Keeping a perspective

One day a father of a wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On the trip back home the father asked the son, "How was the trip?" The son replied, "It was great dad"

"Did you see how poor people live?" asked the father.

"Oh yeah" the son said.

"So, tell me, what did you learned from the trip?" the father asked.

The son answers:

" I see that we have one dog and they have four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants that serve us and they serve others.

We buy our food but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us and they have friends to protect them."

The father was speechless. Then the son added "Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are."

First off, this is not my writing. But after I read this it gave me a much better perspective of the person that I am and the person that I try to be. I don't have a lot of big fancy things. No fancy truck, not one acre to my name, no big home, no designer clothes, no jewels, no big name high tech computer or a phone that practically decides for you what you want to eat.

What I do have are many friends and a family who loves me to pieces. Yes, I get lonely often out here but it's all of you that keep me happy, healthy, and loved. I don't care if I have known you for years or just a week. If you and I have made a connection then you are a friend of mine. And that makes me a very wealthy man.

I hope that in the next many weeks during the holidays that you think of me whether we are face to face or miles apart ... because I will be thinking of all of you. I hope that the holidays that you chose to celebrate in your home are full of love and happiness. I am an even luckier man because I am spending Christmas with my adopted family in Bassfield, Mississippi. It's a haul to get there and back but I know while I am there that I will be surrounded by more love, happiness, and affection than I can possibly carry home. I hope you are as lucky as I am and you are enveloped in love as well.