What I'm Grateful For

What does it mean to be grateful? It means you are so appreciative of what you have. Many people do not think about this; they muddle through their days, their busy lives and do not give pause to think about how lucky they are to have whatever it is they have. Perhaps they are not so fortunate, yet if they stopped and reflected, my guess is they could come up with a job, a family member, a friendship which really makes them blessed.

I grew up poor. I had nothing. Believe me, I bemoaned my fate; I did not like that we had to shop in May's or Alexander's. Lucky for me, I had a Dad who reminded me what I did have: a Dad who loved me, a sharp mind, a sense of humor and some other family members who loved me. He made me realize that really nice pair of Fred Braun's shoes (a popular item when I was ten years old) would stand as a symbol that might make me feel good for a day, a week-even longer-but at the end of the day, it would not sustain me. 

And now, at the end of the day, a day when I have some nice shoes and bags and clothes, when I travel to some nice places and eat at some nice restaurants, I understand these are all good things, but not truly what I am grateful for. I am grateful for the family I have; when I have a great conversation; when I do good deeds in the world. I am grateful to wake up each day where I can feel the wind on my face and the sunshine on my back. I am grateful to have a good family, good friends. So if the "glitter" disappeared tomorrow, I would still feel grateful, because it truly is not what helps you sleep well at night.

So I end each day thinking, what was I grateful for today? It may be that I taught a lesson at a school, and a student gave me a hug. It may be that I made political statement and my voice was heard. It may be that I gave up my seat to an elderly man or woman on the train-or that I conversed on the train with someone who said, "I love your hat!" My hat, by the way, says love trumps hate. Each day I am grateful that I have a lot more than I ever thought I would have. And though I DO have many pairs of shoes, it is not those shoes that make me grateful, but rather, the ability to walk in the shoes of someone who has a lot less than I do.