Today’s Thoughts… “Forever Thankful” The holidays are among us; Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. We all have so many things to be thankful for, but I’m going to share with you my friends a little story that I have shared with my children. This little story is very true and it will always be close to my heart. When you receive a gift from someone, it always makes you smile, but when you receive a gift and at the time, didn’t even realize it was a gift, then that gift will burn a memory into your heart that will last you forever. When I was younger and in grade school, all the classes would collect can goods and all sorts of goodies and put them in a bushel basket. The baskets were all decorated with Christmas bows and most of them were filled with so much food by the time Christmas actually arrived. The classes would compete with each other; they were judged by the prettiest decorations on them and by the fact of which class could collect the most food. These baskets were given to needy families. I always brought a can of beans to put in the basket; it was really an honor to help fill the basket; it simply made you feel good inside that you were helping someone in need. I didn’t really have much at home to eat myself, but my mama always told me we had to share what little we did have. Well, as it turns out my family was always one of the families who got one of those baskets. Now, at the time I didn’t realize I was poor and I really didn’t realize what this basket was all about. The years have come and gone and I look back on those days with fond memories and have love in my heart. One day, I was telling my children the story of how we always received a Christmas basket. I could see the puzzle look on my daughter’s face. Then she asked me, “Well Dad, how did you get it home, you had no car ” I told her, I always brought it home with me on the school bus; that gave her a even more puzzle look. She asked another question, “Dad, weren’t you embarrassed to bring that basket home with you. Everyone would know that you were poor.” I chuckled to myself, and explained to her; I never thought of it in that manner, all I knew was, the basket was full of food and I was so delighted and thankful to have a whole basket of food, especially at Christmas time. I look back on that time of my life, when food was very scarce around my house. I am not ashamed of it; it’s just the way it was back in those days. I can remember so many days I would get off the school bus, grab my shotgun and go squirrel hunting. Hopefully, I would get a squirrel that day, because if I didn’t, there would be no supper that night. Those days and times of my life have had a profound effect on me, but not in some way that made me hang my head in shame. It made me appreciate what life is all about; it made me appreciate what it’s like to go hungry. It helped mold and shape my heart to show kindness to others. I think sometimes I write my little post, because I’m always trying to lift every one’s spirit and make someone smile; I think it’s my way of paying back the kindness that was shown to me when I was a little child. I shall be “Forever Thankful” for days gone by and all the kindness that was shown to me. I shall be “Forever Thankful” for the lessons God was teaching me, so that I may live my life and pay it forward. Patrick P. 11/20/2013
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 23:44:45 +0000
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