The Holidays are always a great time to look back on everything we are grateful for. From the year we have just completed, the food we are eating, and the gifts we receive, yet we shouldn't only reflect on these once a year.
Every year we are given opportunities both big and small that we might not even realize. We are given the opportunity to go home to families, loved ones, warm living rooms, and not worry when our next meal will show up. We have the ability to love and be loved, communicate with friends, get the education we need, and get a job that will put food on the table. Not everyone has the same job as their neighbor, or even the same home, but if you are lucky enough to have a roof over your head and a job to call your own then that is absolutely something to be grateful for.
Even the shoes we walk in, the clothes we wear, and the coffee we drink are more than enough for others, yet we take these little things for granted daily. If your car starts, your clothes are clean, and your dog is fed, then you should be thankful for the fact that you can do more than just "get by". There will always be somebody less fortunate who doesn't have a roof over their head or know when their next meal might be. Sometimes putting these little things into perspective and giving up that "extra dollar" to that charity might not seem like such a big deal, but I promise you they will be more than thankful for it. That dollar, or spare change, might be a huge deal to someone and we shouldn't take the things we are surrounded by for granted.
These things also include the bigger things, like the loving relationships we might be surrounded by. If you have the opportunity to go home everyday to somebody who loves you, that being a significant other, mother, father, sibling, or anyone else in your life then be thankful. The love they give you and the support they offer might just be the reason you are as successful as you are.
So next time you see somebody on the street just trying to get by, don't think about how their own life might be a mess. Just because it may no longer be the holiday season, showing some compassion may be all they need to make their day a little brighter. Spare some change, offer them some comfort, or just show them a little compassion and don't forget to put your own life into perspective and thank every day for your own life, not so perfect, life.
