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Ever since I mentioned how my grandson sings Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things" last week, I've noticed just how often he goes around the house singing it to himself.
It is adorable. Again, he doesn't talk really.
But he does sing that song.
He loves that song.
And I love how he loves it.
I love that song, too.
Except, I love that song for a completely different reason.
And not just because it is a "catchy tune."
I may not have the greatest taste in clothing, makeup, food, cars, men. That list goes on and on.
But I do think I have excellent taste in music.
Of course, don't we all?
I would ask that should you find the time, you listen to it. It's a good one.
"Beautiful Things" puts into perspective the possibility of losing it all -- everything you care for, everything you love.
Because it is possible.
What we have can be taken away at any time.
Without warning. Without notice. Without an explaination why.
The song quotes: "And I thank God everyday, for the girl he sent my way. But I know the things he gives me, he can take away."
Another line: "If everything's good and it's great, why do I sit and wait til it's gone?"
When I first heard the song, I thought to myself, how true is that?
There are some people who believe they do not deserve that kind of happiness, that kind of love.
There are people who think they are not worthy of having nice, material things.
So, when they actually acquire that someone, or that something, we simply wait for the other shoe to drop, so to speak.
I know from personal experience that I've had to work pretty hard throughout my life for the little I have.
I was not born into wealth. My mother has already apologized about that to me.
But it isn't her fault. She wasn't born into wealth, either. Neither were her parents, or the ones before them.
So, yes. When we are given something we believe it can quickly be taken away.
Maybe it is bad luck. Perhaps it is bad karma.
Whatever it is, we weren't meant to keep it.
And then there are people who are completely the opposite.
They are the ones who always take things for granted.
They are the ones who never consider that all that we have right now, might not be here, tomorrow.
It's so easy to take what we have for granted.
Isn't it?
Maybe we wake up and forget to thank God that he has given us another day.
Another chance.
A do-over, if you will.
Not of the same day of course. (Although that would be amazing.)
But another day in which to get things right.
Another chance to perhaps fix exactly what went wrong along the way.
We get another day.
Not everyone can say that.
It's so easy to take what we have for granted.
Maybe we forget to be grateful for the roof over our head.
If you are reading this and will go to bed tonight inside a house, an apartment, a trailer, in a condo, a cabin; if you will not have to wonder if a bench or a cardboard box will serve as your pillow this evening ... did you remember to thank him?
Are you grateful?
Or did you merely forget? Did you take your home for granted?
Those four walls hold our fondest memories.
That structure, whatever it may be, encompasses all of the things we loved enough that we brought it in and made it not just part of a house, but made it into our home.
It's so easy to take what we have for granted.
Maybe we forgot to express our gratefulness for those whom God has put into our life.
Have we thanked him for the children whom he chose for us to raise?
Have we conveyed to him our gratitude for the parents he specifically wanted us to have?
And if we did, did we remember to also ask him not to take them away?
Like the song says, "But I know the things he gives me, he can take away."
Yes, it is quite easy to take what we have for granted.
Yet, this song reminds us that once in a while, we need to turn to God and ask if we can please keep these things a little longer.
As the chorus repeats: "Please ... stay. I want you. I need you. Oh, God, don't ... take ... these beautiful things that I've got."
I may not have much in this world, but the few things that I do have, I don't ever want to lose.
I am thankful for it all.
So, please … allow them all to stay.
And don't take … these beautiful things that I've got.
(Stenger is the community editor for the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times newspapers. She can be contacted at jstenger@heraldstaronline.com.)