You Always Know What You Have

     "You never know what you have until you lose it."  I used to believe in that quote wholeheartedly.  It's always resonated with me.  That is, until I stumbled upon another quote the other day that made so much more sense.  It said, "You always know what you have.  You just never think you'll lose it."  It was like a lightning bolt struck me.  Something I had always believed to be true was actually wrong.  Of course I've been wrong about many things in my lifetime, but I've always felt like loss truly showed a person what they had.

     After sitting at my computer for a few minutes, questioning everything I'd held as truth, I decided that the second quote was the more accurate of the two.  There have been many times, even recently, when I've lost or almost lost something or someone, only to realize at that point how much I treasured them.  Looking back, I can now see how wrong I was.  I had always treasured that something or someone, but I grew so complacent and so comfortable that I never considered losing them.  At the time, losing them was unfathomable, it was a thought that never crossed my mind.
     I want you to understand one thing: Complacency can be dangerous.  We can get so caught up in routine, so wrapped up in feigned normalcy that we fail to see what's crumbling before our very eyes.  We often don't see until it's too late.  If this has ever happened to you, don't feel bad.  We've all experienced it.  In fact, it's a part of being human.
     However, it's by no means an easy lesson to learn, especially in relationships.  I can't think of how many times I've taken my loved ones for granted.  I can't even  think of how many times I've taken Josh for granted.  Unfortunately, it sometimes takes you losing or almost losing someone before you finally open your eyes and recognize the lie you've been living.  I know this lesson all too well, and I've had to learn it the hard way.
     That being said, I urge you to take a moment and think about the things you love.  Think about the people you love.  Are you taking them for granted?  Do you think you'll never lose them?  If so, then it's time to reevaluate.  You need to strive to always remember why you love what you love because in an instant, it could be stripped away from you.  In the blink of an eye, your loved one could be gone.
     I know that's not a pleasant thought, and I'm not saying you should live your life fearing that the people you love will be taken from you.  What I am saying is that you need to refuse to take the people you love for granted.  It's an easy trap to fall into, so you always have to be on guard.  You will fail at times, yes, but what matters is that you always get back to the place where you should be in your relationships.
     Now is the time to start appreciating what we have before it becomes something we used to have.  Now is the time to stop taking our loved ones for granted and start remembering how blessed we are to have them.  For all we know, they could be gone tomorrow.  Treasure them while you can and never forget that true happiness can be found by appreciating and thanking God for what we already have.