In celebration of our nation’s birthday on July 4th, many of us will take the day off to enjoy parades, picnics, outdoor activities, and fireworks. If your family is like mine, you will gather to eat – hot dogs and hamburgers, BBQ chicken, corn-on-the-cob, watermelon, and a bounty of other delicious food. Can you see it, smell it, and almost taste it in anticipation?
One of my favorite parts of summer in Indiana is fresh, local, sweet corn. So you can imagine my pleasure when I found out the "corn wagon" will be coming into town next Monday in time for the 4th! I can't wait!! What are you planning to eat in celebration of our nation's birthday next week?
We tend to relegate Thanksgiving as the holiday to be grateful for our abundance of food; but I suggest we do it more often – and this 4th of July be thankful – for overflowing grocery shelves and farmers markets that assure us ready access to a variety of wholesome food. All year long.
I was reminded this week of just how fortunate we are in the U.S. when I had a conversation with a young woman who graduated with my daughter from high school in 2000 and now serves oversees as a missionary with her husband in Eastern Europe. She described to me how even in the big city where she lives with her family, fresh produce is rare, grocery shelves are quite bare, and meat is often poor quality. When they vacation in Europe, her two young daughters get excited to have fresh broccoli. She struggles with feeding her family a variety of fresh, healthy foods – foods that are plentiful here year round. A bounty that we take for granted.
Yes, we have food insecurity in the U.S., but we are striving to eliminate it. Yes, we have areas that are food deserts, but we are working to improve access to healthy food for everyone. As Americans, we have greater variety and abundance than much of the world and many programs in place to make our bounty accessible to all. This 4th of July, let’s be grateful for the abundance we enjoy. Let’s not take it for granted.
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
