We have all been there… Sitting at the kitchen table as a child hearing our parents shout, “finish your dinner. There’s starving kids out in the world!” We would sit in our chairs moving our food around with our forks, trying to rebel because we did not get our first choice of pizza and french fries for dinner.
How often do we take a second to think about those in other countries of the world? We live busy, fast-paced lives and often do not allot time for reflection.
That hot shower you took this morning? The light we switched on while we were getting changed? The clean glass of water we sipped as we were on the way to work? The simple things that we feel so entitled to are things that individuals in other countries would give anything for.
How often we forget.
Recently, a group of students and members of the Cabrini community traveled to Guatemala for a service trip. While they were there, they realized that there is so much that we take for granted being Americans. They witnessed women cooking their own tortillas, weaving their own clothes and children doing their homework by candle light. According to The Guardian, up to 1.5 million children native to Guatemala are missing out on school to try to make a living for their families on the streets.
We are fortunate to have houses with electricity and still find a way to complain about our electric bill. Those in Guatemala do not even have electricity. According to Pew Research, those that live in poor countries are more optimistic than those who live in rich societies. We have a shower that we can use at any time, a roof over our heads and strong school systems. We have cell phones that we can instantly use to get in contact with loved ones and drug stores to grab medicine when we feel a cold coming on. Yet, we still find things to complain about.
The internet connection is not fast enough. Our bills are too high. We will not be able to get the newest iPhone for another five months. We spend too much time in school.
The complaints are endless.
Instead of feeling entitled to having the things that we have, we need to remember to feel blessed. We have it a lot easier than those in third-world countries.
We can not forget that.
