Gratitude

We have had a lovely Christmas - even though I have been a little ill. 


My illness is nothing compared to the hundreds of thousands who are suffering real ill-health. I heard just before Christmas that my Australian pen friend has cancer - the future does not look good for him as he is now over 70  -  and already suffering with general poor health.


So when I read on this website of the ungratefulness of some people I just went mental !!!! I don't know how "true" these are and I don't know if they are just wind-ups ..... but they certainly wound me up !!!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/people-who-didnt-get-what-they-wanted-for-christm


For those who cannot read the link it is a website of facebook statuses, from teenagers, mostly bemoaning that they did not get what they wanted and even worse - being very nasty about those who bought their main presents (usually parents) and complaining bitterly that "life is unfair".


How can it be that there are so many obnoxious and ungrateful teenagers out there? 
What on earth are their parents doing that can have produced such rude and ignorant children/adults?
I was just left reeling at the attitudes!


What has happened to being grateful to receive A gift, any gift. What has happened to not EXPECTING anything so everything is a bonus. What has happened to saying thank you (even now my 3 still apologise that they are not gonna do "thank you cards" this year so can everyone just accept a verbal thanks !!!)


These people need to do a stint in a hospice, or community service with one of the charities supporting families in poverty, or help out on a hospital ward over Christmas !!!


Then they would maybe see what "life is unfair" really means......... and yet these are the places where people still have hope, genuine joy at waking up another day (dependant on the level of pain they are in of course) and apparent happiness at receiving ANY small gift. I'm not saying this flippantly or in a Dickensian shmalzy  "Christmas Carol" way. Just ask those who do work with these organisations - yes there are still some rude families, or those who consider their dignity and pride damaged if they receive charity, or really awkward patients (oops that'd be me!) BUT for the majority, they ARE grateful and hopeful and appreciate small tokens.


Perhaps someone should seek out these facebook status owners, inform their parents as to how their child views them and make them realise that you cannot buy children's love with expensive gifts because in the long run - this is what it produces !


If I had , for one moment, thought that this had been the attitudes of my children, then their Christmas gifts would ALL have been donated to a charity by New Year!


On a lighter note - to all those I love and cherish - I hope your Christmas was a good one, you received some lovely gifts and here's to a Happy New Year ....... and maybe I will have stopped throwing up by then LOL !!