"We never knew how good we had it."

I heard last week that this is what a Russian father said, after the terrorist attack on the school. I wept when seeing those horrible photos, and I wept for those children and their parents.

But of course this is true of all of us: We never know how good we have it, when it's just ordinary, quotidian, "no, nothing new here" life.

When something terrible happens, not only do you have to deal with the stress of the event itself, but you have to grieve for what you've lost. Sometimes what you lose is the ability to take things for granted. A gift, when you think about it. But it's a greater gift to appreciate every little thing, while you have it.

UPDATE: Just realized I initially read about this quote at Althouse. Credit where credit is due.

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