Lessons in Gratitude Day 79

The night before I am supposed to travel is always a bit nerve-wracking for me. This is especially true now that I have only myself to depend upon for remembering to pack my deodorant and necessities, check in and print out my boarding passes, arrange for long term parking and transportation to the airport, and so many other details. On my list of downsides for living on the West Coast is that I have to fly just about everywhere I am inclined to travel, particularly if I am going to see family. I am not a white-knuckle flyer, I just don’t like it very much. So besides the hubbub involved with pre-trip preparations, there’s the day-of nerves. These will settle down as soon as I’m on the BART train headed to the airport and once I’m checking in at the gate for my flight.

This evening I’m once again grateful for having my basic needs met. A local radio station declared today, “KGO Fights Hunger Day.” KGO Fights Hunger Day From 5:00 this morning until late afternoon they broadcast stories to give human voices to those in the community who face hunger on a daily basis. They also interviewed people from San Francisco Bay area food banks and others who are working to meet the needs of the hungry. They shared statistics like 1 in 5 San Franciscans and 1 in 3 children in San Francisco experience hunger. Over the course of the day, they raised over $100,000 for Bay area food banks. A local television reporter CBS 5 Reporter Takes Part in Hunger Challenge took part in the San Francisco Food Bank Hunger Challenge, spending one week living off of $4.72/day for food SF Food Bank Hunger Challenge . Hunger is finding its way into the public consciousness, or at least into the local mainstream media.

Late this afternoon I went grocery shopping so that my son would have food during the few days I’ll be away. This was a “quick” trip, not my usual once-every-three-weeks, 90 minute, full shopping cart event. We play this game when we’re in the checkout line in which we try to figure out how much the finally tally for the groceries is going to be. Jared’s original estimate was $63 and mine was $67. It was $110. We were both shocked given the limited number of items on the conveyor belt and the few bags we loaded into the car. When I looked at what we bought there were a couple of things that were frills–a carton of ice cream and a six pack of beer, but mostly it was staples like milk, bread, eggs, cereal, processed meat (lunch meat, bacon, brauts, breakfast sausage links). Most of it will be gone in a week. We are fortunate. While $110 represents a pretty good chunk out of my biweekly unemployment check, it is still much more than the $33/week that people on food stamps have to spend.

I know I’ve spent a lot of “air time” in this blog writing about hunger. Volunteering at the Berkeley Food Pantry has made the issue very real for me. Even as I continue looking for full time employment so that I can meet my obligations and take care of me and my family, something is pulling at me to get more involved with the issue of hunger in our community. I have no idea at the moment what that might look like, but I do know that something is bubbling in my spirit about this. Somehow I have to believe that God will watch out for me and mine as I find ways to watch out for my brothers and sisters in the community. We shall see…

Every day I am grateful for something, for many things. Today is no exception. So as I prepare to take my rest before my early start to the airport tomorrow, I go to sleep knowing that I have what I need to get me through the next few days and that my children do as well. We are blessed and I am grateful.