Guilt or Gratitude?

My insta-drabble: 

Why do we not feel guilty when we order a fancy drink?

There are those struggling for clean water.

Why do we not feel sick when we go for a quiet walk?

There are those who are incarcerated unjustly.

Why do we not feel ashamed of that expensive hat?

There are those who wait in hope for clean socks.

The Amazon burns, refugees freeze, children are terrorized,

and greed rules as the Earth cries ineradicable tears.

And we are happy just because for a time, we, the few, feel blessed?

And so my own drabble got me thinking. At what stage does gratitude become self-serving?

Most of us are thankful for whatever good we get. ( Those who don’t acknowledge the good in their lives actually do not have it, because there isn’t any if they can’t see any). Some of us are grateful for the everyday plebeian blessings. Others, only when extraordinary good fortune comes their way.

I am always joyful swimming in my gorgeous pool, but it makes me think  of those who walk miles for water. It makes me think of cities that are running dry. Human suffering saddens me. Political inertia and general societal lethargy infuriates me.  But that does not stop me from relishing what I have. So is the gratefulness that I feel justified? Or is it my way of counteracting guilt?  

What we must be very careful with is understanding that we must not feel entitled to the blessings we have.That in acknowledging them and being thankful for them, we are not absolving ourselves of the responsibility that comes with being better-off. We must remember that it falls on us to ensure that others also have the opportunity to partake of what they want, and definitely of that which they need.

So, every time we have that fancy dinner, let’s take out a bit for a food bank; every time we buy a set of clothes, let us at least donate a few of our old ones. And if we can do nothing to free those enslaved literally and figuratively, let us at least be kind to those who we deem different.

The crux of what I am trying to put across is that there should be no guilt associated with any blessings we have been given or have earned.  However, we cannot be considered grateful unless we share, in how much ever a small way, our capabilities. That we give, if not of our money and time, of our heart and wishes.

A lot of things need to fall into place for anything of joy and beauty to come into our lives. We too need to try and be one of those who facilitate joy and peace in someone else’s life. Our blessings may be numerous, but none are as important as the ability to be of use to another.