Hidden Blessings
We all have them…the things that frustrate us, take our time and that we complain about, yet if the truth were known, we would be devastated if they were no longer required of us.
If you were to look at my personal social media accounts, the picture that the outside world sees is one of happiness – one of fun. I have photos of my husband, children, grandchildren, other family members and friends involved in all kinds of activities. You would see the places I have travelled and the things that I enjoy. Those things are a significant part of my life, but not the whole sum of my life.
After taking kids to the lake and multiple trips to the pool, I was suddenly washing my fifth load of beach towels in three days. Finding more dirty towels in the laundry room floor, suddenly I felt like all I was doing was laundry. For some reason I became annoyed…and yet…
Yesterday, I took my 87-year-old father for a haircut. I had already rushed that morning to buy both of us groceries, tried to straighten the house, met a friend for lunch and then had two other places to be after taking him for the haircut. My day was crammed full! We didn’t think to call before arriving at the barbershop to see if the lady who cuts his hair was there. As luck would have it, she was out sick, and so today, I got to pick dad up again and take another trip to the barbershop. I lost time out of two days…ugh…and yet…
I have realized that these frustrations are my hidden blessings and I wouldn’t trade them for anything! I love that our children, grandchildren, niece and nephew love to come to our house and play and swim. I wouldn’t give that up for anything in the world. So, as I was washing that fifth load of towels, my attitude of annoyance became an attitude of gratefulness. As I took dad to the barbershop today, I got to share with him that mom had told me that when she met him she thought that he was handsome like a movie star. He laughed and told me that her eyesight must have been bad even back then! My time was far from lost – my memory links to my dad become stronger doing these tasks that I sometimes perceive as mundane. I am so very glad that my dad is still here with me.
Perceptions often dictate reality. When things start to annoy or frustrate you, it’s time to dig a little deeper. You too, may find some hidden blessings in your life and when you begin to view these aggravations as blessings, your perceptions just may change. It’s all in how you look at things. I hope today we all can embrace our hidden blessings and be grateful that they are a part of our lives!