Counting our blessings

by Peter Twitchell

Until this period of time since the emergence of the COVID-19 virus have I really appreciated the cell phone. It was like taking my family and friends for granted until now. Every communication with family members and friends has been a great blessing and joy.

There was a time when I didn’t have any thought of what words came out of my mouth, now I am more aware and more in control of my thoughts of blessings in my life and what is important to me – and that is my family and friends.

Now I have more a sense of value in them. It’s like my family/friends are treasures, but more. It’s more than that, however.

I treasured ivory carvings that my late first cousin Joe Woods Jr. made for me, a special guitar pick Christopher Nevak carved for me out of ivory, or my late Mother’s string of pearls someone took from me.

My family and friends are irreplaceable. But I kept them in reserve for so long, only responding to crisis situations.

I used to resent my wife for calling or texting me from downstairs to tell me dinner was ready, and I was in my study – reading, writing, or working on my music. I only focused on the phone and how it took the precious time we had interacting together.

Let’s not forget this, it is more important to talk to each other face to face whenever possible. But we can always do more with the cell phone I was beginning to resent until recently.

Like you, my family and I are practicing social distancing. It will not always be like this. It’s a time to count our blessings and appreciate more what we have and not what we don’t.

Hopefully we will all be better for this, in mindfulness of each other’s needs, kindness, forgiveness, love, and understanding.

The Almighty God, our Creator has a way of bringing us back to our senses. A reminder of what is most important in our lives. Greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world.

We are so loved, even before we were born. I have something to be thankful for today. I have four children: 2 girls and 2 boys, 8 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild, and my grandson coming next month in April, my birth month.