Join the “Life Appreciation Club”

In August, my husband and our oldest daughter and I went to France! We had the best time! We traveled around the country, met warm and friendly people everywhere and of course, ate gorgeous pastries and drank delicious wine!

Towards the end of our trip, we went to The Louvre in Paris. It is an astonishing museum! The largest in the world with nearly 73-thousand square meters of exhibition space!

It is home to Winged Victory, the ancient and imposing Nike of Samothrace. Circa 200 BC. And, Venus de Milo, the ancient Greek sculpture believed to depict Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty who’s 6-feet 8-inches tall! And we saw The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. According to Wikipedia, Mona Lisa is considered the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, and the most parodied work of art in the world.”

At one point, among the sea of visitors, I spotted a man wearing this t-shirt: Always Grateful: Life Appreciation Club.

It made me smile…and think. Wherever we travel, any of us -- close to home or far away -- the concerns of life are ever present. Worries about climate extremes and the future of our planet, the physical and mental health of people everywhere, our safety, inflation, job security, education, racial inequities. The list is long.

But seeing that “Always Grateful” t-shirt reminded me that it doesn’t take confidence to be grateful. And there is no "selection-committee" or "membership-dues" to participate in the “Life Appreciation Club.”

Yes, the world is troubled, but we can be grateful for a beautiful sunrise or much needed rain. For a co-worker who repeated your idea and gave you the credit for it. For helpful feedback, kudos from your boss, your loyal team, getting through a tough conversation, making the sale, closing the deal, or for your vacation!

When I saw that message on the t-shirt, I thought, “I want to be an active member of the ‘Life Appreciation Club.’” How about you? Let me know what you're grateful for or appreciative of these days.

Thanks for reading.