not taken for granted

if ever there was a person enormously grateful for good friends - it would be me. my last post and the comments left, gave me a unique opportunity to have my substantial ego stroked a little. i don't really mean to solicit praise but i have noticed in the recent past that i have needed it for one reason or another. in short, THANK YOU ...

i have been pondering about how to post my gratitude for the outpouring of love i have just received. i contemplated singling out my friends and telling them all the great things that i love so much about them - right here. but then i thought - "what if i forget someone!? that'll be embarrassing!" so instead, i leave this ...

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,

when 24 hours in a day are not enough,

remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of hot chocolate.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of hot chocolate from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the hot chocolate represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,

there's always room for a couple of cups of hot chocolate with a friend."

Thank you for always making room for me, friends!

{ps. just read a cool quote that i'm going start using... "i'm drinking from my saucer - because my cup is overflowing!" good one, huh!}