Smell the Coffee

This morning I was sitting in my office, writing Christmas Cards, when my husband decided to brew a cup of some kind of Espresso, tar in a cup, really strong coffee. I am not a coffee person unless you count Starbucks Eggnog Lattes which I love. However, I usually enjoy the smell of fresh brewed coffee. G=His coffee smelled so bad, I got a little annoyed. I was about to make some kind of snarky comment, (Yeah I know, my love walk stinks you don’t have to tell me.) but then I randomly thought, what if I didn’t have the ability to smell? It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, but your sense of smell also affects your sense of taste. My next thought was, “What if I wasn’t able to taste anything?”

Now that would be tragic. The satisfaction of eating a Belgian truffle. That buttery, chocolate goodness that just melts in your mouth. Delicious mashed potatoes with just the right amount of cream and butter. A beautiful piece of salmon broiled with ginger and cilantro and all other kinds of mesmerizing spices. The fresh guacamole that I make weekly and can’t get enough of. Can you tell I like to eat? I thoroughly enjoy good food and I couldn’t imagine not being able to taste what I was eating. The ability to smell and taste is a gift, but a gift I regularly take for granted.

How many other gifts are all around me that I just don’t open my eyes to?

* One of our friends has spent the last few months in and out of hospitals with her little girl. My kids are healthy. This is a gift.

* Last night I met a young couple with a small baby. They had no job, no money, no place to live. They were planning to spend the night in a tent until they could get on a bus today to go home to Tennessee to their family. I have a house that I get to go to everyday. I have a nice comfy bed that I get to sleep in every night. This is a gift. The fact that we were able to help this little family is also a gift.

* I know people who have been out of work for months although they are diligently looking for a job. My husband and I have jobs and are able to provide for our family. This is a gift.

* Some people are sad this holiday season because their parents are no longer with them. Not only do I have great parents I get to see this Christmas, but also a wonderful mother and father-in love, and my grandparents are healthy and well. This is a gift.

* There are those who are lonely without a friend in the world. I have friends all over the world. This is a gift.

In this season filled with gifts, wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, let’s not forget to smell the coffee and appreciate the everyday gifts that aren’t in a pretty packages, the gifts we don’t see.

What is a gift you are most thankful for?