Appreciating the little things

I'm going to share a secret with you all... Life isn't always fair. While that statement is true, there are many little things that the constant assault of unfairness can make us forget. I want to take a moment to be thankful for the little gifts that I have been given.

I have a lovely wife and three beautiful children at home. My youngest turned 4 years old yesterday. Which brings me to another gift in my life that I am thankful for, even though I might have overlooked it yesterday.

Today is a day for two celebrations. Today is my mom and dads wedding anniversary but it is also the day that someone very special was born 15 years ago. For 15 years, I have thought of this little girl as my daughter even though her mother and I broke up when she was barely 6 months old.

A couple weeks ago, we were reunited through Facebook and we had both been chatting regularly. I wanted to know about her and I think she was equally curious about me. I even let her pick out a birthday present on Amazon and had it sent to her for her birthday.

Unfortunately, this is where the unfairness of life kicks in. Her mother got the package in the mail Friday and was irate that she had been talking to me. She sent me a very rude email which stated that I was not allowed to talk to the little girl that I had given a name.

I appreciate the time I had to talk with my little girl and I hope she will remember to look me up when she gets free from the situation she is in. Her mother might be able to keep me from talking to her but she cannot stop me from writing here, so Caley, if you are reading this, Happy Birthday. Please don't forget me.

This bit of unfairness has again reminded me of something else about life. Anything and anyone can be taken away in an instant. Appreciate the moments and the gifts you are given. Sometimes, it is easy to get overwhelmed when the kids are squalling, the dog is barking and dinner is burning but take a moment to realize how much you would miss these things if they weren't there.

So, I'm making a new challenge to myself and any who wish to join me... I am going to appreciate those little things. I'm going to appreciate my kids even when they scream and fight and try to make me mad. I'm going to appreciate my wife even when she does something that gets on my nerves. I'm going to appreciate the time I had with Caley even if it wasn't very long.

Now that I think about it, this isn't about appreciating the small things in life... our families and loved ones shouldn't be the small things... they are the biggest things in our lives. I guess it's really about appreciating those big things and letting the little bits of unfairness roll off our backs.

What about you? What do you appreciate? What areas of your life have you allowed to become small things? Are you ready to fix it?