Thankful For Stuff

During the last week (ok, the last several) as we've prepared for our move to Ohio, I've done a lot of complaining about the amount of crap that we have junking up our house.  The endless piles of random paperwork, the clothes that haven't seen the light of day for months (ok, years), the kitchen appliances that have never been used, and the frustration that I feel while sifting through the infinite chaos that is our home has been about enough to send me right over the edge. 

That was until tonight. 

My friend, who is an Assistant Principal at a local high school, was telling us about some of the crazy outfits that kids were trying to get away with for their school pictures this week.  This, of course, led to a discussion not just of inappropriate picture outfits, but of blatant disregard for the dress code in general. 

She was telling us about a girl who today had on a tiny pair of "beige" shorts that (the way she told it) offered roughly the same amount of booty coverage as a pair of underpants.  So, the offending young lady was escorted, by my friend, to the office to call home for a change of clothes. 

Well, my friend overheard the conversation that the girl was having with her mother on the phone and realized that she wasn't trying to disregard the dress code or be disrespectful - her family simply didn't have the money to buy new clothes, so she had squeezed into last year's shorts, even though they were too small.

When I heard that, all my frustration about having "too many clothes" and "too much stuff" just melted away.  I realized that while it is a hassle, and while I really don't need everything that I have, I'm incredibly lucky to have what I have.  I can eat in a restaurant if the mood strikes, I can buy gifts for friends, I can fill up my car with gas, and most importantly, I can afford to buy a new shirt or a pair of jeans when I need them.

So today, despite my complaining, I'm thankful for all my stuff!