Sometimes illness affords one a chance to ponder things.  These thoughts, which we would otherwise not have time to think about, are important because our modern world is all about doing.  Doing, without thinking attached, becomes a rote existence.  

Since I have been ill for the past several days, this has been my time to ponder.  I have had a cold, miserable at the moment, but fleeting in time.  Others in this world, are dying of diseases that could be almost non-existent, if only they had safe drinking water.

I have much more than enough good-tasting, clean water of which I drink to my heart’s content.  I can cook, clean, and bathe in this water, and all of it is drinkable.  What’s more, it comes to me, into my house, on tap, without my lifting a finger, and is there waiting for me to use it at will.

Why is it that I am so fortunate, when so many others are not.  I thought I appreciated these things, these extravagances really.  But do I?  Am I even capable of understanding what it must be like to spend hours of each day fetching and carrying water, (miles away from home in some parts of the world,) to come back and prepare a simple meal for my family each and everyday?  This is a reality for many people.  Food, water, medical attention, all of which I have had freely given to me since my birth, are graces unearned.  Why me?  Why not, for so many others?

I have heard it said, seen it written and even experienced it for myself, that often, the most impoverished people are the most willing to share what little they have.  What a paradox!  It seems that the more one has, the more selfish one becomes.  This is no surprise.  This is no secret.  I know I could be far more generous with my resources.

 So, what is the answer?  I am sure that the answer is both simple and complicated at the same time.  Each of us has a situation that is unique.  I am not wise enough to know the answer.  But today, I pose the question.  What can I do to be more generous, more grateful, and less concerned about myself?  The answer, for me, will be found in the way I respond to these questions.  And so, the quest begins.   And it begins because, today, I had the time to ponder.