On gratitude

The other day I was putting away laundry for the kids. It's a chore I can usually do sitting down, which is almost required at this point. As I stuffed four more pairs of underpants into the drawer for Madeleine, I shook my head. Why does this child need this much underwear? I thought.

Then the little voice whispered, Who got it for her? She didn't purchase them, you know.
True, I admitted.
And while we're on the subject, continued that voice, you're right--she has more than she needs. But only in this place do we complain about abundance. There are places, children, some not so far away, where they don't have enough of what they need. That is a true problem, not 'my daughter has too much underwear to fit in her drawer.'

I thought of the bit I saw a few weeks back on The View (it was on at my OB's office). D. L. Hughley (sp?) was talking with Joy Behar about lactose intolerance. Paraphrase: "They don't have that problem in Africa. 'Does milk hurt your stomach?' 'Yes, but not as much as hunger. Hunger is much worse.'"