I Appreciate You

Every once in a while, I really stop to realize how fortunate I am and appreciate my little life. I mean, I'm almost always a Pollyanna, but sometimes, I literally get stopped in my tracks by something. Take the other morning, for instance.

My son used to go to a late start school. My daughter's school started at 8:20, and his school started at 9:20. I would pack lunches separately; my daughter's early, and my son's later. This year, they are both at early schools, so I pack their lunches at the same time. My husband leaves for work early as well, so I pack all three lunches at the same time.

The other morning, my husband said with utter sincerity, “I really appreciate you packing my lunch every day. Thank you.”

That one sentence really gave me pause.

My husband and I have been married almost 21 years, and together for over 24 years. After all this time together, it would be so easy to take each other for granted. Perhaps not purposely, but you might just know that XYZ will happen, and you might expect it, rather than appreciate it.

That led to an awesome (albeit brief- it was nearly 7 am and people were trying to leave) conversation about appreciation and mutual respect. I said that I loved how we still appreciate each other after all this time together.

It's my opinion that being appreciative is important. I believe it's one of the keys to having a loving relationship. It's something so simple, but we have a tendency to assume someone knows how much we appreciate them. Sometimes it feels funny to say, “I appreciate you”. But it's important to say it. I think it's crucial to tell someone that you appreciate them, not just what they do for you.

I feel that appreciation is a step beyond gratitude. We use the words interchangeably, but I would argue that although they are related, they are different. To me, gratitude is passive; it's something you feel inside. Appreciate is active; it's something you do. Appreciation is showing gratitude, not just feeling it.

I am grateful for still having the ability to walk. I am grateful for advances in medicine. I appreciate people who love me, despite my shortcomings. I am grateful to have this blog as an outlet, and I appreciate you reading it.