Anyone ever think to be happy to be human?

The other night, I ended my day the way I always end them. I reflected on things that occurred throughout my waking hours. I thought about my daughter's basketball team and how much growth I've seen in all of them. I thought about the activities my daughter -- and son -- are involved in throughout the year, and how each one helps them to grow in another way. I thought about how they worked so hard at school and doing homework, learning things they did not know nor fully understood, things they are just now learning.

I then began to look at my wife and I, how some days seem a struggle, but in the end, we lay ourselves to bed -- whether we're frustrated or not with the things this world can press upon us -- and we're happy. Maybe it doesn't always show on the outside, but I couldn't be any happier than with the love my wife and I share, a love that's ours alone and precious to each of us as one.

I could go on but I think it's best to get to my point sooner than later. Anyway, the title of this post occurred to me. Does anyone ever think to be happy to be human?

So many things we put before our lives as human beings. Whether we're male or female, heterosexual or gay or lesbian, athlete or scholar, attractive or ugly, physically fit or out of shape, intelligent or dumb, rich or poor, selfish or selfless, Jewish, Christian or Muslim, Catholic or Baptist, etc. Everything around us seems to bring about comparisons.

When the question came to me, it lead to another question which I thought I'd pose to everyone who's reading now: How much more unified could we be if we first saw ourselves as human beings and the individuals that God created us to be?

After all, underneath all the layers that we've added to our lives, it is our humanity that God blessed us with in order to find our way back to him.

As always, more to come.......