One of my friends asked me why I was so happy all the time when I live in a state where it rains all the time, and in a time where we are surrounded by all this ‘world suck.' I didn’t have an answer for her then, but I think I have one now. I really try not to think about all the things that have gone wrong in my life, and instead think about what I am blessed with. I have parents who love me and sisters that are also best friends. I have friends that only pick me up and never put me down. There are people in my life that can make me laugh, and even simple things, like the fact that I have a roof over my head or I know I will wake up the next morning with something to eat, make me happy.
I think if we focus more on what we have instead of what we do not have, this world could be a much better place. We can then start to focus on helping people rise out of poverty. There are people who have almost nothing who are happier than the people who can buy anything that they want. Once we realize what we are blessed with, we can reach out to other people and help them achieve their dreams and help them become the man or woman they want to be.
When I went to Mexico on a mission trip with one of my best friends, I honestly was taking a lot of what we had in America for granted, even just our safety. We stayed in a bad area where we heard gun shots almost every night. I was thankful that, in America, I knew that I would not have to worry about any of that. While we were in Mexico, we built a house in about 4 days for a family who was living in a shack. In that moment, I was thankful for my house, and still am. Sometimes I feel that we do not realize everything we are blessed with, so when we see these pictures of the slums of Africa we are so taken back by what we see; we simply do not see it in our everyday lives. I want to be able to help those people rise out of poverty. I love helping people and I want to see that everyone has enough to live healthy lives. In my lifetime, I would like to know that most of the world is not living on one dollar a day. I want to know that everyone is getting enough to eat and drink. If that means all of us might have to downsize, I am okay with that. I would rather be happy with a little, than miserable with plenty.
But for any of this to happen, I think we have to appreciate the little things in life, our friends, families, pets, socks, shoes, a floor that's not dirt, and all the other things big and small that we have that we do not even think about. So hug a friend and tell them you love them. Call a family member you have not talked to in a while and tell them you love them. Thank teachers that have taught you to read, write, do math, and all the other things that have allowed you to pursue your dreams. Thank people in your life that have allowed you to live the life that you have, and repair relationships that may have fallen apart. Even if we have nothing, we will still have the people who love us, and we love, and that is more important than any gift we can ever receive in the world.
Love,
Chrissy :)
