Taking my blessings for granted
I never mean to take all the advantages and blessings I've had in life for granted, but I'm afraid it happens. I get too busy to really be thankful for them or I focus too much on some perceived lack. But sometimes there are things that are such a part of my life that I don't think about them at all, much less feel grateful for them. This was brought home to me very vividly this evening.
Our church has an ongoing relationship with a women's shelter nearby...church members plan activities and outings for the children, provide material goods when needed, and sometimes offer education classes for the women. This evening a friend of mine was teaching a nutrition class which I was sitting in on because I will be helping to teach a healthy cooking class there next week. I was a little nervous, but having met the women I think it will be a fun time. I appreciated their eagerness to learn things that were going to help themselves and their children. But it also made me appreciate some of the things I have been taught...things I think of as so basic to what I know that I don't even think of them having been taught to me. For instance, knowing that some foods are not healthy to eat or that the way something is cooked can change how good it is for you. And I just assume that everyone shares my distrust of marketing (and that they are aware of it). My favorite moment this evening was when the presenter was explaining that even if a package is labelled as containing healthy ingredients, that it can still be made with things that aren't good for you. After she said this there was a pause and one of the ladies exclaimed, "Then they're essentially lying to us!" I wanted to cheer that another critical consumer was born, and cry that no one had ever taught these things to this group of women before.
Our church has an ongoing relationship with a women's shelter nearby...church members plan activities and outings for the children, provide material goods when needed, and sometimes offer education classes for the women. This evening a friend of mine was teaching a nutrition class which I was sitting in on because I will be helping to teach a healthy cooking class there next week. I was a little nervous, but having met the women I think it will be a fun time. I appreciated their eagerness to learn things that were going to help themselves and their children. But it also made me appreciate some of the things I have been taught...things I think of as so basic to what I know that I don't even think of them having been taught to me. For instance, knowing that some foods are not healthy to eat or that the way something is cooked can change how good it is for you. And I just assume that everyone shares my distrust of marketing (and that they are aware of it). My favorite moment this evening was when the presenter was explaining that even if a package is labelled as containing healthy ingredients, that it can still be made with things that aren't good for you. After she said this there was a pause and one of the ladies exclaimed, "Then they're essentially lying to us!" I wanted to cheer that another critical consumer was born, and cry that no one had ever taught these things to this group of women before.
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