The luckiest

I was having a convo with my mother-in-law a few months ago about lucky people.

I admit, there are a few people I know that have it pretty much made. OBVIOUSLY you never know what trials a person is facing deep inside their own private life, but sometimes? You pretty much know what's going on with them. And in some cases, there just isn't that much bad.*

--Back to the convo.--

So she and I swapped stories about folks we know who have pretty much been handed a great life--spouse-wise, financially, good kids...you know, lucky ones. And the killer part is that they don't even seem to get how fortunate they are.

And then I had this thought:

If they don't know how lucky they are, then how lucky ARE they? You get what I mean?

Perhaps you've heard about the secret to a happy life? I feel like everywhere I turn I'm hearing this one (a message I need to hear, perhaps?), but according to all my sources the key to happiness is this: Gratitude. No matter how little you have by outside standards, no matter how unconventional your life is, no matter whether you are where you thought you'd be by now. Learning to have gratitude for what you have at this very moment is (I'm realizing) the most important thing you can learn to do.

(And sometimes the most difficult.)

So I'm asking myself daily,

Do I know how lucky I am?

And the answer is...yes. Sometimes. And sometimes no.

(I'm working on it.)

*I totally realize that discussions about how lucky "other" people are is ultimately fruitless, and goes against the very nature of gratitude. But I also think it's ok to have imperfect conversations every now and again :)