Taking for Granted

Nothing in this world is truly 'taken for granted,' though it's terribly easy to assume certain things as 'of course I'll have that.' The light will surely come on when I flip the switch, water will flow when I turn the tap, she'll stay by my side no matter what, mother will care for me when I return home, the milkman will deliver tomorrow as always... So many things fall into our category of 'taken for granted' that when we receive them, no feeling of gratitude ever stirs in our hearts.

People understand only when they lose something. Until the moment of loss, they simply assume everything will remain. How fortunate we are—this rarely crosses our minds until it's too late. We forget to offer praise and express gratitude, which is why our sorrows keep multiplying. We must embrace what we have before it slips away.

One day a young man decided he would live like a free bird from now on. No sooner thought than done. He left home and rented a place with two friends who shared his exact philosophy. For the first few days, he managed his hunger by ordering food online. Life was going well enough.

But how long can one's mouth and stomach tolerate such spicy outside food! Now he desperately craved home-cooked meals. But who would cook for him? He didn't know how to cook! It had never occurred to him that without mother preparing his food, his meals would simply cease to exist! Meanwhile, piles of dirty clothes had accumulated. Who would wash his clothes? Mother wasn't there! Having always found clean, ironed clothes ready for him, it had never crossed his mind that someone—mother—had to do all this work, work that would never happen without her presence. How strange! Why had this never occurred to him?

Alas, the house was in complete disarray! Mountains of dust had settled in every corner, on doors and windows, on furniture... everywhere. Now who would clean all this? So there had been someone behind everything being spotless—someone he had never even thought about? What logic had justified all that pointless resentment toward his mother?

Those who serve must be thanked. Those who bind us with love must be remembered. No one is obligated to give or receive service, no one is obligated to give or receive love. Only when someone steps away from our side do we realize their true worth. Sometimes we must withdraw the helping hand and make people clearly understand what emptiness means.