Spoiled v. Blessed

Someone asked me the other day if I thought I was spoiled. I said "No, but I do think that I am a very blessed individual."

I think there is a fine line between being spoiled and being blessed. I think that when I was younger the argument could definitely be made that I was spoiled. My parents spoiled me, my God parents spoiled me, my boyfriend spoiled me, etc etc etc.  I think as I have gotten older things have changed from being spoiled to being blessed.  Don't get me wrong, my parents and God parents are still just as generous and giving to me, it is me that has changed.

I am a much more grateful person. I see now just how lucky I am to have the people in my life that I do, and how lucky I am that they are in the positions they are in to help me and my family.  I am so thankful for them and thankful for all that they do for me and that is where the difference lies. I now know what it means to be truly grateful and thankful for all that I have and all that I have been given.

As a child and teenager and even into my early twenties, I took a lot of things for granted. I took for granted that I went to private schools and that my tuition was for the most part entirely paid for. Yes, I worked while I was in college, but it wasn't to pay the bills, it was so that I could have spending money.  Now, when I look back, I thank my lucky stars that my parents were in the financial position they were in and were able to send me to a top rated west coast university.

Knowing when you are blessed versus simply taking it all for granted, that is the difference between someone who is spoiled and someone who knows they have it good and is thankful to those that make their life possible.

A lot of people have made the quality of my life possible and I am grateful to each and every one of them.  Thank you for blessing me all these years with your love and generosity. You know who you are and I cannot imagine my life without you in it, and I frankly don't want to either!