so in my vanilla sweetheart world, I posted about my grandma's death and my abrupt trip to India. But I didn't get to tell you how great of a reality check it was, and how much it showed me to be grateful for every single thing I have.
Ever heard of the phrase, "Count your blessings?" Honestly, just because you're not Christian doesn't mean you don't need to apply it to your life. It is a great piece of advice that will definitely help you on your journey of becoming a better person, cuz it sure is helping me.
There are different parts of India, but the place where I live in is poor. Not really poor, but coming from America, I see it as poor. At first, since we were all getting ready for the funeral and during it, I didn't really see it. But after the funeral, it was like my eyes opened to the things that I was seeing. The kids there, they have so less, yet their grateful for what they have. They don't cry for foolish things, or curse their parents when they don't get something they want. They just understand that they have more than enough and keep on going with life.
Now, I'm not a spoiled brat or anything, but I always had that thought of wanting more. More shoes, more clothes...and when my parents didn't get me what I want, I wouldn't scream, but I'd feel a bit sad. But here are kids in India who wear their parents clothes to school, who live on one pair of shoes, who never know when the electricity might go off or the water runs out, whose birthday never gets celebrated.
We visited this family and honestly my mind was tearing me apart. Their house was pretty torn down, chairs full of dust, roof rusted and useless. There were two girls, one in college. Their father, the doctors told them that he could die anytime. So he's jobless, the mother the one working really hard to support her poor family. I compared that family to my family, and I seemed like a princess.
The thing is, maybe I don't have everything I want, but I do have everything I need. Family, love, happiness, friendship...and if we can find gratefulness through all these things, I'm sure you can also feel happier as well. Just try this: Whenever you feel as if you have nothing, either mentally or on a piece of paper, write all the things you have. Number it. You'll be amazed at how much things you should be grateful for. Because there are billion, billion of kids who have nothing at all. Yet somehow, they are happy.
I'm sure us, who have so much blessings, we can also find comfort and be grateful as well.
