on being grateful

We lead a gilded life. We take it for granted, instead of appreciating that it's really not how it is for everyone. This morning when I was chatting with one of the maids, she mentioned that she met her kids after 4 years when she went home to her village a week back. It's absolutely unbelievable to me, unthinkable really, to have kids and not be able to see them, to touch them, to hear their little voices every single day. But to so many people in this world, it's another luxury that they cannot afford. So the children grow up in the village brought up by grandmothers, while their mother and father earn money in the city. People lead harsh lives. They take tough decisions to better their children's futures, to build their own house, to maybe have some savings. It makes me thankful for all I have. It makes me want to hug my daughters a little tighter.