A few years ago, just before Christmas, I found out that a child in my Kindergarten class was living at the Care and Share, a place in town that takes in homeless people. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I had met the little girl's mother and sister and they didn't have the appearance of being homeless or poor.
What I didn't realize about the Care and Share, until this time, was their rule stating that those staying at the facility had to be out of the building by 8:00 a.m. No exceptions. This was quite a burden for the mother and her young daughters.
About a week before Christmas, the little girl in my class got very sick; running a temperature too high for her to come to school. Since they had no place to go, her mother did the only thing she could think of. She took her sick child to a store and lay her in a shopping cart so she could sleep; pushing it all the while until it was late enough in the day that they could go back to the facility they called home.
That particular experience causes me to reflect upon the many blessings my family has that often go unnoticed; such as having a warm, comfortable home, a bed to curl up in when we are not feeling well, and an abundance of food and clothing.
Marelisa Fábrega said the following:
“Gratitude should not be just a reaction to getting what you want, but an all-the-time gratitude, the kind where you notice the little things and where you constantly look for the good, even in unpleasant situations."
I couldn't agree more.
4 comments:
that breaks my heart!
That makes me cry.
Sad and inspiring all in one neat story. Thanks for sharing that. Perfect for this time of year.
What a heart-wrenching story, it does make one give pause and think or to even question oneself, "Am I truly grateful for all my blessings?"
I say a prayer every day giving thanks for all that I am blessed with but it's not just what I say and think but my actions that I have to watch out for. I need to give more to appreciate all that I have.
Post a Comment