To Have and Have Not

thank-you      -noun

: a polite expression of one's gratitude

Everyday when I wake up I give thanks. Thanks for the roof over my head, the comfortable bed I sleep in, the running water I shower under, and the fridge that keeps the food I put in my belly. I'm not a religious person and to be honest I'm not really sure who I'm thanking but the importance of doing so remains. Recently, my brother and his family moved into my house -- it makes sense when you know just how big our house is. I live in a completely separate suite but my nephews excitement of having Auntie Mary as their new roommate is unwavering. Just last Sunday at about 8am I heard a rap rap rap  on my door accompanied by the whisper of is she up? can you hear her? Needless to say, I do not want them to get into THAT habit so I ignored their knocks. Today, however, before we had a shared family dinner, I let them into my "apartment", as Leo has named it, to play. They were running wild, checking it out and thoroughly enjoying my things. The boys were amazed by how many pairs of shoes I have and how full my closet is (a few more things I am thankful for). SO amazed in fact that they both grabbed their shoe baskets and brought them up to show me all of their shoes. Leo thinks that I have 100x as many shoes as him - might be a tad over exaggerated there. Nonetheless, those boys have so many toys, shoes, and clothes that they too need to be thankful for everyday. A point in which I was sure to continually remind them of while they were examining my shoe rack and closet. I guess the point of this post is just to serve as a reminder for those who are fortunate in life to have the things we so often take for granted to give thanks, to whoever or whatever you believe in whenever you can.

P.S. I read To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway (the inspiration for this post), which portrays both kinds of people - those who have and those who have not - and he effectively illustrates the struggles, difficulties and joys of both. A great read for those of you hankering to get your intellect on!

P.P.S I'm so so so very thankful to have these little munchkins in my life!

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