Dawn Barns, guest columnist: Family, not money, fills void

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November 21, 2009

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Sat Nov 21, 2009, 08:51 AM CST

In today’s tough economic times, it would be easy to complain and not look at all the things we should be thankful for.

I have found that when money is tight, and the cost of daily living has risen, the things we can buy or possess are not the most important.

I have my family, and they fill the void where money cannot. We have taken time to spend more time together. We have pizza night … homemade or the best price in town. We play board games and bond as a family. I have learned through this we don’t look at what we can’t afford to buy. We look at what we have in each other.

Also, I have found when I see those less fortunate, I want to share the blessings I do have. This can bring more joy than anything we could purchase for ourselves. It is an unexplainable. We have friends over and fix a warm meal. We find clearance clothes and purchase for those who can use them. When we focus on others, we are not looking at what we wished we could have. This makes the things we don’t have seem more of a want than a need. Thus, giving us more of an appreciation for what we should be thankful for.

I am thankful for the ability to smile. This costs nothing but an effort. I have started smiling at others even when I don’t know them. I have found nine times out of 10 the person smiles back, and it becomes contagious. The person is still smiling when she passes me, and the next person smiles thinking she is smiling at him. It cost me nothing, and yet I have shared happiness and lifted someone’s spirits. Lifting someone else up can draw his attention to what he has and away from his tough times as well.

Most importantly I am thankful for my faith in God, and His love for me. He is the lifter of my head, the encourager of my heart and the leader of my soul. This helps me to look upward and not around at the things that surround me. Through my faith in God I trust more, share more, give more and spend less.

Yes, economic times have touched my family and the way we live our lives, but through these times I am learning to focus on family and friends instead of things I may “want.”

Sometimes hard times help us to put our attention on the lasting and important things in life. Through these tough economic times, I have learned I need God, my family and friends. This gives me a smile, and it allows me to be thankful for all the blessings I already have.

Money can’t buy me happiness, money can’t give me family, money can’t buy faith, but when I am thankful, my eyes are opened. I see all I have, and that makes me “thankful” this Thanksgiving.

Dawn Barnes lives in Webb City. She is one of five winners in the Globe’s Thanksgiving essay contest. She will receive a $50 gift certificate to be used at a local grocery store.

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Dawn Barns, guest columnist: Family, not money, fills void

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