Sometimes all it takes is a little reality check to put things in perspective.
A home nurse Amanda Perez made a Facebook post about how the misfortunes of one of her clients made her appreciate how lucky she was to have food on the table.
“Lately I have been so upset because I wanted the materials in life,” wrote Perez. “New car, house, more clothes, shoes, etc.”
While she was working at the home of one of her male patients, the man asked if Perez could clean his fridge. She was shocked to open the door and see nothing inside.
Upon asking him where his food was, he “looked down as if he was ashamed” and said that he bought groceries whenever he had money to do so.
“I have never seen a fridge so empty in my life,” said the home nurse. “All of a sudden, I realized how my needs are wants and his wants are needs.”
Despite not having a lot of income of her own, Perez drove to the grocery store and used her income tax money to buy a cart full of food and stock her client’s fridge.
“This isn’t a post to be noticed, this is a post to show you that there are so many people out there that have it worse than we do. I opened my eyes and realized I need to stop being so mad about what I don’t have and start appreciating what I do have.”
At times, our feelings of depression stem from our attachment to our desires. By cultivating gratitude for what we already have and being willing to help others, we can significantly lighten the burdens of life.