Day 4 (sorry, this is a long one): I am grateful for all the basic necessities that Ive been provided, knowing that there are many out there that often go without. As the weather turns colder and everything gets darker much earlier, I acknowledge that as of now, I live in a time and place that allows me a privileged life. My father would tell me stories of him and his family growing up and having to fight for food and clothing because they lost their factories and everything else during the war in the mainland before escaping to Taiwan. My mom told me stories of her growing up in one of the wealthiest families in their neighborhood...but even then, they never wasted even a scrap of paper and having the rare Herseys candy bar was the highlight of her childhood. Im reminded of these stories as Ive assisted constituents in the last year or so who were down on their luck and seek nutritious food, some reprieve on their rising mortgage costs to keep their home, affordable healthcare, etc. I am thankful that our State provides assistance on many of these things because many of these stories are almost unreal. One woman told me she works 2-3 jobs, has a disabled husband that cant contribute much financially, has a teenage daughter, and after rent, cant afford food, healthcare, or other basic necessities. She gets food from the local food bank, but all that she has been able to consistently receive is bread and peanut butter. So essentially she has been eating peanut butter sandwiches for several months now. She has expressed gratitude to be provided these, but would really like to have more variety like meat, fresh fruit, vegetables, etc. Im not an expert on nutrition, but I think I agree with her. I am grateful for what I have and I wish for the same to others who deserve it as well. Something to keep in mind as the holiday season draws near and food/clothes/toy drives start popping up :)
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 05:58:26 +0000
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