Grateful Heart - Day 10

Today I am grateful for having "enough". "Enough" means that I don't have too little and I don't have more than I need. I am grateful that we don't worry day-to-day about where our next meal will come from, where we will stay or whether we have a roof over our heads, whether someone in our house will be alive tomorrow, etc. We have the peace of mind about our lives that I know many cannot have right now.

I have never placed a lot of importance on having more than I need. I drive a moderate car that is always picked to last and take a beating over whether or not it is fancy, powerful, or sexy. Our house is a hodge-podge of hand-me-downs, thrift store finds, and beloved pieces. My goal in life has always been to have a house where people would be able to come and visit, feel at ease and not have to worry about breaking or spilling something inside.

I think that I feel the way I do because as a child my parents had to work very hard to provide for us. My dad worked 2 jobs and was home very little when I was very young so that my mom could stay home and be with us kids instead of having to put us in daycare. I saw them work hard fro what they have, take care of what they possessed in order to make it last longer and also still give to charities or collect for them (Unicef, American Cancer Society and many others).

My mom was always careful to remind us how we were so much better off than a lot of other people around us and it instilled in me a desire to pay it forward and share with those around me.

I have taken those values into my life as an adult and as part of the head of our family. I only hope that my children will take away the same lessons as they move out on their own.