My Weight Watchers leader told us recently at a meeting that every day, you're given a gift; you just have to look for it. That little statement has made such an impact on my life this summer.
Not long after that meeting, I went on summer vacation to the beach, my first real vacation in several years. One morning, I was walking along the beach early in the morning with my sister and niece. My niece was skipping down the beach when suddenly she stopped. There in the sand was a beautiful little butterfly with one wing buried in the wet sand. My niece picked up the butterfly, put it on her finger and continued down the beach. That little butterfly stayed on her finger, fluttering i's wings in the sun, perhaps drying the wet sand and shaking if off its wings as we continued down the beach for I'll bet 45 minutes. Eventually, my niece placed the little butterfly down on the dry sand of the beach and we continued our walk, confident that the butterfly, now dry and rested, would now be able to continue on its own little journey. I told my niece that day what my Weight Watchers leader had told me about the gift every day, and told her that the pretty little butterfly was our gift of the day.
The message I got from that little butterfly that day is that even though it may seem at times as if you're stuck in the mud and just can't go on, don't give up. Someone will come along and be there for you, family, friends, Weight Watchers group, whoever, but there will always be someone to help you through a rough time.
Every day is full of gifts. A beautiful butterfly, that perfect sunset, the smile offered to you by a passing stranger. The gifts are out there. It's up to us to find them.
