Pencil

The other day as Sam and I sat waiting for the kids to get out of school we watched the steady stream of faces pass through the school gates. Most were excited to leave... skipping, jumping, running, laughing, high fiving each other, and racing past us to freedom. In the midst of the chaos a girl and (I´m guessing) her brother stood out to me. The sister looked almost panic stricken. As I leaned out the window I heard her frantically exclaim that she had lost her pencil. She turned and ran back into the school grounds. Minutes later she returned with a look of defeat on her face. She hadn´t been able to find her pencil and the tears that threatened to pour down her cheeks broke my heart. From her filthy little face and tattered school uniform it was obvious that she wasn´t upset from losing a favorite pencil ... she was upset because she had lost her ONLY pencil. It was humbling to think of how careless I had been in high school. I never paid any attention to the pencils, pens, crayons, etc. that I had for I knew if I lost it my parents could replace it. Without that same security this little girl was heart broken over the loss. She knew there was no money for another pencil and it was something she needed if she were to continue in school. How much do we take for granted in our lives? How much do we need to be thankful for? Take the time today to be thankful for the little things... like a never ending supply of pencils.