Wordless Wednesday: Highway Perspective

Discovering True Thanksgiving

When I was a child my family had more than its share of lean times. I remember sometimes we didn’t have telephone service because we couldn’t afford it and it was disconnected. I remember the majority of our clothes were old hand-me-downs. (Our brand-new clothes were reserved only for school and church.) I remember sometimes receiving second-hand toys for Christmas (i.e., the Nintendo that a neighbors’ parents sold us because they were buying their son a brand new Sega).

I also remember the even leaner times. I remember having to go to local charities for back-to-school supplies. I remember going to local churches and soup kitchens for food. I remember going without a car and walking almost everywhere we went. I remember even having one or more of the important utilities shut off for being months overdue. And I remember the feeling of going to bed sometimes with a grumbling belly because we didn’t always have enough to eat for dinner.

It was tough being a kid and going through such difficult times. And I’ve done everything in my power to make sure my kids never once have to worry about like I did. However, I often feel like since my kids have always had their needs (and a healthy amount of their desires) provided for all their lives, they don’t understand nearly as much as I do how much we have to be thankful for now. Once in a while, I get caught up in the negativity of my life because of having a chronic illness (fibromyalgia) and having to deal with all the complications it brings to day-to-day living.

However, I always have in the back of my mind how hard my childhood was and I can clearly see how much things have changed for the better. We may be on a very tight budget because I can’t work full time, but we are warm and dry inside a modest home we now own. We can’t afford a lavish diet, but we never go hungry and I’ve learned to make satisfying and healthy meals with what we do have. All of our utilities stay connected all the time. Everything we give our children is new or gently used. We own two vehicles and actually get to do fun activities together as a family occasionally. Life isn’t perfect, but it is a far cry from where I once was!

My kids, on the other hand, have no idea how bad things can get for some people. Although they aren’t selfish or spoiled in the least bit, they often overlook the good things we do have and are sad or disappointed when they find something they really want and it simply isn’t possible. Don’t get me wrong, I find myself doing that periodically, too. It’s human nature to reach for better things.

Still, I want to find a way this Thanksgiving season to emphasize how blessed we truly are. To help remind me of all the positives, I’ve been participating in the 30 Days of Thanksgiving challenge. (I am a little behind yet, but you can check it out here if you are curious.) It has been an eye opener and I’ve noticed my automatic outlook on day-today things is improving. Consequently, I am going to establish a Give Thanks jar in my house. And I am going to encourage each member of our family to write something each day or so that they are thankful for and then put it in the jar. On or the day after Thanksgiving (since we are hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year), I plan to read over all of them together to share with each other and give thanks for the wonderful life we have. And if it goes well, maybe we will have it year round, picking other holidays or special occasions when we can share more of our blessings.

What do you do with your kids to encourage a positive and grateful attitude?

© 2013 Amanda R. Dollak

Wordless Wednesday: Snowy Days Are Here!

Wordless Wednesday: Our House Is Never Dull

Parenting ABC's: The Crazy Side of Parenting

Parenting IS one of the greatest adventures in life. It holds such joy, happiness, surprise, and laughter. Nevertheless, like any other life adventure, it does have its fair share of chaos, discomfort, and turmoil. So often, it seems like society expects us parents to claim that parenting is all sunshine and smiles. However, I’m going to stand up and shout it out for all to hear: “I’m a mother. Parenting can be hard. And it isn‘t for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach!”

To all the parents who (just like me) love their children more than anything but are tired of society trying to shame us into silence, this is for you:

A is for aches from head to toe.
B is for burps that turn to whoa!
C is for candy stuck to walls.
D is for diaper duty calls.
E is for ears aching at night.
F is for frightening food fights.
G is for gates aren’t baby proof.
H is for he’s gone in a poof!
I is for I’m never alone.
J is for juice-coated cell phones.
K is for kids can multiply.
L is for late, late lullabies.
M is for months that feel like years.
N is for nightmares and big fears.
O is for oh, no, get the wipes!
P is for what’s clogging the pipes?
Q is for quick, get a towel!
R is for rotten and foul.
S is for sleep has come and gone.
T is for teething--dusk to dawn.
U is for unbreakable smashed.
V is for veggies smeared and mashed.
W is for windows licked.
X is for xylophone toys kicked.
Y is for yelling ‘til your hoarse.
Z is for zonked parents, of course!

I originally published this post on Bubblews: http://www.bubblews.com/news/528053-parenting-abc039s-the-crazy-side-of-parenting

© Amanda R. Dollak 2013