Family, my home, a sense of security, these are all things I take for granted each day. I believe we all take things for granted but I never realized how much. Recently a missionary visited the church I attend, with him he brought stories of the journey he’d made to Guatemala and back. He told of the conditions the people lived in and what they did as missionaries to try and help them. He showed pictures compiled into a video that had been taken along the way.
I may not have the luxury of chocolate on a silk pillow, but I have food to eat. The nicest designer clothes I don’t usually get but I’m not wearing rags. I have had days in which I’m grumpy and nothing seems to make me happy, but I’m comfortably living. This isn’t so for some people.
The people the missionary spoke most about were the massive amount of orphans. Many were living on the streets; others in the city dumps where they scrounged through trash to find the necessities they need to live. Small children took care of smaller ones. Injured or sick children had no way of getting better because help was not accessible to them. But they lived like this, some of them; they knew life no other way.
As the missionary continued to speak about the orphans I was touched because I have never had to endure anything like this. The orphans affected me the most; however, they were not the only people experiencing hardship. I realized, as he talked about the dangers the people had to live in, that everyone in Guatemala faced tougher trials than I had in all my life. Some places were so populated with gangs that it wasn’t safe to walk down the street without fear of being caught in the middle of gunshots. Hatred between the gangs put other civilians at risk. I couldn’t imagine staying cooped up in my home all day, everyday, just to be safe.
I know the things I have I still sometimes take for granted; I guess it’s how I’m made. But I do try to cherish them because I know they’re a blessing. I have family who love and care about me. I have the opportunity to go to school and even college to receive a higher education if I wish. I try to realize even simple things, such as Tylenol to ease a headache or an afternoon walk down by the lake on a Sunday afternoon, are blessings. I now realize and have seen other people aren’t as fortunate, not only the Guatemalans the missionary spoke about but also thousands of other people in many more places around the world. I, though I don’t mean to, or sometimes even realize it, take things for granted, this I believe.