After school today I was talking to a women I work with whose Marine son had just returned from serving in Iraq. She was feeling so blessed that he returned in one piece and that he was mentally handling things after all he had seen while serving there. She told me several stories of unbelievable things he had seen, of the poverty and the violence that goes on in the daily lives of the people. One thing she passed on really stayed with me. He told her that people in the United States haven't a clue as to how blessed they are. All of the little irritations here that we have each day are nothing compared to what life is like over there.
At the Cabin our daughter-in-law was reading this book Three Cups of Tea. It is the story of a man who devotes his life to providing schools for children in Pakistan. I borrowed the book and am in the middle of reading it. It is amazing that this man who was not a wealthy man, in fact he really had nothing other than a job, yet he puts all of his efforts into saving money so he can fulfill a promise he made while staying in a village in Pakistan.
This summer I also listened to the Kite Runner about a man growing up in Afghanistan and the differences in his life as a Sunni and his servants son's life. Then he talks about how their lives change when the Taliban takes over. Both books are very interesting and really make you think about how blessed we are to live in a free country.
Tonight as school was over and I was exhausted after another busy day and I came home to a house still a mess from my painting I knew how insignificant my "irritations" are.