Sock Wealthy
Today is packing day. The kids, yes all three of the older ones, are headed to camp for two weeks. These are the two weeks that filter through my mind as I run from soccer fields to acting class in September and from baseball fields to the swimming pool in June. As we’ve been packing, a feeling not of anxiety about poison ivy or relief from the carpool schedule keeps creeping up on me. Gratitude.
When I lay all the kids clothes out it is a striking reminder of our wealth. Who knew what fifteen pairs of neatly balled-up socks could embody? Yeah, there are stacks of shirts and shorts and bug spray and batteries, but the socks seem so indulgent. The socks are nothing special, mostly from Wal-Mart and Target, but when I look at the thick pile I can’t help but think of images of shoeless children splashed on television.
I used to keep a gratitude journal, but I usually recorded the bigger stuff: children and John and our home and health and 100% on the spelling test. But I never thought to thank God for our socks. I fit the American cliché – “I take so much for granted.” It is hard for me to step back from something as ordinary as socks and feel that my life is blessed to overflowing. But it is.
Today when I continue the arduous task of outfitting the kids for two weeks of canoeing, rock climbing, and crafts, I know I’ll keep staring at those socks. And for each folded ball, with a child’s permanently marked name, I’ll say a prayer of thanks and try, really try to think about how it feel not to have socks.
6 Responses to “Sock Wealthy”
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July 20th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Really good thoughts. I’m still working on my 1,000 gifts thankful list and I, too, usually just hit the big ones. Today I will try noting all the little, and yet very wonderful, things.
July 20th, 2007 at 11:59 am
I used to keep a thankful journal too. One of my most favorite simple things to be thankful for is clean sheets on a freshly made bed.
July 20th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I used to keep a “Thank You God” journal, but I have gotten away from it. I need to start back up. It is amazing what your kids teach you! We are trying to teach our 6 year old to be thankful and not selfish and in doing so God has taught me that I need to practice what I preach! Thank you for the timely post!
July 21st, 2007 at 10:20 am
It’s so true. Wealth. We hardly ever encounter the kind of back-breaking poverty that the world’s truly poor experience, and we so often compare ourselves to people wealthier than us, we who are already so wealthy.
Thank you for reminding me of this.
July 21st, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Very sweet post. Sometimes it’s just the little things.
August 19th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
I am doing my laundry on Sunday night. Long ago, my wife decided she would never wash for me again. I bought some new socks, really good ones at JC Penny last week. Does it hurt socks to ball them up? Would they last longer if they were folded? If I fold them they get all mixed up in the drawer. The best way to keep them separated and in pairs is to ball them.
I also iron my clothes. Does anyone know if there is a starch that you can put into a steam iron and not clog it up?