Question of the Day | 04/07/2008 12:00 am

What, or whom, do you take for granted?

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I can take my two daughters, Katy and Pamela, for granted thank Heaven. They are perfect in my eyes (almost all of the time) and they have always been the loves of my life and my best friends. I can count on them in every way. I feel so happy writing this because I am telling the nation, the world, the universe and beyond how absolutely wonderful they are and how much I appreciate them.

By Mary Wells on 04/07/2008 12:00 am

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My health and energy and the idiotic belief that I can probably cope no matter what.

By Liz Smith on 04/07/2008 12:00 am

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I take the way I live my life for granted and also nothing. 9/11 changed me profoundly. So when I get up in the morning, I take for granted that I’ll eat three times that day, and get to the office, meet with my colleagues, e-mail my friends and have dinner with my husband. Then in a few hours I’ll hear about some terrible accident or a terror incident abroad and the knowledge of the fragility of everything will sweep over me.

By Joan Ganz Cooney on 04/07/2008 12:00 am

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My generation of women was always being advised not to let our husbands take us for granted. For heaven’s sake, why not? If you can’t depend on the loyalty and support of your spouse, your parents and your children, on whom can you depend? (I don’t have a dog.)

By Judith Martin on 04/07/2008 12:00 am

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Turning on the tap for water and flicking the switch for electricity. Two essential resources with a great history of invention and development behind them that make make life a doddle compared to others in less developed countries.

By Ruth Davenport on 04/07/2008 12:10 am

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I’m in South Africa. We have load shedding for 4 hour twice a week. Our tap water is undrinkable and our underground pipes are finally starting to fail. Our 1024MB ADSL lines are actually about 55kbps. Our post office doesn’t exist - basically everything is delivered by courier or it won’t arrive. And of course of corrupt police force is famous! Don’t underestimate your infrastructure - its very difficult to run a business without it!

By Di V on 04/07/2008 4:51 am

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I’m with Liz on this one. “My health and energy and the idiotic belief that I can probably cope no matter what.”

By Emma Pathey on 04/07/2008 12:12 am

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Ditto on this one. I still feel that I can do anything that I could do 15 years ago. My body keeps telling me differently. That my parents and other loved ones would live forever.

By Hedda Lettuce on 04/07/2008 7:35 am

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I take for granted the love and closeness I enjoy in my relationship with my son and with my brother, it’s completely granted in both cases, I know there’s nothing I could ever do to shake that. And I take for granted that my dogs will always greet me with unending glee, they are my happiness role models. And it’s been a long haul, but I finally take my husbands love for granted, spent years convincing myself I was unlovable but I guess he’s proven me wrong.

By Dora M on 04/07/2008 12:24 am

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Three events have conjoined and completely changed how I experience life: The dramatic, shocking loss of someone, my own life-altering accident, and 911. Now I’m forever balanced on a high tension wire between two beliefs. Everything is a miracle and it can all disappear in the next instant. As if you have to enchant the universe and bring it spiritual bouquets and repeat constantly your gratitudes to buy indulgences and keep loved ones safe.

By Buh-Bye Hillary Hillary Buh-Bye on 04/07/2008 1:05 am

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Suzanne, Everything is a miracle: every single time we can enjoy ‘taking things for granted’ is special. And, it is special because anything can disappear in an instant. I have had hard losses, but the joy of what remains is a wondrous miracle.

By Deborah G on 04/07/2008 7:08 pm

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I know I can take my spouse for granted. In him, I have found a friend and an activity partner. Five years into the relationship, we still love to hang out together and are each other’s weekend dates.

By pratishtha durga on 04/07/2008 1:08 am

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Recently, my husband took a trip back home to the NW and I stayed behind in our RV (we’re full time RV’ers). This waa the first time that I was the one “LEFT BEHIND”. The first week was horrible, I cried every day. However, as the days then went by, I began to really get in touch with myself, my feelings about him and how, in the past, I think I did take him for granted. I realized that I, more times than not, treat my friends and other family members better than I treat him. I have vowed to be more understanding, more interested in what he has to say, appreciate him more (including the little idiosyncricies that I used to waste time critizing), and also really listen and be interested in what he has to say. Life can be so short and in an instant, what and those we love can be gone. Don’t take them for granted.

By Lindy Lu on 04/07/2008 10:59 am

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The Ocean and the Moon. :) SES http://www.metalcyberspace.com

By S.E. S on 04/07/2008 1:17 am

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The morningstar’s heralding sun’s arrival on my east. That Spring will give birth to summer. My feet, hands, body, blood, breath, skin, bones, breasts. That up is up and A is A. I take for granted all the invisible forces, energies and elements that comprise this magnificient creative Universe of which I know myself to be part of. I take for granted that the story has a happy endingand that evil never triumphs. I take for granted that I will always have my memory, sense of humor and love of life. I take for granted that I will be forgiven. I take for granted my willpower. I take for granted that I know right from wrong. As a creature of habit, I take for granted that there will always be clean drinking water, electricity at the touch of a switch, a back door for escaping, food on the table, a roof over my head and warm clothes. I take for granted that I can always be employed. That what I have to offer is valuable. Dark chocolate, music, strawberries, lip balm, to name but a few. These I expect without fail……………..At www.thepowerpath.com, the monthly forecast for January spoke of this very subject.

By iris odonata on 04/07/2008 1:53 am