Thankful for the "NOW"

Why is it so hard for me to be thankful for what is happening to me in the present time? I usually always learn how thankful or how much I loved something after it has already passed. I know it is better to be thankful anytime than not be thankful at all, but I just wish I was more aware of the blessings happening in my life than waiting until they have passed. Mostly this applies to my time in the Dominican or my summer spent in Haiti. But it also applies to my time just in every day life. A time that I think about almost every day was when I was in Haiti. I could name numerous people or things I would give anything to go back and see or do. But one specifically was that I fell in love with my little orphan named Christine. She was the one that I would purposely seek out to hang out with every day when I was over at COTP. I would try and teach her how to walk, but Christine would get tired or maybe she is just lazy. So we both figured out that we loved to take daily naps, so I would just pick her little chunky butt up and lay her on top of me and we would sleep under a hut out in Lagosette, Haiti. Now that I look back on those days, I realize I always took those times for granted. I would love to go back and take one more nap with her, feed her, or just watch her walk now. Even nights in the dorm with my best friends, time at home with my beautiful family or high school friends, or just being in the car with E, it is easy to look over and not be thankful until it has already passed. Today I'm going to start focusing on the present and being thankful for what I have and am doing in the "now". 

Thank you, God! Thank you for all the blessings you have sustained me with! Let me be aware of the blessings that are happening in the now and not forget the most precious times in my life! Please keep my friends and family in your arms of love, and let us always remember you and why we are here. 

Christine:)