How was your Thanksgiving weekend? Mine was exhausting! But the new roasting pan from Costco worked great, we all liked the gluten free rice stuffing, and the Especially Good Sweet Potatoes were just that - delish.
Today I'm thankful for such a rich life. Which isn't at all the same as saying we're rich. Unless you are comparing use with the vast majority of people in the world. Then, yes, we are rich. Even though we're feeling the economic crunch pretty strongly right now. When one takes the larger view, we are so rich.
Thanksgiving time is a good time to think about how our predecessors lived and how far we've come. I'm only the second generation in my family to be born in America. And when my grandparents were homesteading, they travelled by horse and buggy or train. They had no electricity in the house, and no running water. The well was a quarter mile away. Just getting water was an effort, especially in the winter. This was on the Great Plains, with below zero weather and blizzard conditions a normal occurrence.
Contrast that to my life now. I live in a balmy state, in a four bedroom house someone else built for us, with all the conveniences. Hot water or cold, whenever I want, with the minor inconvenience of sometimes running out of the hot water if we've tried to wash towels, run the dishwasher, and take a shower at the same time.
I read an article talking about how discontented Americans are. I think it's partly because we tend to have such a narrow focus, and we have a culture of "you deserve more." And I'm not talking here about people who need a helping hand due to loss of jobs and homes. It's those who have so much already who seem to feel like enough is never enough.
Here's a great little video about how gratefulness can change your life.
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