Much to Be Thankful For

The end of the year is a time for reflection and introspection for many people.  Thanksgiving was created specifically for people to give thanks and express gratitude for all the bounty in their lives.  Whatever happened in later years, I'd like to think that the first “Thanksgiving” meal between the Pilgrims and Native Americans was one of sincerity and good intentions.

Sixty Minutes recently did a segment on homeless families in America.  Of all the homeless families in the United States, about a third live in Florida, a state that suffered horribly when the construction industry collapsed in the wake of the real estate bubble bursting.  Many of these homeless families live in their cars.  These were families with working parents, but jobs were lost and unemployment ran out, and soon they found themselves foreclosed out of their homes.  Several families were profiled.  It was eye-opening, humbling, and heartbreaking to listen to their stories: washing up at different gas stations to avoid the attention of gas station attendants; the husband who cried while he recounted the story of staying up all night sitting on a cooler watching over his family as they slept; the children who think this is an “adventure”; finding a “safe” place to park for the night; the mother who talked about how her family went from three meals a day to one to make the money stretch.

The children profiled seemed especially mature, and despite their hardship, all were in school and made studying a priority.  One of the girls struck me as particularly wiser than her fifteen years, especially when she said that even though she was homeless, she felt sorry for other homeless people and wanted to help them.  Her and her brother sought comfort performing in a community theater, doing something normal in their not-normal lives.

I was riveted, and so was my teenage stepdaughter, who usually doesn’t show much interest in TV beyond sitcoms, music videos, and reality shows.  But there she was, quietly watching with me. I wondered if she was thinking that her problems are trivial compared to what these kids face every day.

I myself couldn’t help but think “there but for the grace of God go I.”  It could be me and my family living in a car.  So many of us are a paycheck, a medical catastrophe, or a downsize away from financial ruin.   My husband and I are both blessed that the recession has not affected us personally.  We have never missed a payment on any bill and are able to buy Christmas presents for our daughters.  That is something to be thankful for because regardless of the billions of dollars spent on Black Friday, there are plenty of families who won't be buying a thing for Christmas, because it’s all they can do to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.

When I think of some of the petty things I have complained about, I’m embarrassed.  It’s time for me and anyone else who falls in this category to stop looking at what’s wrong or missing in their lives and be thankful for the small things like a clean pair of socks to wear and the big things like a house to live in.