"All you have to do is stay alive"

Today I heard a quote that really stuck out to me. Someone said "a birthday is just a birthday--all you have to do is stay alive for another 365 days."

And while, technically, he was right--a birthday is a celebration of being alive for another 365 days--I would never look at staying alive as "all you have to do."

Being alive is nothing to ever take for granted. Ever.

Maybe it takes being sick to appreciate that, but it shouldn't. It shouldn't take struggle to know that life is precious. And it shouldn't take fearing for your life to know that you want to live it more than anything.

A birthday should be celebrating that you GOT to be alive for another 365 days. Not that you had to.

Every morning that you wake up is a lucky morning. Every night that you lay your head down on the pillow is something to be thankful for. Every friendship that you make is a blessing. And every chance to make a difference in someone else's world is a chance that you should take; you never know who needs you.

So, try something for me. Make a conscious effort to stop, take a breath, and know that in this moment you are alive and that is nothing to ever be anything less than absolutely thankful for.

Being sick, living with the uncertainty of an illness, and not knowing what your body is going to throw at you next does give you the advantage of showing you the importance of being thankful...but you can do it too. Even if you aren't sick. I know you can.

It's worth it.