Day #182 in A Year of Thanks:
I’m thankful I have access to food and a place that I can call home.

I saw an article earlier about food stamps and what should be required of recipients to get them. I don’t post comments in response to articles like this, although I do read what others are saying in the comments section. Just reading a few of the comments brought back memories of what life was like when I was living in a homeless shelter with my mother and my brothers, along with their father. I even remember living in one of the Ronald McDonald charity houses while Kristopher was hospitalized for chemotherapy in Hershey, PA. I remember a time when the only food I had access to at home was a jar of jelly and pickle juice, while Mike ate the pickles, which we ate under the dining room table.

I remember the embarrassing moments of asking for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at school in the first grade. This was what the school gave free of charge when a child couldn’t bring a packed lunch and didn’t have lunch money. Grams and Mama were badly estranged at this time, though my brothers’ paternal Italian great-grandparents were quite involved whenever they could be. While times were tough, the lack of access to food was always fleeting, because as soon as they heard we didn’t have food, they’d bring us groceries as fast as they could. They always made sure we were safe, had clean clothes, and, if necessary, let us kids sleep over at their place during the hardest of times.

Fast forward 30 years, and I now own a small home with no mortgage. It’s nothing fancy, and far from what I would call a dream home, but it’s a roof over my head, equipped with electricity, as well as heating for the coldest of days, and air conditioning for the hottest of days. I have a great job with excellent health benefits, so I’m comfortably getting by, and I don’t have to worry about when or where I’ll get my next meal. It’s wild to me how long ago those tough, humbling times were, because some of it feels like it was just yesterday, but I’ll never forget where I came from. I can’t help but appreciate how far I’ve come since those days, as life can change in an instant, and I’m incredibly thankful for all the Lord’s blessings and provisions.

Day 181 | Day 182 | Day 183
Year of Thanks