As we enter the holiday season, it's easy to remember to be thankful for our blessings. However, just HOW MUCH I have to be thankful for really hit me last Saturday.
I went to Southern California with my brother and his family for the weekend and Saturday we went to the USC football game. We parked at the LDS institute building and walked to the colisseum where the games are played. It was about a 1/2 hour walk, and as we walked I was struck by what I saw..... at every dumpster or garbage we passed by, there were people digging out plastic bottles, glass bottles, aluminum cans - anything that could be recycled for money - and placing them in shopping carts. Sometimes there was just one guy, sometimes there were 3 guys, sometimes there were mothers with their kids. I think what struck me the most, aside from the fact that I would never think to do that, was that they weren't trying to hide. They weren't waiting until no one was around watching them. They were openly dumpster diving while thousands of privileged people walked right by them.
Were they just trying to make money to buy a drink? Perhaps they needed money to pay their rent? Or to buy food for their children? I will never know. I just know that I went to a football game with 7 other people, who each paid almost $50 for their ticket. We bought ridiculously overpriced food for lunch, overpriced t-shirts, went out to dinner after the game, and went home to a safe, warm house where the kids were waiting for us, safe and sound.
I am blessed.
2 comments:
That's a great story to help build perspective. We are amazingly blessed. I love this time of year because it makes you thankful for what you really have.
We are all so blessed huh. Great post! Thank you for reminding me how fortunate I am :)
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