Be Thankful for What You Have

As a child, my parents took me to the Philippines several times to visit my grandpa. I just thought of it as another trip. My trips there didn’t mean anything until I became older because I was so sheltered from what was going on around me.

My trip to the Philippines when I was 14 seemed to be different from those before. I became more attentive to the world around me. I realized it wasn’t the same as back home. We were at a stop-light and kids bombarded our car. The innocent eyes looked at me as if I was their last hope. I hid. I began to cry. I wanted to go back home. The safety of my bed could not have sounded any better than it did at that moment.

After that incident, life went on like normal, but my eyes were opened when we visited the slums of a family we sponsor. I was petrified. We got out of the car and stepped into a new world. The “house” was nothing more than four walls, a hole for a bathroom, and some mats for a bed. Girls my age had to deal with problems nobody should ever have to live with. The weird thing is they were happy. They appreciated life. The love they showed to us and others was greater than anybody I have ever known. It seemed like such a bizarre concept. As a society, we never take the time to step back and be thankful for what we have. Others are suffering, yet they look at the bright side of life.

The experiences as a child have molded me to who I am today. My trip to my own country has given me knowledge you could never gain in a classroom setting. So many people will go on living their lives never knowing how much others truly suffer. You need to live, learn, and be thankful for what you have. Sometimes it may require you to step out of your comfort zone, but you will never truly know what is going on until you experience it for yourself.