The above quotation comes from Joni Mitchell’s song “Big Yellow Taxi” and has stood true throughout the annals of time, for many of us have the rather poor habit of not appreciating what we really have, until it is gone, or no longer available for us to use, and by the time we realize that we have taken something for granted, that we should have been more appreciative of, it is truly too late. This is why we must take an inventory of that which is valued from time to time of the things, events, and friends that we have, so as to properly show our appreciation, for even that which has always been ours, such as good health, or an especially valued family member, can be subject to disappearance in a blink of an eye, through for instance, a disastrous unexpected event. This signifies that the time to tell someone that you love and that you care for them is in the present; and the time to appreciate a good education, a good neighborhood, and good friends, is in the present, as well, because we know not what the future will hold.
So often, we regret the things we lose, because we know that we have never really properly appreciated them, for we have taken such for granted, and by doing so, just assume that what we have, will always be ours. In actuality, those things that matter to us most of all, are subject not only to traumatic change but invariably are subject to our not paying enough mind to such, of which, slowly through the eons of time, they begin to fade away, and when we subsequently reach out for them, we find to our dismay, that not only are they gone, but they are no longer available for us to retrieve.
So too, we are prone to not evaluating things that we have in our possession, appropriately, thereby making decisions that are going to be in error, because we haven’t taken into account fully, what we should have calculated correctly in the making of those decisions, which leads to our loss, of which, the decisions that we make define not only who and what we really are, but the results of those decisions are reflected in the life that we have, along with the future trajectory of such.
Indeed, the best time to appreciate what we have is always going to be the present time, and those then that make it their point, to not take for granted the blessings that they have in life, are going to be in a far better place, to handle the vicissitudes of life because their foundation is built upon a substance that is better able to handle adversity, for they are better connected to that which is of more importance to them, and those bonds are the very bonds that will help them to endure, as well as to appreciate life all the better, which places them in a much better position as opposed to those who have failed to properly prioritize or to appreciate that which is no longer in their grasp, and seriously doubt that it will ever come back.