Gaining Proper Perspective

As we approach Thanksgiving, it is necessary for us (for me!) to have a proper perspective in order to be truly thankful. It is easy to be grateful for the basic things - food, family, home. But do we go beyond the basics by truly thinking of all the things we have to show thanksgiving for?

This week the pipes underneath our kitchen sink came apart, discovered only because Peyton opened the cabinet as I was washing dishes. The sound of pouring water was certainly not a sound I was anticipating, though thankfully most of it was collected in a large flower vase stored inside. A little over a day without my sink and dishwasher made me reflect on how appreciative I should truly be. Not just that I have a sink and dishwasher, but that we have running water, clean water, even dirty dishes to wash in the first place. Because most certainly a dirty dish means that we had food to put on it in the first place.

Anyone who has visited a developing or underdeveloped country has certainly seen this firsthand. And if you haven't, the opportunity will most certainly open your eyes. Yesterday as I was driving home with two little boys in our van, I was inwardly complaining about the two and a half hours I had just spent picking up dr.'s records and shopping at two grocery stores. But them I remembered - in Asia they have small grocery stores and street vendors or markets. The food risks contamination and the prices for Western convenience food is high. Their carts consist of a little contraption that holds a plastic basket - just like the little ones we have here for quick milk and bread stops - imagine doing your shopping in that. Picture grocery shopping two or three times each week and doing it without the convenience of your own car. Hauling groceries onto a bus or into a taxi with two young children might be more worth complaints than having two weeks worth of groceries in the back of my personal mini-van.

As our families enjoy the upcoming holidays with its decorations and gifts, consider where most of it was made. And lest you think the inhabitants of that country must surely have all those things too, please think again. What a stab in the heart it must be to see all those products manufactured in mass numbers, while you sacrifice to put a few bills in your child's red New Year's envelope.

Another opportunity for gaining perspective is visiting a hospital, more particularly a children's hospital. I've had this chance several times, taking Gavin to Children's Hospital of WI. You don't need an appointment. Just stand in the hallway, or take a seat in the lab waiting room. You'll soon realize you have much to be thankful for - not only for your own health, but also for your children's. You have an ache or pain? Think of a young person with such a severe case of cerebral palsy that he/she didn't make any sounds and certainly could never hold a utensil or pencil in their hand. You have a disagreement with a friend or loved one? Think of a young man with a case worker, who didn't even know his mother's birthday. And there was never any mention of a father. Are you inconvenienced by carrying a diaper bag or car seat? Imagine carrying around an IV drip for your daughter who is wearing a face mask. I come close to tears almost every time I enter those halls. I think of the stories, the pain, the tests, the waiting, the tears. I understand some of it, but not all of it. It helps me gain perspective on Gavin's health issues, some of which are still unknown.

This post is more for me than you, though I would encourage you to ponder it, think about it, and if necessary, make some changes. I have heard it said that, "Comparison kills contentment" and this is very true. Yet at the same time, it can also be used as a tool to put our minds and our hearts back in perspective.

What do you have to be truly thankful for?