Hunger

Saturday night as I sat at home on my ridiculously small white couch procrastinating cleaning, even though Ty was asleep I turned on the Food Network to "help" me. Ya right. Instead I got sucked into their show tilted Hunger Hits Home. I literally bawled shed a little more than a couple of tears watching this show.

I was reminded once again how much our country needs to change. The programs we have like food stamps are so vitally important to the people who need them. However they could be so much more effective if they ALL went to people who needed them and didn't abuse them.

I have had the opportunity to work since I was 16 in the medical field. I have seen numberless people come in for various exams from all walks of life. Some drive up in an 80,000 dollar car but are on government health care because they "can't afford it". Some walk countless miles with their children just to get one exam, and some are just making it not needing help from the government. I have seen more able abuse the government system than I can count or remember. Until I had Ty it would just annoy me while I saw it happen and then I would get caught up in my busy life and never give it a second thought. Now it fires it me up. I know that it is there for a reason and I think that reason is wonderful. There are times in people's life where they desperately need help and they should get that help, but there would be more help to give if people were honest, lived with-in their means, and were generous in giving to their fellow man.

As I cried non-stop watched this show my heart broke for those people. I broke down the hardest as a mom could only afford ramen type noodles with her food stamps for her two little babies. She could not even get fresh produce to make baby food. Towards the end she discovered a program that allowed her to buy produce so she could make baby food for her little babies. I can honestly say that at this time in our lives we have never been poorer. We could more than qualify for every aspect of government help right now. However we have been blessed with families who are willing to help us out until we can get out of this place. Hopefully that means Heavenly Father will show us the way like a burning path like any second...but until that happens I am going to spend every second grateful that I not only have loving parents who will help me but in-laws as well.

I am well aware that not everyone is able to be in the position we are. I also know that my in-laws and parents are not money trees and cannot help us for the rest of their lives. This is all temporary. I can also say that this time in our lives were I feel the lowest has fueled my fire to not only never be in this situation again but to get to a point where I can give to others who may be struggling. I am so grateful to belong to a wonderful Church that looks out for helping/taking care of their own. I know that I can turn to my church leaders at any time for help and that is another major blessing. I hope that Jake and I are always in a position to not only generously give to our Church  but to give to local food pantries and other places that desperately need it.

I have had the privilege of completing my college education by spending weeks and months in various elementary classrooms. I have seen those children who only eat at school. There is nothing sadder than seeing a hungry child, you will literally feel your heat break in two.

As I look at my sleeping baby with my stomach full of food I make a mental note to tell my parents, in-laws and Heavenly Father how grateful I am that I go to bed every night with a stomach full of food. To especially thank these people that my child is never hungry. I don't know what I would do if T was hungry. This show has renewed the fact to me that we as a society need to change our systems. They are born of the right place but they are being misused and there are not helping in the way they need to be. We as a society and people of this society need to be better. We need to be more honest with our money, especially to ourselves. No child should ever go hungry and no parent should have the burden of watching their child go hungry. I don't know where or how to fix it but I desperately hope this massive problem of child hunger gets solved asap. I also hope that we get a job asap so that we can help give to those who need it.