... what do you do...?

So recently I have been overwhelmed with quite a few things, be it work, school or just news and information in general. These happenings have made me realize how lucky I am, and how I should be thankful for all that I have and concentrate on the good.

I am generally good at concentrating on the good, but I am only human and sometimes get lost.

This past month has been a difficult one for a handful of people in my life, as they have lost people that are close to them in tragic ways. Both were tragic, one was a freak accident the other not so much an accident but tragic nonetheless. Both were preventable, if someone had taken more time on the road, the accident could have been prevented and had the other one realized that life wasn't that bad, it could have ended differently. These moments make a person thankful for the support network that they lean on to help them make it through. It also makes you realize that you're grateful for what you have that is positive in your life.

Work has also made me realize that although I had a troubled childhood, it wasn't that bad. I always had a roof over my head, I always had a parent that loved me, I always had food on the table (not always healthy or in large quantities - but there was always food), I always had someone there supporting my decisions, I was cared for, I wasn't abused, I wasn't introduced to drugs or alcohol until older, I had a place to go on Christmas (not always presents or a big dinner - but I was always with family). This is something that numerous youth and children are missing from their lives and it breaks my heart.

So I guess over my winter break from school, I learned more than I did collectively last semester... at least more that will help me in life.

So next time you think the world is crashing down on you, or that you've had a bad day... Just think - you have a home, a permanent location. You have food in the fridge. You have clean clothes. You have full use of your body. You are loved. You have the ability to love. You have a hopeful future. You aren't alone.

Because there are countless of people who don't have those basic things... and what are we doing to help them? A whole lot of nothing in most cases, because they are forgotten, not talked about a lot, and looked down upon. These people need all the support, assistance and help they can have and yet the world is passing them by while they are at their most vunerable state.