Today is Thanksgiving in the USA. I am not American and we don’t celebrate it in the Philippines or in Singapore, but I took part in this celebration, in a way, when Kim of A Moving Story invited me to be a part of a gratitude series on her blog.
I was touched by her email to me about it, and even more so when she wrote this post about how it took all of her courage to reach out to her favorite bloggers for this and when she replied to my guest post submission by saying: “Thank you for your post. It brought tears to my eyes. So heartfelt. So well written. Love it.”
This is one thing I’m grateful for, always – people who appreciate me. When I started this blog I had no idea that other people would find it worth reading, much less that it would touch them and move them to say nice things like that. So thank you, Kim. You have warmed the cockles of my heart.
Another thing I’m grateful for? Grapes. Read all about the why below. It was originally posted here earlier this month, but in case you missed reading it on Kim’s blog, I’ve decided to repost it here.
When Kim asked me to write about something I’m grateful about, one thing popped immediately popped into my mind: GRAPES. It might sound like a very strange answer, but I will explain why. Hold on.
Last June, I went on a vacation with my family and we ended up visiting our relatives from both sides of the family, who are from two different locations. While we were at my mom’s location, we ended up going to the house of a relative whom I had never met before, one who had a huge house. When we were ushered in, I was in awe of the chandelier at the staircase, the gigantic sitting area, the gardens, etc. And then it happened: I started feeling really bad that I didn’t have one of these and I was filled with the sense of dread that comes whenever I compare myself to others.
A cousin and I sat in the living room while my mom and her cousins chatted in the kitchen about grown up stuff. Wait a minute… I’m already a grown up too. Oops. But you know what I mean, when in family reunions, you will always feel like a child when in the presence of the “real” grownups.
Or is it just me?
Just me then.
So anyway, while all this was going on, we were served snacks in the living room – chocolate cake, grapes, and juice. I wasn’t really hungry, but hello, who can say no to chocolate cake? So I cut myself a slice. My cousin eagerly did the same, and helped herself to some grapes.
A little while later, she took some more grapes, again, saying, “These grapes are so delicious! We had better eat a lot because we can so seldom eat these because they’re so expensive!”
At that, my heart fell.
I eat grapes a lot. I buy them when I feel like it; they are something I can afford now, so it’s no big deal. But hearing that statement from my cousin made me realize that I was taking grapes for granted. It also made me remember that not too long ago, I would have said the exact same thing she did.
I didn’t come from a privileged family. We weren’t exactly poor because we never starved and I never had to walk barefoot like my mother did, but there were lots of things we couldn’t afford, like a personal computer, for example, and I even once made my own monopoly game board because the real one was too expensive. We couldn’t afford plane tickets to go traveling. We had cake and ice cream only on birthdays, I only tasted spam and fresh milk in my twenties, and grapes were definitely a rare luxury item.
One time, my dad, with farming in his genes, decided to plant his own grapes in our front yard. My brother and I got so excited. When they started to bear fruit and no one was looking, we would jump up to steal some fruit from the vines, even though they were still unripe. Then Dad harvested the grapes in their unripe stage, saying that they had to be left on the table to ripen. My brother and I couldn’t wait, though, so we plucked the unripe grapes one by one, also when no one was looking. When my dad noticed that the grapes were dwindling, he figured out what we were doing and we got such a scolding.
But now, I do not have to steal unripe grapes on the sly if I want any. I can buy cake and ice cream whenever I want as well, or even a monopoly board (not that I want to) and I have my own computer and I travel a lot.
I may not have a mansion… but so what? I lead a great life that my 16-year-old self wouldn’t believe even if I went back in time and told her about.
I shouldn’t compare myself to other people and feel bad about the things they have that I don’t. Instead I should take a good long look at the things that I do have, and remember that once upon a time, they were things I only dreamed about having.
What about you, what are you “grapeful” for?
It touched my heart girl . You're too honest and I am glad you're at a place you really deserve . Go on 🙂
What a lovely post! It's so important to not take the little things for granted. I try to always remember to be thankful for the big things, but I should be thankful for the "grapes" in my life as well 🙂
I love this post. I relate so much to it. Even when I was a kid, before I started feeling that things were tight and the electricity got suspended a lot and I had to wait eight months to replace my laptop charger and my mom went to a food bank to get a proper Christmas meal (I see that happening again this year and it breaks my heart), I remember not getting so many things that other kids did —
Aww thanks, Noor! I hope my life keeps on getting better.
Thanks, Rachel! It's so easy to forget the little things!
Aww Lix, it's heartbreaking to read this. I know about those feelings you have, I had them too (and sometimes still do). But I never stopped dreaming of a better life and worked hard to get myself out of the life I left. You seem like a person who dreams big and works hard, so I feel that you'll definitely be better off someday soon!
I'm definitely trying – I went into a bit of a black hole for a few years after dropping out of college and not being able to go back (I used up my first-year scholarship and couldn't afford tuition, and it's not like tuition is crazy expensive here or anything). My father used to say I was a spoiled little rich girl without the riches to justify it, and I sort of think that's
It's so easy to get caught up with new desires, and sometimes it takes a little something to remind you of that. Life in Asia has really opened my eyes to how many grapes i have, and your post has touched my heart.<br /><br />PS) Grapes make wine so double win!
That's the important thing – working for them! Best of luck to you Lix! You'll get there! 🙂
Oh I bet it has! And LOL at grapes making wine. Double win indeed!
What a lovely post! It's so important to not take the little things for granted. I try to always remember to be thankful for the big things, but I should be thankful for the "grapes" in my life as well 🙂
Thanks, Rachel! It's so easy to forget the little things!
That's the important thing – working for them! Best of luck to you Lix! You'll get there! 🙂
I'm definitely trying – I went into a bit of a black hole for a few years after dropping out of college and not being able to go back (I used up my first-year scholarship and couldn't afford tuition, and it's not like tuition is crazy expensive here or anything). My father used to say I was a spoiled little rich girl without the riches to justify it, and I sort of think that's
Aww thanks, Noor! I hope my life keeps on getting better.
Oh I bet it has! And LOL at grapes making wine. Double win indeed!
Aww Lix, it's heartbreaking to read this. I know about those feelings you have, I had them too (and sometimes still do). But I never stopped dreaming of a better life and worked hard to get myself out of the life I left. You seem like a person who dreams big and works hard, so I feel that you'll definitely be better off someday soon!
It touched my heart girl . You're too honest and I am glad you're at a place you really deserve . Go on 🙂
It's so easy to get caught up with new desires, and sometimes it takes a little something to remind you of that. Life in Asia has really opened my eyes to how many grapes i have, and your post has touched my heart.<br /><br />PS) Grapes make wine so double win!
I love this post. I relate so much to it. Even when I was a kid, before I started feeling that things were tight and the electricity got suspended a lot and I had to wait eight months to replace my laptop charger and my mom went to a food bank to get a proper Christmas meal (I see that happening again this year and it breaks my heart), I remember not getting so many things that other kids did —