Grateful

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to tag along with my hubby on yet another business trip. This time it was only a short car ride down to Chicago.

I absolutely LOVE big cities. The culture. The noise. The high rises. The sound of the subway/El train. The food. The people watching. The street performers. The walking. The shopping!! I could go on and on.

However, there is one thing that I HATE to see and that is a homeless person. It literally breaks my heart in two. I think it touches me even more so now that I am a mother and I think to myself," He is a son or daughter of someone. Surely there is some family member who can help."

I feel a tremendous sense of duty to help, but what can I really do to make a difference? Some people say "They did it to themselves" or "If you give them money they'll just spend it on drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol" so why even bother? Yes, they may have made bad choices and "done it to themselves" or they may spend the money on something other than food or shelter, but who am I to judge?

Don't get me wrong, I do think that with all the time they are sitting in despair on a street corner, they could be using that time to better themselves and do something to help get out of their horrible situation. I believe in the American Dream and know that hard work and perseverance pay off.

Anyway, as Carson and I strolled along in the beautiful weather, we saw several homeless people. Their signs had a familiar tone. They referred to the economy and how they lost their job/house/car. One sign even said," I'm not a bad guy, I just made poor decisions and I'm hungry." It made me realize that with the state of the economy, if you have job, you are rich.

Oh how that made me grateful for our employment, home and food. Sometimes I find myself thinking about everything that I DON'T have, but this reminded me of the many blessings I DO have.

I'll admit, I get caught up in my wants, but at the end of the day, I already have everything I need. I have a loving husband and a sweet baby boy. I have a loving Heavenly Father. I have a strong conviction to do what's right and to do my best. What more does a girl need?

I am grateful.