I was unpacking my suitcase after a short weekend getaway when I realized I couldn’t find my scarf. A great sense of loss overwhelmed me. I remembered the exquisite colors that had given me so much pleasure every time I looked at my scarf. I remembered its lovely silkiness as it touched my fingers and draped so lightly around my neck.And now, I thought, I would never see or touch it again. How had I not been more careful with it? I mourned. How had I not cherished it more, recognized its worth more while I’d had it? I wondered, too, if its loss was not a punishment for some sin. And then, a thought occurred to me. Slowly, I went through my suitcase again, and there, in a corner, was a plastic bag I’d assumed was empty. When I opened it, I found my scarf. I touched it, filled with joy and gratitude.
Suddenly, I thought of the myriad things, large and small, whose loss I would be quick to feel was a punishment but whose presence I often overlooked as a blessing. I promised myself to never again wait for their loss to feel gratitude for their presence. I promised myself to thank God every hour, every minute for each small blessing.
Naomi Ragen is an American-born author and playwright who has lived in Jerusalem for the past 36 years. www.naomiragen.com
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