Thursday, October 04, 2007

As Thanksgiving Approaches ...

It's easy to list the things that we should and likely are thankful for ... our health, an ample supply of food, our family, our friends, and other such things we so easily take for granted ... But, sometimes it is good to go a little bit deeper and think about some of the things we truly DO take for granted ...

Today I am mindful of how fortunate we are to have indoor plumbing, complete with running hot and cold water in our homes ...

I can't help but think of a friend who spent most of his life in a charming little house that had only running cold water within its walls, it was more of a cottage than a house. Laundry and bathing required the heating of large pots of water on the stove top, something he did without a second thought, nor a complaint for over 50 years ...

Then one day in his 80's he moved into an apartment that had running hot and cold water ... I met up with him a few days later and the broad smile on his face told me something was up.

I asked him how he was enjoying his new digs, and like a school boy he grinned and raved about how nice it was to be able to just turn a tap and get all the hot water he wanted ... He had multiple baths and showers in the first week he was in his new apartment all because he didn't have to lug, and heat the water himself ...

Today, as our Canadian Thanksgiving approaches, I will remember to be grateful every time I turn the tap and receive the gift of running water, whether it is hot OR cold !!

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