Last week I saw an episode of the reality show, Trading Spouses or something like that - my stepfather calls it "Swappin' Bitches." lol! :) It featured this outdoorsy-type mom from Massachusetts staying with a family in South Atlanta. These kids were so spoiled and disrespectful of their hardworking parents. This woman gave them a what-for though at the dinner table one night - telling the children of a time in her life when her husband lost his job and her son's bed was repossessed. Through her tears, she told them how lucky they were and how they needed to appreciate what they did have, rather than spending all of their time fussing about what they didn't have.
It was a tear jerker for sure, but a few days later I witnessed a situation of similar emotional magnitude. I was camping and met a family of four who called a campground home.
The father, head held low with self-defeat, when he told me that his family had been staying in a tent for a month. But, then he said that he had just got a camper that day. The wife and children were obviously excited by their patriarch's accomplishment and his face lit up when he spoke of specifications of their new digs.
The two little girls of this family talked of their day in school, drew pictures instead of playing video games and entertained themselves by dancing, playing in the dirt and smashing rocks. They were fascinated with my nail polish and going through my supply of nail decorations and paints thrilled them. They were genuinely happy with these things and didn't seem to miss the computers and 4-wheelers their friends probably had at home.
It was encouraging and refreshing to meet people with a different level of appreciation for the simple things in life. Thankfulness shouldn't be underestimated, as there is power in counting your blessings.