I know more Spanish than I thought.

Isn't life just amazing?! Every.single.day is a gift to be treasured. Here's the thing...
When you receive a gift (and I'm talking a real doozy of a present), do you just toss the thing aside with a shrug, wrinkle it up, step on it, use it as a drink coaster, forget about it? No way! You take care of that gift, you use it well, you appreciate it. Right?
Right?
Basically, I've kind of been stepping on my daily prize. I wake up and I pray and thank my Father for the breath he put in my lungs this morning, and then I kind of forget that gratitude that filled me to bursting upon opening my eyes. I forget that my day is still a gift 2, 6, 10 hours in- not just the moment I become conscious of it. But really, it is! It's still a present right now, even as I write this, over 12 hours later. Isn't that crazy?!
The plan, I suppose, is to start showing my gratitude. When your great aunt Millie buys you a sweater, and she sees you wearing it, how excited is she?! Beyond just saying thank you, maybe sending a note, she knows you appreciate that gift for what it is, not just to be polite. You are not just telling her how you feel, you're showing her! And we all love to see that joy in another person.
So why wouldn't we show the same appreciation for the bright new day that's being handed to us so selflessly??? Are we waking up thinking about how we can make today great, or are we hitting the snooze button and grumbling unintelligibly until we must get up? (Don't you worry-- I'm definitely in the latter group. \:)
And now here I am, writing about it. Listening to Pandora (Grace Kelly radio. Do it-- you won't regret it!) and feeling halfway motivated. Why not make the best of every day?? I can do it, and so can you, and even if you have to get up at 5 AM it will be okay! Because your day is a gift, made special for you, wrapped up and polished until you open it when you open your eyes.
And honestly, everybody loves presents. (: