Wish bone

A friend of mine said the other day, "If you were in the stores today, you would see that the majority of the 99% are getting by just fine..."

Hmmmm. Not so sure about that. I get what she is saying. By all appearances, people were shopping at the supermarkets for their turkey dinners. Holiday time is here. Gifts are being purchased. Stores are busier than normal. The Christmas rush is upon us.

I too, am out there. This week it was purchasing all the things I needed for my Thanksgiving dinner. And thankfully, I got a last minute cleaning job on Monday night, that enabled me to do so.

Christmas...well, what can I say about that. It is a wonderful time of the year. It truly is. But the financial strain of it has me awake at night, wondering how we are going to pull it all together. Just like it did last year. I have three little girls. Three sweet little lists are all ready to go out to Santa. I certainly can't disappoint. What do I tell them? Christmas just isn't in the budget this year? So, again, I too will be out there, purchasing what I can.

So, by all appearances, myself, along with every other shopper you see, will look like all is well. But it isn't. For many, this is the hardest holiday season they have ever experienced. For many, my self included, to be able to provide the magic of Christmas means making cuts in other places, and hoping the kids won't notice.

 My girls were talking about the wishbone in the turkey last night. They are excited to pull it, when it dries out. They are amazed by the possibility of wishes fulfilled by a simple crack of a bone.

Charlotte said something that made me sad. The house next door to ours is empty. It has been, for close to four years, now. Foreclosed on. She wondered why they just didn't wish on a wishbone to keep a roof over their head. Maybe if they had done that, they would still have their home. If only it were that simple, I thought.  

Maybe, instead of looking down on one another, maybe we should just try and remember that you don't know what it is like to walk in any body else's shoes, but your own. And to help out, or at least empathize, is so much more productive, than judging. To be thankful, truly thankful, for all that you have, you must be willing to share. Even if that is just a kind word.

In the immortal words of the cartoon character Moose A. Moose, "When everyone's together, everyone is happy. We're thankful that we have so much to share."




http://youtu.be/_PCH-OZkqmY  Thankful song