If so, why?
I began to count up my blessings and compare them with my misfortunes.

Exhausted pleasure-seekers may be surprised to hear that I proved the joys of my life to have far exceeded my sorrows.

I found that I had sight, hearing, youth, sound limbs, an appreciation of the beautiful in art and nature, and an intense power of enjoyment.

For all these things, impossible of purchase by mere wealth, should I not give thanks?
For every golden ray of sunshine, for every flower that blooms, for the harmonies of the wind and sea, for the singing of birds and the shadows of trees, should I not--should we not all give thanks?
For is there any human sorrow so great that the blessing of mere daylight on the earth does not far exceed?
We mortals are spoilt and petted children--the more gifts we have the more we crave; and when we burn or wound ourselves by our own obstinacy or carelessness, we are ungratefully prone to blame the Supreme Benefactor for our own faults.

We don black mourning robes as a sort of sombre protest against Him for having removed some special object of our choice and love, whereas, if we believed in Him and were grateful to Him, we should wear dazzling white in sign of rejoicing that our treasure is safe in the land of perfect joy where we ourselves desire to be.