Today I am thinking of the hundreds of things that I truly appreciate. I love the warmth of the sun that is streaming through the window on this cold January morning. I appreciate the walls of my home that insulate me from the relentless wind. I appreciate my houseplants that show me their appreciation, by thriving and continuing to provide me with oxygen. They also clean my indoor air when it is too cold to open the windows.
I feel a great sadness for the many homes that are neglected, crying out for some TLC. Greedy investors continue to buy up available homes, thinking only of the profit they hope to make. Many older homes remain in a doleful state of dilapidation, in need of painting and newer windows. Some have rotting porches and broken fences falling down around them. The yards are filled with obsolete automobiles that do not run and unrepairable appliances. Those with trees have damaged trunks and broken branches. The yards are filled with a plethora of weeds. Newer homes are poorly built and stand like ghosts, naked to the elements with no trees or shrubbery to protect them.
Many tenants do not appreciate their rental homes. They resent the over-priced rent that they are required to pay, or their landlord, which is quite often a property management company, rather than an individual. They take their frustration out on the home itself, often causing further damage to a house that is already in a deplorable condition. The owners do not want to provide any upkeep to the property since it would cut into their profits. The tenant, even if he has the money, does not want to invest anything into a home that he does not own. The investor, not willing to invest any more into the property, does not bother to have it cleaned when one tenant moves out and another moves in. The new tenant, if he wants a clean home, must first clean away the dirt left behind by the previous tenant.
This overall lack of appreciation extends from one’s housing out into the world. Disrespect for the shelter the home provides may escalate into disrespect for his pets, for his neighbors, for his coworkers, and for strangers that he passes each day. When he is filled with negativity, he suffers. Life does not have to be this way. When we learn to appreciate the little things, that appreciation broadens into appreciation for more and more. Appreciation is another form of love. To appreciate the world, and everything in it, is to fall in love with the world. When we love the world, we joyously provide TLC to all that is in need of it.
