I recently re-watched “First World Problems Read by Third World People” and while watching it I began to think about my recent acceptance to join some of my fellow students in the spring on a service immersion trip to Nicaragua. We are very blessed to be living in America, even if we are not in the best of circumstances. So here is a list of 5 things we should truly be thankful for during this season of Thanksgiving:
1) Easy Access To Water: Even the poorest in our country and those who are in a severe drought (sorry California) have access to water in almost every building. We have fire hydrants everywhere and we have bottled water sitting on shelves. We do not have to worry about deathly illnesses hiding in our drinking water and we do not have to walk even a mile to get it. I have complained about getting out of my bed to walk downstairs to the faucet to get a cup of water. I can’t imagine spending my morning walking to a dirty river to get water, only to come back and find that it isn’t even cold. So even if you have to pay a little extra for it, be thankful for that water.
2) Life: There are men and women dying every day. Dying from war, illness, malnutrition, murder, and natural causes. Even if you are not thankful for the circumstances in your life, be thankful for the fact that you have been given a life. There are children who wake up to bombs going off and they spend their entire days wondering if they will make it through. There are people cramming into rafts not knowing when the next stop will be, and if you haven’t seen it in the news, a lot of them haven’t made it safely. Life is a precious thing. I may not be happy with my circumstances all the time but I am thankful for the fact that I have a life and a way to make it better.
3) Structurally Sound Buildings: When I go to school I don't worry about being rained on, having a heat stroke, or freezing by booty off. When I am at home I do not have to worry about the roof caving in on me or the stairs falling out under me. We have been privileged with a system (though sometimes crappy) that allows even those who are homeless to get a roof over their heads. Yes, it could use some improvement, but we don't have huts and we can even provide for refugees or for people whose homes were destroyed after natural disasters.
4) Access to Education: Public Education. Private Education. Grade school, high school, college, grad school, continuing education, vocation training. These are some of the things that are offered to people in America. We have a system, at least in our younger years, that is open to everyone. We don't need to have money to go to school. We don't have to work from the time we are 6 to provide for our families. We have opportunity. And yes, some have to work harder and some have a lot harder time, but we still have the option. We can work to get more, to learn more.
5) Freedom: Now this is a special one. We have a certain amount of freedoms that have been given to each person born in the U.S. or who has become a citizen in the U.S. We can say what we want, when we want. We have a say in our government, we can work and live where we want. Some people choose to exercise these freedoms differently than others, but we are all free. We do not have bombs falling all around us and we don't have to worry about being shot the second we walk out of our door. I as a woman do not have to worry about being stoned to death for kissing a boy in public that I am not married to.
You see, we have so many things to be thankful for even if we aren't in the best of times in our lives. There are so many other things to be thankful for and if you can just find one small thing it can really turn into something big for you! I hope you have something to be thankful for this holiday season and I hope that #firstworldproblems are no longer an issue for you.
