Blessed to be Australian!!

I started out today feeling totally sorry for myself. My husband's pay came in last night and so I was sitting at the computer this morning paying rent, bills etc and found myself feeling utterly dismayed at how tight the budget was stretched due to my husband's work cutting back overtime. It is my sister in law's birthday next week and I came to the conclusion that we just simply can't afford to join the family for the usual restaruant dinner to celebrate it and that frustrated and upset me. If it had've been someone in my family I don't think it would've bothered me cause they have often been in the same boat, but my husband's sister seems to give me an inferiority complex. It is absolutely nothing to do with her or the way she has ever treated me or anything like that, it is just that they have money, big money, and sometimes I let that get to me. I was utterly humiliated at the thought of telling someone who just got back from up the coast where they were looking to buy another property for either a holiday house or investment, that we can't even afford to go out for dinner. So this is the frame of mind I started my day in and it made me moody and cranky and to be honest generally unpleasant to be around. 

My mother then picked me up to go to her church and use the hall to get some painting done for the 'Survive past Five" event I am organising. One of the activities we are doing on the day is a giant snakes and ladders game where things like clean water, mosquito nets etc help people up the ladders, and things like malaria, diarrohea, no health clinic etc make them slide down the snakes. I had only managed to get 2 rows done at home cause of the space issue (it's a very big piece of calico) so we went for plan B and did it at the church. Here is what we got done today, it's all the squares and once that's dry we're going back on Friday night to paint the snakes and ladders on.

So here I was feeling sorry for myself cause I can't go to a restaurant while I'm sitting on the floor painting a piece of calico to highlight the utter poverty and desperation that so many people live in and I realised what a spoilt, selfish brat I was being sulking about something that doesn't really matter at all when I am so very blessed! It's amazing what a bit of perspective can do!!

So today, on Australia day I want to tell you the things that I love about Australia, the things I am thankful for and the many, many ways that we are blessed here!!!

*It is bin night tonight. We are blessed to have people collect our rubbish. I have been to India where there is no such service and rubbish is everywhere, the animals go through it, it stinks and it is very unhealthy! We are also blessed to live in a council area that cares about the environment and offers recycling and also composts the green waste and that is awesome!

*I had a shower today, and brushed my teeth, and washed clothes, and had a drink, all of it with clean water that will not make me or my family sick and I didn't have to walk anywhere with a bucket to get it.

*I had food to eat today, not just a simple bowl of rice, but several different food groups and 3 meals worth, plus some snacks!

* I live in a beautiful house that we rent from friends, it's not mine, but they let me live in it like it is. It has celing fans in the bedrooms and air conditioners in both living areas and today I was very thankful for all of those!!

* I have 3 beautiful, healthy children!!

* I have free healthcare through medicare. When my kids are sick I take them to the doctor and I don't need money to do it. They are immunised against diseases that kill children in developing nations and it didn't cost me anything. I had a cesarian with Elora, so surgery, meds, a few days in hospital, midwives visiting at home, and none of that cost me anything!! People may whinge about our health system but we are SO VERY BLESSED!!!!!!! You don't even get healthcare like that in America!

*I live in a nation where I can vote for the government. I can complain about the goverment without fear of being shot or put in prison, and I can lobby the government about things I think are important. In fact I have access to government ministers to keep them accountable and discuss concerns, and I have utilised this privilege, my local Federal member is coming to "Survive past Five" and that is awesome!!

I could go on and on, because I found that once I started looking around at what I have and how very blessed I am, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness for the life I have and wanting to use it to bless others instead of worrying about what comforts I want for myself!!!

So to celebrate this beautiful nation and the blessings it offers us we had some festive Australia shaped burgers for dinner that Jaden chose from the supermarket and finished off the day with a swim in our above ground pool that we got in the post christmas sales, yep I'm very hard done by, can't you tell!! :-)

(This photo was actually taken on New Years Day when my family came over for a bbq, but I didn't have the camera with me outside today and I wanted to show you the pool.)