Prelude:
A few months ago a very close friend of my oldest daughter (Tracy-not her real name) lost her home to a foreclosure. Consequently, they (her single mom, and three siblings) had to move in with a relative who had several children of his own. From what I hear via my daughter, Tracy is very unhappy in their “overcrowded” living arrangement and wishes that one day (soon) her mom would find them a place of their own, where she would not have to share a room with three other family members. In the meantime, Tracy continues to rotate between crashing at our house or at the home of some other friend(s).
A couple days after Christmas, I overhear my 15-year old daughter chatting on the phone with another close friend of hers:
“You’re lucky, you got everything you asked for,” she blurts in a dejected tone of voice.
“What’s the matter with you?” I interrupt. “You got a lot of stuff that were on your list.”
“Not really.” She replies in a pretentious tone of voice. “I asked for jewelry and shoes, no one gave me shoes or jewelry. I asked for gift cards to Kohl’s, Hollister’s, Wet Seal, and American Eagle. Almost everyone gave me iTunes gift cards.”
“Are you hungry?” I ask.
“No.”
“Are you cold?”
“No, the heater is blowing fine in my room.” She says.
“Do you like having your own room?” I continue.
“Yeah. Why?”
“When was the last time you to talked to Tracy?”
“I don’t know. She doesn’t have a cell phone anymore.”
“Would it kill you to be thankful for all the things you have rather than focusing on what you didn’t get or don’t have?” I ask.
All I get from her as far as a response goes, is a lame shrug.
To all who continue to pester me with, “What’s your new year’s resolution,” pay close attention…
I have zero plans to join Gold’s Gym. I have nada desire to meet Jenny Craig. In fact, I have zilch intention of discontinuing my year long campaign against neighbors who continue to park their vehicles on the road rather than in their driveway. The only resolution that I have for the upcoming year 2009 (and beyond) nonetheless, is simple. I intend to live each day with an attitude of gratitude for all things great and small. How about you?
Happy New Year to all NIA patrons!
No kidding. Most of us ought to be counting our blelssings-given the current state of the economy. I take it that you finally relocated? Buckhead is pretty cool, isn’t it?
We tend to get spoilt and forget to be thankful for having the basic things of life. I went to Houston’s in Buckhead an Atlanta suburb yesterday and it was crowded and the wait time was a half hour. I mean, this is a trendy restaurant and not cheap. My first thought was, “I thought we were in a recession?” So as I enjoyed my meal (the tab came out at almost $80), I thanked God quietly for enabling me to enjoy a moment like this when most families can hardly afford to go out to eat. I am blessed.