The Weekend's a Wrap...feeling blessed!

My weekend started out at a Friday night concert of an old friend's, old band..Rise. It was a lot of fun. I did in fact chase my 3 year old around for most of the show, but honestly I count that a blessing. I remember being a young teenage girl & going to events just like this one & dreaming about the day I'd be married & have my own little family. I recall seeing Mom's chasing after their little one's & wondering if that would ever be me. Being at the concert, with hubby & son in tow, what a great feeling.

In addition to the show being a lot of fun & reliving some old memories, it's great to have friends that I've kept in touch with for a LONG time! Feeling old, maybe a little, but mostly grateful. I always thought it was amazing when my Grama Mac would tell me about friends she had stayed in contact with from her days as a young girl; I hope when I'm 80 something I will be telling my grandkids similar stories.

Saturday was filled with the usual routine of coffee with another great long time friend & then off to swimming lessons. After that I dropped Liam off to spend some quality time with Daddy, while I went to check out my new Costco membership with my Mom. My Mom & I had a good time just wandering the store, aimlessly for the most part just checking out the bargains & the people.

Here's what I observed while people watching at Costco; such busyness & generally not a lot of happy faces. I know it was a Saturday & all, but I found it a bit overwhelming in some ways; not so much the volume of people, but the many who seemed so dissatisfied with life and all this stuff surrounding them. I wonder what would happen to all these people, to me, if all the "stuff" was suddenly gone.

Now I'm not a doomsday believer or constantly thinking of the end of the world, but when I look around and see all the things going on in the world it does make me wonder. The world as we know it is really very fragile & sometimes I think we get so caught up in the day to day race that we forget how truly blessed we are.

In contrast to the busyness of my Costco trip & the volume of stuff, I watched a show called "Secret Millionaire" Saturday night. The show's premise is that a millionaire moves into a poor part of the country for a week & finds deserving people or organizations to give some of their money to. They volunteer & connect with people & conceal their true identities & wealth. They are given the same amount of money to live on as food stamps or government assistance would provide for someone in that same neighbourhood.

What I found so amazing about the show, based in the USA of course, is how poor some of the neighbourhoods really were. This was not some third world country, it was right in the middle of the land of dreams, the land of plenty. One of the stories was based in Los Angeles & I found it so sad that there were many people sleeping on the streets and just trying to get a handout of something to eat. This scenario taking place in the shadow of some of the richest people in the world really amazed me.

The message that I want to give from all this, to myself more than anyone else is I am blessed. I have a roof over my head, a family that loves me, a job, & health; these are the things I need to remember the next time someone cuts in front of me at the grocery store or the line I'm in is taking to too long. I am part of the blessed minority, I have peace. I know my blessings are not of my own doing & I never want to take that for granted.

Now I don't have bundles of cash sitting around to give away, but I don't believe that's what's asked of me either. Even time is precious to me due to my work schedule & having a family, but there's always something I can do to help someone in need. Volunteer when I can, give financially when possible, pray & really give of my heart. Remember the poor, we have so much & yet in the province, state or country you live in there are those who will go hungry tonight or will fight just to have a bed to sleep in.

Thankful for all I have, but I don't want it to end there I want to give back- I just need wisdom & a willing heart to do so!