January 15: Beautiful Air, Gratitude, Peanuts

Wilbur burst into tears.  "I don't want to die," he moaned.  "I want to stay alive, right here in my comfortable manure pile with all my friends.  I want to breathe the beautiful air and lie in the beautiful sun."

Wilbur has just learned the fate of all young pigs on the farm.  The old sheep tells him that, as soon as the cold weather sets in, Wilbur will be turned into smoked bacon and ham.  As the sheep says, it's a regular conspiracy, involving every person in the Zuckerman family and employ.

Of course, Wilbur gets hysterical over all the things he'll miss if he's butchered:  the comfortable manure pile, the beautiful air, the beautiful sun.  All the things he normally takes for granted each day.

I think all of us go through life taking things for granted.  For example, I love Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts.  I usually have a huge container of them at home all the time.  When I'm in the kitchen, I'll sometimes grab a handful of them without even thinking about it.  I expect them to be there.

I'm like Wilbur.  Wilbur doesn't think about what he loves most until he's faced with the prospect of losing it.  Then, the manure pile becomes the pig-version of Citizen Kane's Rosebud. It's the warmth of summer mornings, the chuckle of the goose, the buzz of flies in Charlotte's web.

I've decided to do away with Worry Wednesdays.  From now on, every Wednesday I will write about something I take for granted.    Big things.  Small things.  Quiet things.  Loud things.  I want to cultivate more gratitude in my life.

So, this Wednesday, Saint Marty gives thanks for Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts.

Nothings comes between me and my nuts (yes, I went there)