Living the High Life

Finding the recliner free tonight I took a seat and turned on the television. I first spent an hour watching two episodes of House Hunters on HGTV. I witnessed a young man and his girlfriend exploring homes in Nicaragua. He stated he had a budget of 500,000 dollars whereas his girlfriend said she'd like him to look at homes costing 1,000,000. As they toured three homes, I imagined what it would be like to wake up each morning seeing those ocean views, cooking in those high end kitchens, or enjoying those luxurious pools. Next, I watched a couple touring beautiful homes in San Francisco. The Eduardian condo won their hearts, although the art deco one and the Victorian "Painted Lady" condo were definitely contenders. Again, I imagined living in a brand new spot and in an upper class tax bracket. It'd be fun; that's for sure.

As I watched these shows, however, I remembered going to church and listening to Father Joe's discussion this past Sunday. He spoke of parts of the world that struggle with hunger, places where families do not have a roof over their heads. Father had reminded us of how in the United States many of us take for granted our local grocery store--the vast array of foods we stock our refrigerators and pantries with, and how we can buy any items we have a hunkering for at any moment of the day. It's true. I could not dismiss his talk even when I headed to buy the week's groceries after Mass. It felt odd to fill my cart thinking of his words. I know I am blessed to have the nutritious food I eat and I'm trying very hard to make sure none of it goes to waste when I cook for my family. There are people in this world who hold out hope that a simple bowl of rice will be made available to them, and if I can trim my budget, I just might be able to send another monthly check to CFCA, Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, to support another poor child who needs a sponsor. (Having sponsored two boys over years, something that had been a dream of mine to do since I was a child, I can attest to the fact that giving back, even just a little, can make a significant difference in the lives of both the sponsored and the sponsor).

It's okay to dream of living the high life at times, just so long as we do not neglect to realize that we're already living in such a way that millions of people in other parts of the world (or sadly, even in our local communities) consider to BE the high life.

To learn more of how you can sponsor a child, youth, or aging friend, please visit a reputable organization of which I have been a part, http://www.cfcausa.org/