Gratitude.

In the month of November, we celebrate Thanksgiving. A day we celebrate the things we are thankful for in our lives. What we give gratitude for. 

Since the destruction that Hurricane Sandy left on the path of the Eastern Seaboard, NY, NJ, CT are suffering. Homes are gone. Personal belongings are destroyed. Momentos are ruined. Cars were crushed by falling trees, washed away or totaled due to the storm. Homes were flooded. People died. Many people were without, and still are without power. There is a shortage on gas and people are going nuts over this, getting into fights at the gas stations. Really? You're going to punch someone because of gas when people are left with NOTHING?

Hurricane Sandy, like any other tragedy, has people coming together. Many celebrities and companies are donating. Melissa Gorga, from RHONJ, posted a picture of her family shopping at Target to get supplies to donate. Bethenny Frankel donated $50K to the Hurricane Sandy Relief. Chelsea Handler donated $100,000.  Kellogs Cereal company donated $100K worth of cereal to Feeding American to help with the relief. Disney & Viacom donated $3 million dollars. Lowe's donated $1 million. Dwyane Wade, a Miami Heat guard, donated his game salary check to the Hurricane Sandy Relief fund. You can simply donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting REDCROSS to 90999. 

When you see the devastation across the Tri-state area, people's personal belongings on the street, it makes you sit back and thank how grateful you are for what you have. Yes, many of us are complaining that we may not have power and/or cable & internet. Or the gas shortage (which is slowly, but surely, resolving itself). 

But think of what you DO HAVE. I am grateful that I have a home to live in, we have heat, we have enough food. I am thankful that none of my extended family was harmed during this hurricane and the most damage we have suffered is shingles off the roof of a house and tree branches came down. I am thankful to have power again (after only having lost it for 24 hours...I know people who live 20 minutes from me that STILL don't have it). I am thankful I didn't have to evacuate my house. I really am just grateful for everything I have.

So while the gas lines may be long and frustration being high, just take a moment to think of what you do have. And take a moment to think of how you can donate. That $5 latte at Starbucks...two of them could donate $10 to the relief process. Donate a bag of clothes you haven't worn in a year to families who have nothing. Remember, it could've been you.