That sun rise you keep telling yourself you need to get up early for and never do; taking it for granted that tomorrow will be another day. That mobile phone you complain about; taking it for granted that it enables you to do so much. That phone call to a friend that you keep forgetting to make; taking it for granted that they’ll always be around. That breakfast, lunch or supper you keep promising to make time for to catch up with special people; taking it for granted that they’ll always be in your life.

We don’t even notice how waking up each day is something we take for granted. Then there’s the things we take for granted or do not appreciate because we’re so used to it in our lives – running water (even a drought in a nearby city didn’t deter us), electricity (minus the load shedding here or there), or our health. How often do we take our own health for granted?

And people. How often do we take the people in our lives for granted? Especially the ones who put us first; who are always there for us; who understand and accept all of us without complaint? The ones who we don’t immediately think of until we need them? The problem with people is that they can walk away. And when they do, we become baffled because we didn’t notice the impact until they’re no longer there. Until we need them and they are gone. Unlike sunrises or natural disasters, this is in our control. Not taking people for granted is something we can change at any moment in time. In fact, the second you’ve realised that you’ve taken this person for granted is when you could start making more effort; not just in words but in actions too. Words speak to your intention but actions…actions show the change in behaviour and the amount of effort you make means you’ve woken up to the importance of the person in your life. And if they give you another opportunity to be in their lives, don’t become complacent again. Appreciate them and the second chance. Don’t forget what it’s like without them. Keep putting in the effort. Every day.

Don’t forget that if the sun didn’t rise, we wouldn’t exist; if we didn’t have phones, it would be much harder to keep in contact, if we didn’t have technology, our lives would be just that much more difficult to find places, to connect with people, to travel or even just to do our jobs.

Don’t take anything for granted, not even time because one day this will run out as well.