there are times when i feel hopeless. there are times when i get depressed. there are times when i worry that the future might not be everything i ever dreamed it would be. there i times that i feel undone; times i feel incomplete. and just when those feelings of despair threaten to take over me, i am reminded. i don't know why it is or who it is that reminds me. sometimes i think i have an idea. none of that matters though. what matters is that i remember and that i share. what matters is that others remember too.
i have been reminded that i am lucky. no amount of sadness and lonliness can or should ever make me forget how blessed i am. there are people that have to struggle in this world and some have to struggle just to live. there are people with jobs that have no running water, no heat, and no real shelter from the earth's temperature. there are people who struggle against illness, ignorance, and intolerance. there are people who can't seem to get a break, and yet surprisingly these are the people that often have the most hope. they are the strongest and most persistant when it comes to achieving their dreams. they are often the most generous. always willing to share what they really don't have to spare. always willing to work when something needs to be completed. if these people can hope, work, try, and dream then so can i.
i live a healthy life. i live in comfort with a beautiful house to shield and protect me. i have running water, heat, electricity, and insulation. i have a telephone. i have internet access. i have a car to get around in and the gas to feed it. i have food in the refrigerator and in the cabinets for me to choose from for each meal. i have money in my pocket to buy movies, music, and whatever else i might want.
as if that weren't enough, i also have someone to love me, care for me, and protect me. i have the comfort of unconditional love from four beings who really believe the sun rises and sets with my presence. i have friends that are excited to see me, spend time with me, and laugh with me. what more could i ask for? how spoiled can i be? i think of these things and i realize that there are so many out there with sooooo much less. that realization humbles me and makes me forget about whatever my petty complaints were/are.
so today, i will not complain and i will hold my head up. i will remember that i have everything when some have nothing. i will be thankful. i will be grateful. i will not take my life and the blessings in it for granted. and i will give to those less fortunate than myself, because blessings are not blessing unless they are shared.
