I hope this post makes you uncomfortable.

I hope this post makes you think.

I hope this post makes you realize that you have the power to help someone else. Someone not as fortunate as you are.

Yesterday, Scary Mommy wrote a blog post about helping out this Thanksgiving. It touched me. It made me want to DO something for someone else. It made me realize that as much as I complain about the things I don’t have, there are always people who don’t even have the things I DO have. I met Jill (Scary Mommy) at BlogHer last August. I’m sure she’ll never remember, I was one of many fans who probably accosted her and gushed about how much we love her. This is why… because she is genuine. She took it upon herself to DO something. She asked her readers to help.

I am helping.

I am helping a family who doesn’t have the things I have. A family who lost their job. A family with children. I don’t know the pain of looking into the eyes of your children and knowing that I won’t be able to put food on the table this Thanksgiving. I don’t know what it’s like to have to explain to them why there won’t be holiday presents this year.

How many of us are just one job loss away from being the family who can’t provide? Think about what you would tell your kids.

It’s so easy to utter “I don’t have much.” But, oh, look how much I do have.

I have a car - two in fact. I have a home. My husband has a job. I have a part-time job. My children have clothes and shoes and toys. I bitch and complain that we can’t afford to take expensive vacations, to take our kids to Disneyland, to buy an expensive new car. It’s shameful. I have nothing to complain about.

My promise for this Thanksgiving is that I am going to be truly thankful for all that I have. And I’m going to be damn thankful that I can help a family who needs it.