Learning to be more thankful

This last week I really learned how much I have to be thankful for. Ironically, I didn't come to this realization because it was the week of Thanksgiving though. This past week, one of my friends went through one of the toughest things possible. She unexpectedly lost her father. Friday morning her dad went in for a routine gall bladder surgery. Her family was told that there were to be no complications. However, during the surgery her father unexpectedly started hemorrhaging. He was lifeflighted to the hospital in Des Moines. Before he was put onto the helicopter, he started singing to his daughter, "I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again!" She told me afterwards that at that point she knew in her heart that her dad was not going to make it through the night and he didn't. He slipped into a coma before the helicopter reached Des Moines and was put onto a ventilator. The family was told that there was no possible way of bringing him back. The only way that he would be able to stay alive was by being hooked to this machine but he would never regain consciousness. When I recieved this news Friday night, I realized how grateful I was to have all of my family members safe and healthy. I can't imagine the pain my friend and her family were going through. I know that if this were ever to happen to me, it would be unbearable. I now thank god everyday for everything that I am thankful for. It has really put what is most important in my life into perspective.