What Do You Take for Granted?

I had thought, in my thankful posts, not to resort to this so early on in the game. However, after having finished reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls tonight, it is time for me to say how grateful I am for a more or less "functional" family, both growing up and now, for running water, for food in my cabinets, for an education, for shoes on my feet, for the selflessness of those who have loved me throughout my life.

If you want to know more about this book, read the reviews, and know that your expectations will not be disappointed.  The reviews aren't merely hype.  This is the memoir of a woman who grew up in unthinkably poor and dysfunctional circumstances, and went on to rise above it, and yet still manages to embrace the positives that have shaped who she is.  Perhaps the story's early setting in the deserts of the Southwest really spoke to me, since that's where I grew up initially.  Or perhaps it's Walls's triumph in NYC, which I learned to love just a few years ago.  My captivation with the book is further increased because I see some of the people I have known in the characters of this autobiography.  Or there's the fact that Jeannette Walls is only a few years older than I, and yet she really lived without running water or electricity.  I didn't even know that was still possible!

In any case, read the book.  It will teach you about people you didn't know before.  And it will remind you what incredible blessings you have in your life but take for granted on most days.  A worthy read, absolutely.