Abject Poverty

"It has been said the poorest of the poor in America is well to do compared to the poor in many areas of the world. I believe that to be true..."

Timing is everything. The timing of our cruise turns out to be good for many reasons. Weather, terror alerts, and Thanksgiving. And when I say Thanksgiving, I mean not just the day, but being thankful for just about everything we have in this country. You see, some of the countries we visited were not just poor, they were dirt poor. For the first time in many a year, I was face to face with abject poverty.

In this land just north of the equator, air conditioning for many simply does not exist. Housing consists of small huts, made from whatever is available. The irony of Central America is this - they are far from the poorest in the world. However, they are a far sight poorer than the United States is. 

Truthfully, many times I felt like an alien visiting a different world. We would zoom around the landscape in air conditioned motor coaches. Out of our windows, we would observe people who will probably never be able to even set foot in transportation such as this. We would see living conditions unlike anything we have in this country.

When we would get off the bus for a walking tour, we would pass by scores of people who were begging for just about anything. Then at the end of the bus tour, we would travel back to enjoy the comfort of the ship. We would shower, change, and then enjoy a gourmet meal in one of the ship's fine restaurants. Yes, we were living in a different world.

I told my wife more than once how humbled I was. Deeply, deeply humbled. It is almost embarrassing how much we have in our country. How much we take for granted. How much we waste. How little others have in many areas of the world.

And that brings us back to Thanksgiving. Each year, every year on this very special day, I give thanks for our bountiful blessings. The blessings of family, of friends, of health, of resources. Every year my wife and I try to "up" our giving both domestically and internationally. We really do try to focus in on the least of us. The ones who need a hand up the most. This year will be no exception.

Very soon the day will start in earnest. Friends and family will arrive. The house will have the warm smell of turkey, side dishes and maybe even a fire in the hearth. Football will be enjoyed, stories will be told, and the din of conversation and laughter will fill the air. And before everyone eats their fill, we will bow our heads and say a prayer of gratitude. A prayer of thanks to the Giver of all good things.