I have never really considered the kind of life I lead now.
There is adequate food and water for everyone and there is electricity with which to light our dark nights.
Two days ago, I had the opportunity to have a talk with my grandparents. I was
overwhelmed by what they told me.
During the time of my grandparents, people were much poorer, with no electricity or private bathrooms.
My grandmother mended old clothes by candle light while my grandfather had to walk about two miles every day to get two pails of water from a distant well.
It was no wonder my grandparents remained so thin when they were young. There were common
shacks in which many people used as toilets. The buckets in the shacks were cleared every day.
I imagined the stench caused by the shacks and wrinkled my nose as my grandparents related their story.
The other thing that many children my age take for granted is the peace and quiet of our nation.
My grandparents lived through two world wars and 'The Great Depression' where people committed suicide because of the hard life they had to lead.
During the wars, they lived on sweet potatoes and little more.
After thinking about our differences in experiences, I realise that I should be more than grateful for what I have now.
I hope that I will not go through the same hardships as my grandparents in time to come.
|