Be Grateful
I spent the past couple days with my parents. There is comfort in knowing “going home” is always a possibility. The opportunity to be grateful for what was, what is, and what is to come. During my stay, I thought about a saying my dad loves, so much so he asked me to have it made into a sign for him.
When you get to where you’re going, don’t forget where you came from.
My parents grew up in a small, blue-collar town in North Eastern Pennsylvania. Most porches are covered in artificial turf. Kids walk to school. Restaurants serve primarily pizza. They moved to Maryland not long after they were married, and have been here for thirty-nine years. But not for one second have they forgotten the place they left behind. Through every success, my dad has remained one of the most modest people I know – grateful for a slice of pizza.
I have not gone far. I went to college in Maryland, and eventually moved twenty minutes from my childhood home. But I always love “coming home.” While showering there in the morning, I noticed how crowded I felt and thought about how much bigger my shower is at home. But then I stopped myself. A saying I love came to mind, a sign I made for my own home.
Begin each day with a grateful heart.
"I remember the days I prayed for the things I have now."
-Unknown
My thought changed. My old bedroom is still considered “Kristina’s Bedroom.” There is always plenty of love and laughs…and food! The crowded shower is part of a place that afforded me my home with the bigger shower. After college, the opportunity to come back and live with my parents, saving money, gave me the ability to purchase my first home. And I am forever grateful.
The places we came from shape us on the path to where we are going. Think about it…and be grateful.
