I take for granted everything in my life.  There – I said it.  I expect everything to be the way it is and I do not really appreciate the people and things in my life like I should.

I grew up in a working class family with an older brother and two younger sisters.  My mother worked for the government and my father worked for an airline.  We lived in the mid-west and had the typical childhood.  We played outside with all of our friends in the summer and in the winter we would look for any hill that we could sled down, or puddle of water that was frozen over so we could ice skate.  We knew when it was getting dark that we had to go home for dinner which consisted of the entire family sitting down to a meal of meat, a starch, and a vegetable.  My brother and I had newspaper routes to earn our money and then I had regular customers that I babysat.  I learned from an early age that I had chores that had to be done before I could go out and play.  When I was old enough I learned how to cook dinner for the family so that my mom or dad didn’t have to do it when they got home.

We might not have had everything that we wanted, although I can’t really remember anything that I really wanted that I didn’t have.  We had everything we needed and I just don’t recall asking for a whole lot of extras.

I had rules to follow and I had a curfew.  I was the good girl who really never bucked the system.  I grew up with a good respect for people and my elders.  I learned how to work for the things that I wanted.  I know that I thought I had it bad at home.  I look back at that and laugh.  I had it great growing up!  It just took me a long time to realize that!  Who cares if I was the only one who wasn’t allowed to go see the R rated movie?!  And who cares if I was the only one who had to be in by 10pm?!

I hear so many people talk about their childhood and how bad it was.  And let me tell you – some of them were horrible!  I am ashamed that I thought I had it tough.  I feel as though I owe it to my parents to say out loud that I had a great childhood! Yes, I had rules, and yes I would say my parents were somewhat strict.  But I was never put down or made to feel bad and I was never abused in any way.  I’m not going to say that I didn’t get yelled at and grounded and that there were never any spankings happening – I don’t want to mislead you!

I was blessed that I grew up the way I did.  I was blessed to have my parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncle all in my life.  I took them for granted then, and I take them for granted now.  It takes someone else’s story to remind me how lucky I really was.

Today I am married and with a daughter who is out of the house living on her own.  We are a middle class family who works for everything we want or need.  We don’t have a lot of money in the bank, but we make it work.  If there is something we want, we go get it.  I take for granted that if we want to go out to eat, we go.  If we want a new pair of shoes or a new purse, we get it.  I don’t really think about how lucky I am to be able to do that.  There are so many who can’t.

I take both my husband and daughter for granted.  Again, I am ashamed to say that I have just come to expect my life to be as it is.  I don’t think about it until I see someone else’s life with their spouse and children.  Then it really hits me how lucky I really am!  I see married couples who don’t spend any time together.  I see families whose children are a mess and having trouble with everything.  My husband is my best friend and I would rather spend time with him than anyone!  My daughter has graduated from college and is living on her own in the big city, working a great job that she loves!  I won’t say our lives are perfect, but they are actually pretty darn good! I look around me and can see that I should thank God for what he has given me!

I need to remind myself daily how great my life really is.  I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful, intelligent, independent daughter, both of my parents, I lost one sister, but I still have my brother and sister –  and they all love me unconditionally.  What else do I need?  Throw in a pair of really awesome shoes and a great bag and I’m set!!

I am very blessed!!

It’s just me and my opinion!

Have a great day!