go through life empty, thirsting after happiness when, in fact, we are standing right in the middle of an abundant river? One way or another, the world will get our attention with a splash or a slap. Let’s choose to quench our thirst for a better life by acknowledging the good that already exists in our lives. Only then we will be prepared to return to the world the gift of our grateful hearts.
Love,
Carmen Monica
Carmen Monica Oprea 