Choose Life – Choose Gratitude

A few weeks ago, our dear friends lost their son in battle. Eliyahu Drori z”l was a tank driver in the Israel Defense Force and had a horrible and fatal accident while chasing smugglers in the middle of the night. Hashem should avenge his martyred blood.

It is so sad and unfortunate that it takes nightmares like these for us to step back and appreciate everything in our lives. I mean, at least for five minutes. Looking back on that week after he died, what really hit home was the understanding that our lives are so fragile.

What started out as a normal day for Eliyahu ended in an unexpected and devastating tragedy. The same happened with the sweet young couple from Long Island, Yisroel Levin and Elisheva Kaplan, Hy”d. They had just gotten engaged a week earlier and were killed in a car crash by a drunk and stoned driver (who amazingly didn’t get any jail time). And what about the adorable little 6-year-old boy from Bet Shemesh, Yehuda Applebaum z”l, that was hit by a bus on the way to school?

Oy, Hashem have mercy.

Tragedies like these happen every single day. Of course, they are layered with messages, lessons, and soul corrections, but this doesn’t make them easier to bear. At least, not right after a loved one dies.

The one main lesson I take from the passing of these pure souls that were the best among us, is to choose life.

What does it mean to choose life? We’re alive already, right?

Well, that depends.

Are you walking around with no energy and your shoulders hunched forward? Are you dragging your feet from place to place without any pep in your step? Sorry, couldn’t resist. Are you greeting people with a fake, 1-second half-smile and ZERO personality? C’mon, you know who you are!

Are you looking at your life with a sense of “blah,” like there’s nothing to look forward to? Are you excited about each new, opportunity-filled day with its tremendous blessings? Are you grateful that you woke up this morning?

You could either need a double cappuccino with some whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top, or you might need an XL dose of gratitude.

It could very well be both!

Living each day without appreciation for the blessings we have, without excitement for the opportunities life presents us to grow, to reach our potentials, to be better spouses, parents, friends – that’s not really living.

It’s surviving on automatic pilot.

And that’s not how Hashem wants us to live.

Every day we need to wake up and make a conscious decision to choose life. But what does it mean to choose life?

Choosing life means choosing gratitude.

When you thank Hashem for everything in your life, big, small, and especially things you take for granted, you automatically begin to feel more alive. Feeling more alive makes you a happier, less stressed, healthier person, who in turn will exude that positive energy to everyone around you.

It’s a wonderful domino effect that gets better and better every single day. Each morning, each moment you feel down, lethargic, or robotic, remember to choose gratitude – and choose life!