I AM APPRECIATING THIS GIFT OF LIFE

© 2012 Howard McQueen 

I am appreciating this gift of life.

I have not always felt this way about life,

or about my life.

For the longest time, it seemed to me

that there were injustices done to me

that were patently unfair.

Then, over the course of time,

I sowed those injustices upon others,

becoming initiated and intimately aware

of the suffering already loose in this world.

We are fortunate to often have the time

to make the transition and shift our roles

from recipient to server,

from taker to giver.

From this more informed perspective

we see the inevitableness of what came our way,

and we can choose to stop living as victim and perpetrator.

We see how to focus our awareness and intent

and learn the art of  fermenting a much finer wine,

one worthy of sharing with our brothers and sisters.

One worthy of spreading a radical, contagious love,

A love that leaves less and less room for ambiguity, for confusion

and for the spread and transfer of suffering and separation.

If we treat each other as one family,

And offer up a toughened up love

In our actions,

our words,

our body language and our behaviors,

we will, one human being at-a-time,

encourage love to take hold and flourish.