Appreciate
In the past few chapters of The Chosen, we have seen Reuven come to the conclusion that he appreciates things in his life more now than he once has. Once he almost lost his sight, he re-examined many areas of his life. Can you identify and relate to Reuven? Have there been times in your life where you have almost lost something and regained it not realizing how precious it was until you almost did not have it back? Make sure to respond to each others' comments.
posted by annes @ 7:29 AM
37 Comments:
Many times i have almost lost something that I thought wasn't important to me and then once I didnt have it I missed it a lot. Last year I had a broken foot and I couldnt play any sports. I didn't know playing sports was integral to my life, but once I lost the ability to play sorts I felt very lucky to be able to play them in the first place. I wanted sports and missed them a lot when i couldnt play them. Before, when I could be active every day, I didnt really value it.
Reuven, when he has eye surgery, rediscovers his life, or,"sees things in a new light." In my This, I Believe essay, I mentioned moving. When I moved here, I realized what true friends I had in California. It makes me miss them even more because I wish I had appreciated them while they were still a big part of my life. Since I learned that lesson, every time I meet someone, I try my hardest to spend time with them and to understand who they are to me.
This question relates to Mr. Malter when he mentions the fact that you never know how lucky you are until you become unlucky. It's the same as learning from your mistakes.
Sometimes it takes something like injuring your eye or moving just to get a clear idea in your head, just loke Paige, Connor, and Jess said.
I can realte to Reuven after he sees the world in a different way. After my cheerleading accident where i got a concussion and fractured my neck, I see everything in a different way. The doctors told me that if i had hit my head about a milimeter over from where I did then I would be either dead or paralized. Every since then I've been happy that I can walk, do things on my own, and now dance and cheerlead again. I didn't know how much I took for granted until then. Now I'm just content to be alive and able to walk!
As David Malter says, "You Don't Miss something unless you dont have it."
I can definitely relate to Reuven's feelings. My best friend, whom I had known since I was two and had gone to school with since kindergarten, left my school in sixth grade. The next year, in seventh grade, I really missed seeing her every day and laughing and talking with her. I realized that I had taken our frienship for granted, and I was really sad that we couldn't have the same close friendship as before. Since then we have regained our friendship because we see each other at church almost every week and we both now go to Arapahoe. Now I am so thankful that we can talk and laugh more often, even if our friendship is not quite the same as it was in sixth grade.
I can relate to Reuven, however, not to the extent of losing my own eyesight. When I was younger, my grandma on my father’s side of the family had a severe heart attack. She appeared to be lost, when suddenly she came back. Granted I don't remember exactly what happened because I was younger, but I do remember looking at things differently and appreciating what I had more. I didn't have as strong a relationship with my grandma as I did with my other grandparents, so I never truly realized how important she was to me. It changed my entire outlook on things.
Nothing that severe has ever happened to me personally though. But this experience gave me the same feeling Reuven must have. Sometimes it takes something disastrous to make us realize what’s important in our lives and what isn’t.
back in 8th grade, I had two C grades in the first semester (not ususual). My Mom decided that she had had enough and decided to ground me from skateboarding, one month for each C. Thats 2 months for the slow people. I was pretty much devastated, as stupid as that seems. Skating was pretty much the only thing that occupied my time, so maybe thats why. I had never been seriously grounded from anything before, so this was a kick in the teeth for me. I thought about it, and I realised that skating was a privledge, not a given. When I got it back, I had sort of lost my touch,but it felt good to be able to tdo it again. So therefore, I can realate I a weird and juvinile way to Reuven's loss of sight.
There is a time in everyones life where they lose something important to them. I have had many of those times but one that sticks out vividly is the time when i lost something very dear to my heart. I lost my raquetball socks.
These were no ordiinary, run of the mill white socks. oh no, they were knee-high, with horizontal white and black stripes and pig faces on the tops. When combined with my lights blue boys basketball shorts it was the perfect outfit to embarass anyone with whom i was playing. At the rec-center where we played my socks were a legend. ok, maybe they were just something that the desk people commented on occasionaly, but they were close enough. And then, on fateful day I played raquetball with two of my best friends, Layne and Emily. It was a great game and when nwe were finished we went swimming. Several weeks later, when i went to play raquetball with some other friends of mine I discovered that my Raquetball socks were gone! I was horrified, but i had to make do with mismatched ankle socks. needless to say the desk people were very disappointed.
Then, some weeks later (about 4 weeks from that fateful game..) I get a call from Layne saying he has a bag of mine containing socks. At first I did not realize that those socks were anthing but the ordinary mis-matched ankle socks, but upon opening the bag I found to my surprise my knee high black and white striped raquetball socks!
I realize that this story might seem a little insignificant but i loved those socks. anyway, I know that me losing my socks is not nearly as frightening as Reuven nearly loosing his sight, but i have gained a new appreaciation for those knee high, black and white striped raquetball socks.
I can relate to Reuven from the Chosen and how he has come to appreciate whats around him because one time i had a really bad infection in my hand and in my fingers and the doctors said that if it does show any signs of improvement in the next few days that i might have to have my fingers or even my hand amputated. i never realized before that moment how much i used my hand for and everything that i can do with it and i was just thinking how that all might be gone in just a little bit. I always took it and used it for granted not thinking that i might lose it one day just like Reuven and his eye. Obviously it started getting better because i still have my hand but ever since then i have beeen greatful and everytime i use my hands i think of how if i got my hand amputated how i wouldn't be able to do this. I know now not to take things for granted and to appreciate everything and everyone around you. I never realized how precious my hand was to me untill i almost lost it.
While reading, I have noticed that Reuven has been taking life for granted, and then the eye incident made him realize that life is much more precious than one realizes.
I have had a few times in my life that I didn't realize how much I needed, or appreciated something, until it was almost gone. For example I take friendship for granted. Over the summer, one of my best friends and I got in a big fight (over something really stupid, I might add) that almost ended or friendship. I decided to not make a point to talk to her, which worked since we were on summer break, in hopes that it might blow over. About a week and a half after we got in the fight, she called me and talked to me like nothing had happened. I was a little surprised at first, but I figured that if we would have brought up the fight, we would have argued and gotten in a whole new one. So we just talked... and pretended like nothing ever happened.
During that week that we were in the fight, I realized how glad I was to have a friend like her, and how upset I would be if we were no longer friends. That is why I now appreciate my friendships more.
There have probably been many times where I have almost lost something and appriciated it once I finally got it back. Though one specific instance comes to mind:
When I was about 4 my mom enrolled me in a learn-to-skate class at the ice rink. At first, I didn't wnat to do it because it was so hard and I kept falling. But eventually, I got the hang of it and going to skating sessions became regular. After 7 years of getting up at 5:00 in the morning and skating for two hours, my mom decided one day that I didn't seem dedicated enough to do it anymore, so she made me quit. For awhile I was actually kind of relieved but then I realized how much I missed everything about it. My mom was very understanding about the whole thing and so after a few weeks I started getting used to the old routine. This made me a better skater and made me realize that I wanted to be committed to something like this.
When I was 5 my grandfather died of lung cancer. Nobody knew exactly why he had been diagnosed with it seeing that he had never smoked a cigarette in his life, but it didn't really have a profound effect on me. However, I noticed that at any given time, we might have to leave this world and go on to the next. I began to appreciate that I had other grandparents and parents that cared about me. I was appreciative of all of the things that I had and that I was privelidged to have. This is kind of like Rueven when he almost loses his sight because he realizes that he has much more to live for than he thinks.
I personally have never had an experience where I lost something, realized how much it meant, and then regained it.
But like Paigen said, when you take things for granted, like the lunches, and then they stop coming, you realize how much you depended on them.
I guess my "story" could be like my "This I Believe" essay. When I travel, I get to see different cultures and how families live. I take for granted the house I live in, the school I go to, and the everyday objects that make my life what it is.
Other than that, I have yet to have an expericence like Reuven. But, you never know.
Although many times I have had things taken away from me, I cannot think of any tangeable thing that I have lost and gained more appreciation for. A similar thing, however, is that before I moved back to Colorado from New Jersey, my gradparents often sent cards and presents. The cards were always filled with confetti and we loved to get them, but never truely appreciated our grandparents and the cards that they sent. That is, until they stopped coming. We haven't seen our grandparents in a long time, and only just recently have we recieved cards or phone calls from them. In this sense, I can somewhat relate to Reuven in how he appreciates more in life, but not to a huge extent. I understand how he feels about it, but it is not a very deep understanding because, unlike him, I have not re-examined many areas of my life because of my experiences.
I agree with Elyse and Jesica that we all do learn to take things for granted, but I wonder if our parents grew up not havng a lot and if they could pass on thier apreciation for things to us.
Also, 4 of my parents friends have died recently at a young age. My parents went to a funeral yesterday for a 45 year old man who died of cancer. He has two kids and i know them both. I sometimes take my parents for granted and diss them once in a while. I'm going to try and stop disrespecting them becasue I know that they can die just like all their young friends today, tomorow, or a week from now.
This is similar to Connor's experiences, but another thing that I do not really value is my health. I rarely ever get sick, have never had the flu, and have never been seriously ill. My perspective has changed somewhat because of my brother's friend, who has bone cancer. The cancer is in his arm and he can hardly move it and has had a segment of the bone removed, so he can never play the violin again, as he used to. He has had many complications and close calls, and has almost died. After hearing the stories of all that this twelve-year-old boy has suffered with chemo and numerous surgeries, I realize how blessed I am that I hardly ever even get a cold.
I can relate to Reuven in the sense that I almost lost something I had taken for granted. A couple summers ago,I was with my cousin by Shadow Mountain Lake. My cousin and i were messing around and he pushed me in. Since I was caught of guard, I didn't really have time to take a breath and I went in already almost out of breath. This wouldn't have been a problem normally, except I somehow got my foot wedged under a rock.
I don't know if anyone has been to Shadow Mountain Lake, but it is pretty murky and hard to see, especially when you are underwater. I fumbled and felt around to try to get the rock off my foot, but it was a while before I found it. Once I found the rock and got it off my leg, I came to the surface to find my cousin panicking halfway to the house to get someone to help. I talked to him later about it and he said I was underwater for a long time, definately over a minute. When I was under water it felt like a long time but I figured it was just one of those things.
Since then, I have decided to live my life to the fullest. You should live every day like its your last because you never know what you've got until it is gone and some day just might be your last.
I also agree with Paige and Sara, by saying that I cant directly relate to Reuven, but I think that we have all lost, or almost lost sometihng that we would have never thought. I think that we just all need to not take as many things for granted, and appreciate the small pleasures... like a baseball game.
Like Paige, Sara, and Chelsea said, I can't directly connect to being hit in the eye with a baseball. But I do have reference to know what its like to be gratful for simple things!
Like Paige, Sara, Chelsea and Endsley have stated, I also cannot relate to losing something that drastic. The only event that could come close is when my sister has heart surgery, I always wonder what would happen if she didn't make it through it. If something were to happen to her I would look at the world with a different attitude. I hope that nothing ever happens to my sister or myself because I don't know what I would do with myself after a tragity like that.
Everyone has friends, but we never really think about what life is like without them. I used to be like that, taking my friends for granted, but since I moved I have come to see how much my friends were part of my life. My days are empty without them and I feel lonely a lot more often. I really miss my friends, and know I see that I took my friends for granted. I also took their friendship for granted. I was lucky with my friends in Ohio. Moving here and having to make new friends has shown me that friendships are really hard to make. In Ohio, I never thought about how long and how powerful my friendships were until I moved here and tried to make new ones. I now appreciate those friends that I do make here more.
I actually can sort of relate to this situation but in a smaller way. Anytime that I have to take time off gymnastics I realize when I go back to the gym how much I love it and how horrible it would be if I couldn't do it. I' have never been in the situation where I almost was unable to go back to the gym but I think that based of these small experiences I kind of know what it would be like to have to quit gymnastics.
I have had many scary experiences where I appreciate things that I normaly have taken for granted. The most extreme was when I had to get surgery on my leg because I had a congenital short femur (this is when one leg isn't growing as fast as the other one) During the surgery I had an adverse reaction to the type of gas that I was put to sleep with. Once I woke up I couldn't talk, and it was almost as if my brain hadn't woken up but my body had. I hadn't relized how hard it would be if I couldn't talk EVER again. Those of you that know me know that I'm always talking so that would have been terrible. When I was able to talk again I was so greatful. This is just like when Reuven almost loses his sight. He appreciates being able to see just like I appreciated to be able to talk.
I cannot directly relate to Reuven or some of the other people in our classes, but I know that I have many great opportunities and a way better life than some other people, and it is not to be taken for granted. I think that it is important for those who are more fortunate to help those who are less fortunate. One example is Hurricane Katrina victoms. It is very cool to see famous people and just all people in general taking these people taking the victoms in and helping rebuild New Orleans. You should be thankful for what you have, so you you don't figure out how to appriciate what you have the hard way.
Though I have been most fortunate in my life to not have had to live through these types of hard times, there was one time that I remember feeling this sense of loss. About a year ago, a few things happened between my family and my cousin's family. My cousin and I are extremely close, and this falling out threatened to totally end our friendship. Consequently, I was obviously devastated. I couldn't imagine family get-togethers without my cousin there. With time, luckily, things were settled, and everything went back to normal. Though I really appreciated having my cousin there beforehand, this incident opened my eyes to the fact that the friendship could not be there; it could end. I then was able to more fully appreciate every minute I am able to spend with my cousin. I can definitely relate to Reuven, if in a roundabout way.
I just remembered something else too. I never realized until monday of this week how much I valued talking with a certain person. On monday he left for Iraq and I realized how much I enjoyed and relied on his conversation to keep me going through the week. It's a little sad but we can still email so I'm happy and he's happy to be in Iraq doing his job and that's a good thing. Wow that sounded so sappy but I guess it goes along with the subject of the blog.
Yes, I too have lost something, and only then realized how important that thing was to me.
Friends are my main focus, but in two different ways. For one thing, when I moved (the first time) I realized that basically my social life was gone. It evaporated. Disappeared. Vanished. It was then that I found out the true meaning of friends and what the do for you.
I also found out in 7th/8th grade that one of my friends had attempted to commit suicide many times and another of them was on the verge of trying. With that discovery I found out HOW MUCH they meant to me, and HOW MUCH it would hurt if they did die. Now however they have moved on and are no longer like that. But it was still amazing how much it would have affected me.
I have two things.
This past summer I went to the town of Yampa with a population 430, 30 minutes south of Steamboat Springs, with my youth group. I was in charge of the first and second grade bible study class. I had a kid in my class who I was told was the problem child, the one who I would never be able to control. As I got to know him, I found out his father abuses him. He made me think about how lucky I am to have two parents that treat me with respect.
This goes back to this I believe essay. As I said in my essay, this year I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. For a few weeks I wasn’t sure if I would be able to live like a normal kid. Everything turned out fine, but now I really appreciate the fact that I am alive and healthy.
My brother and sister and I have always been really active, competitive, and involved with a ton of sports. I never really thought about the physical abilities we have been blessed with until I met Taylor Atkinson. I have known his family through our church, but didn't really spend time with him or others in the youth group until about a two years ago. He was affeicted with Fanconi Anemia and had physical handicaps. When I first met him, I felt so bad for him that he was different, however, I realized he was never negative about his situation and made the best out of everything!! Many people thought that he couldn't participate in as many activites because he wasn't the same as everyone else, but he proved their assumtions wrong numerous times. The time I remember the most was watching the video of one of our retreats, and seeing him all harnessed up in the trees with his best friends, doing the same thing as all of them. It showed me that although it was hard, Taylor could accomplish tasks set before him. It also opened my eyes to the challenges many people face, whereas they come easily to me and I just take it for granted. Taylor passed away earlier this year because of FA and everyone who knew him was devastated because of his determination and passion for life. Although he is not with us anymore, I will always remember his optomism and remember not to take anything for granted.
Like the old saying goes, you only know what you have until it's gone.
In 7th grade, my grandpa passed away. While he was alive, I really didn't like spending time with him and I probably didn't love him as much as I could have. When he was alive, I would avoid him, thinking that he was annoying, how many children think of older people. I was frustrated with the fact that, being older, he didn't understand me and what I needed and wanted. I couldn't talk to him, I couldn't relate to him in my early childhood.
After he died, I realized how much I actually needed him. I was older by then and was interested more with history, and my grandpa was a endless wealth of knowledge in that area. Mainly I was focused on the Great Depression and WW2. My grandpa was around during those times and I could have had many a conversation with him on what it was like living in that time in history. If he was alive. I realized how lucky I could have been if I had sat down with him and talked about his life. I am sure I could have found lots of great stories and facts about what I wanted to know, that I could cherish forever. If he was alive.
I was shocked when I thought about those things. I cried and cried over the opportunities that I had wasted and the man I would never see again. I would not be able to talk to him or find out the amazing events that happened in his life.
Because of this, I now cherish the time I have to spend with my grandparents. I listen to my grandma when she tells stories, even if I've heard them thousands of times. I look forward to seeing my grandparents and make the most out of every minute I have with them. Because I never know how much time I have left to spend with them.
One thing that I once lost was Firefox. I am sure that sounds really lame and stupid, but it is true. I got a new thumb drive, and had not yet installed Firefox on it. Then I was using a computer in debate that only had IE. It was terrible. Using a sub-optimal browser with no tabs and security holes that was slow and ugly was really a serious bummer. But that is really the extent of it.
declanh: i think that your comment is very telling of human nature. When people are in danger and are struggling, they often times think about a lot of things they dont otherwise. danger is really something that brings out things in us we didn know we had.
connord: a lot of people have very mixed emotions on parents. A lot of times they are kids enemies, but just about everyone realizes that you couldnt live without them.
I only have one close call that allows me to relate to relate to Reuven. On my birthday during sixth grade, I was playing tug-of-war with my dog while laying on the floor. She accidently steped on my face and her due-claw caught me right above the eye and ripped almost all to my ear. Thankfully, she didn't get my actual eye, but ever since I've been extremely aware of my eyes and I can't stand anything to do with eyes (like going to the eye doctor). It was a close call and it definetely shifted my view of the world.
I think we all can relate to Rueven because we all have family members and even if your parents aren’t with you any more you have lost them, and you know how important they are to you. Even if you do have parents you have probably felt scared about them if they were gone longer than they said they were, or you couldn’t get a hold of them, we most likely have all felt a little scared. But I can personally relate to Rueven, not in the real essence of loosing sight, but I when my brother was really young he was diagnosed with a strange disease. This disease required him to have surgery on his heart and the possibility of loosing him at an earlier age, and would leave him with a small limp. The day of the surgery and the day after we weren’t allowed to see him, so we just hoped he’d be okay. He is okay, but it was a scary thought of loosing my brother, and there is still that possibility, but most likely he will be fine. Also, I moved once and lost all of my old friends, then we were going to move again a year later and I was afraid to loose all of my new best friends again; luckily I didn’t need to, but that possibility of loosing all of my friends again made me truly sorrowful. I feel that people, and the life we live in are our most important “property”. When we move or loose people that we were close to we have a deep feeling of sorrow.
I never really appreciated my neighbors. There was a particularly nasty family called the Tuckers. I didn't like Ellen Tucker because she was always cranky. A cranky old woman. Her husband Leon's life, as well as hers, was dogs. A few days ago, Leon died of some kind of cancer, but I can't remember which. I neveer really appreciated Leon living near me, but now that he is dead, it feels like the neighborhood is empty. He used to always play with his dogs outside, but ever since he got sick, the neighborhood has been quiet. Even though losing a neighbor isn't like losing sight in one eye, it still brings about a feeling of emptyness the likes of which can tear a soul apart. In theory.
I can relate to Reuven. I have a ring that my Grandparents gave to me, and it is very special. About a month ago, I almost lost my ring, and I was very upset, because I realized how special the ring was and that it was more than just a piece of jewelery.
I'm not sure if I have a situation of losing something great, I've just been lucky. But I do have a story about someone else, my 6th grade teacher. A few weeks before school started in 6th grade, my teacher got into a motorcycle accident in the mountains with his friends. They were going down the hill and on a turn, he swerved and crasheds into a tree. He broke both of his legs, his back, and his arm. He was in the hospital for a while and needed to be in a wheel-chair for about 6 months. The worse thing for him was that he could not come to the first semester of the school year, the first one that he would ever teach. Through his recovery, he's had many surgeries and cannot bend one of his legs. He limps around most of the time, but he's gotten used to that. He learned that he's never going to fully recover from this accident and he's always going to have problems with one of his legs. I could tell that this was hard for him because he was such an athletic person before. Plus, my class missed a whole semester of his teaching which is really sad because he actually turned out to be a good teacher.
When I think about my teacher's situation, I have no idea how I could live with that kind of problem. For me, I love to play basketball. I would be devestated if I couldn't play. Not only that, but I hate just sitting around. I have to do something. Plus, I love to work out, I just enjoy it. After realizing how my life could change with just one moment, I appreciate how lucky I've been and my oppertunities that I have.
To relate back to other people's comments:
I agree with friends are something that are taken for granted. They are our support in times of need, and they keep our moods up.
I also agree with Connor and Paige that parents are taken for granted. My parents can definitely get on my nerves quite often, but most of the time they're just doing what they're doing because they love me.
Frankly, I don't think that losing electronics like a computer, cell phone, or iPod or something would be that bad. This summer I went to Montana for a mission trip, and we didn't have any electronics. There were only two places in the whole camp that had electricity, and they were the kitchen and the shower houses (we had port-a-potties though). I realized then that we really don't NEED electronics, we just want them which is a whole different story. It showed me that I can have a good time in a different way.
Like Mr. Malter said, "People who are fortunate don't realize it until they are unfortunate."
I think after reading "The Chosen," we have all thought about something we take for granted. Even if it's tiny, like Paige's teddy bear :), or a little bigger, like Ayla's lost voice, we don't realize how lucky we are. I think my big one was siblings. I grew up with my brother, and always thought he was terribly annoying. But one time he hurt his head and had to stay in the hospital for a little while and I was terribly bored. Even though I never showed it, I was so happy when he came back.
It's fun to read books like this that really make you think.
p.s. good one daniel...no seriously
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