Without
Throughout my childhood I grew up without.
Without material items.
Without a fancy house or a room of my own and, at times, not even a bed of my own.
A meal at a restaurant, a ride to school, the latest fashions is what I lacked.
The supervision of parents was at a minimum,
too busy with financial concerns and providing life’s essentials with no regrets or bitterness from me.
The less I thought about what I lacked the happier I was.
Withdrawn from normal reality I didn’t know what I lacked,
life was just a joy playing with neighborhood friends who saw the world through the same lens.
Dreams, this grew in abundance inside me,
to better myself and my quality of life,
to one day travel and experience what I was once without.
As a child I was without and turned what could have been bitterness to joy.
It became my motivation as I educated myself and developed my character.
As I accumulate material wealth and as I experience the world,
my early life without grounds me as the beauty and vastness of the world humbles me.
To truly cherish you must have once been without,
how far I’ve come and my journey has yet ended.
*****
for similar posts, see INTROSPECTION
Yes!!! To truly experience happiness you have to know sadness, to appreciate good health, you have to be sick. Love this reminder. Thanks for sharing a piece of you.
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Rainbows are born out of hardship
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I stole your rainbow line and wrote on the whiteboard at work. Hope it inspires others.
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I’m flattered, thanks
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Beautifully written!
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Thank you Anna
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By any chance, are you Filipino? 🙂
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Yes, born in Cebu and immigrated to California when I was seven.
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Wow, this is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you, always good to know others can relate
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