Thanksgiving is a time of year when people reflect on their life and the things they are thankful for. For many, that is family, friendships, good food, a warm bed, or a really cute dog.<\/p>\n
We asked several homeless and formerly homeless people what they were thankful for this year. These are some of the responses they gave:<\/p>\n
Christine<\/strong> is thankful for her son and all the loving people in their lives.<\/em><\/p>\n Roberta<\/strong> is thankful for being in a shelter and having her daughter in her care rather than in CPS. She\u2019s also thankful to have food in her stomach, her job, and her sobriety.<\/em><\/p>\n Victoria<\/strong> is grateful that her friend is letting her stay with him.<\/em><\/p>\n Linda<\/strong> is thankful for her health.<\/em><\/p>\n Agatha<\/strong> is grateful to have a job and a roof, even though it\u2019s only over a couch.<\/em><\/p>\n Victoria<\/strong> is grateful for friends who listen and are helping her through the tough time she\u2019s having with her PTSD.<\/em><\/p>\n Vicky<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>can finally say that she\u2019s thankful for housing.<\/em><\/p>\n Matthew<\/strong> is thankful for always having had food to eat at the shelter, even though it wasn\u2019t always the best (a hot dog bun with gravy comes to mind!)<\/em><\/p>\n Wendi<\/strong> is thankful to have a cheap phone plan with unlimited everything that she\u2019s been able to keep for almost a year now.<\/em><\/p>\n Judith<\/em><\/strong> is grateful that she learned how to write a 10-item gratitude list to remind her of things she\u2019s thankful for on days when she feels at her worst. One of the items on that list today is getting to eat at the salad bar for $2.<\/p>\n Chris<\/strong> is thankful for her community of understanding and supportive people, positive people in her life, love, friends, sobriety, the survival skills she\u2019s learned in life, and the fact that she can still learn something new every day.<\/em><\/p>\n Woodie<\/strong> is grateful for his pup, Buddie, and all the blessings he brings.<\/em><\/p>\n Sam<\/strong> is grateful to be inside again this year.<\/em><\/p>\n Giselle<\/strong> is thankful she doesn’t have to struggle alone, can still find things to laugh at, and knows that she is loved.<\/em><\/p>\n Vicky<\/strong> is thankful for the advocates, the sock givers, the donations, and most of all those who get it and understand what homelessness is. She hopes to be able to add housing to that list very soon.<\/em><\/p>\n Wendi<\/strong> is thankful that her rapist is in jail pending trial and she doesn\u2019t have to worry about him showing up.<\/em><\/p>\n Derrick<\/strong> is thankful to be able to change how homelessness is viewed.<\/em><\/p>\n Evangeline<\/strong> is grateful for her support group of online friends from everywhere and for her aunt who rescued her when she was suicidal and starving in the wilderness.<\/em><\/p>\n Charlie<\/strong> is thankful to be alive and surviving homelessness for now. He\u2019s also grateful to be employed and able to pay his own way in life.<\/em><\/p>\n I myself am thankful for many of the same things \u2013 My home, my family, friends, and all the people who love me, health, community, and employment.<\/p>\n Chances are good that you\u2019re probably thankful for a few of those things as well.<\/p>\n It just goes to show, once again, that people are people no matter where they live. We are all more similar than different. The things that divide us aren\u2019t nearly so numerous or significant as the things that draw us together.<\/p>\n This year, wherever you may be for Thanksgiving \u2013 whether it\u2019s around grandma\u2019s dining room table, in line for a special meal at a shelter, or trying to stay warm in your car or on the street, take a moment, if you can spare one, to remember our common connections. And then, think of something you\u2019re thankful for.<\/p>\n For those who have a lot, this exercise will help determine the things that are really essential \u2013 the ones that bring you the most real joy in life.<\/p>\n For those who don\u2019t have as much, many of these responses show there is still something to be thankful for.<\/p>\n This exercise isn\u2019t meant as a way to placate people who have too little. Nor is it to tell them to just be grateful for the scraps they do get. Being thankful for a few things doesn\u2019t negate the need for systemic change. We need change on every level of this broken system that allows homelessness and inequality to exist.<\/p>\n But what it does accomplish is refocusing the mind on things that are good instead of the things that are bad. It singles out areas of life that are lush and full rather than those that are full only of lack.<\/p>\n If just for today, identify things you are thankful for. It will boost your mood and improve your overall happiness. If you make it a habit, the effect is even more long-lasting.<\/p>\n This next part is very important, for both the haves and the have nots, so listen up. Practicing gratitude isn\u2019t something you do instead of advocating for change<\/a>. It\u2019s something that you do in spite of the need for change.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n This little mental exercise intrinsically recognizes that yes, some things suck, but it\u2019s not all bad. At the end of a long day, it can remind you there\u2019s still good in the world. It\u2019s a good self-care exercise for advocates and homeless people who live the reality of homelessness day-in and day-out and for a minute, just need a break.<\/p>\n This is not<\/strong><\/em>, however, an exercise to convince yourself that nothing is wrong at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We asked members of the homeless community a simple question and their responses may surprise you Thanksgiving is a time of year when people reflect on their life and the things they are thankful for. For many, that is family, … Continue reading Leah is thankful for her \u201crickety ramshackle\u201d camper and pickup truck.<\/em><\/h4>\n
An Exercise in Thankfulness<\/h3>\n
Thankfulness Isn\u2019t a Panacea, But It Can Help<\/h3>\n