They need reality

September 10th and we're still boating! We are stretching our summer even when I'm writing my Christmas list, thinking about smoking fish and cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving. Today we spent six hours boating with our friends. It's interestingly relaxing as we supervise on the beach while our children take turns tubing and knee boarding. Our littlest daughter loves anything mobile. She spent most of her day in our boat next to her Dad! Boating is one of our regular summer activities and our children love it. The above picture is priceless, it's one of our sons and our friends son jumping off the dock. It was funny. They jumped several times so I could capture their moment. Their moment was hugging each other in mid-air looking right at me! While my husband circled the lake all day with our children, I was able to visit with my dear friend. One of our conversations was about children's lack of appreciation. And perhaps not so much the lack of appreciation but the realization of what they have or what they are doing compared to some other children. One of the biggest lines we've heard is, "You don't do anything for me" I wonder what circling the lake is? I wonder what driving from a different city to sit supervising on a lake is? Children just don't seem to understand the miles us parents go for them. Sometimes I wonder if it's possible to take our large family six months at a time to different countries to witness the poverty they don't have here. Canadians are spoiled. Our children wouldn't admit that they're spoiled but comparing to the larger landscape, they are in several ways. For us, the necessities is a home, clothing and food. For billions of others it's pure survival from one day to the next wondering where their next meal might come from, or where would it be safe to sleep. Sleeping in the only clothes they own. Here our children demand new clothes while their dressers draws are still full. They have this entitlement that they should receive a car at age 16, if not, they demand rides. It is their right to get from point A to B ASAP! I do blame myself, I blame our government, the media and today's society. Like anything requiring change, it would take generations and generations to un-do what we've created. I think with more education on our world (experience first hand the poverty) this could change the way most children behave. (I don't know) I'm a huge rambling thinker. We've tried every year with donations to the homeless involving our children but the impact, the reality they've experienced is it's homeless adults. The reality they need to witness is children that have less. Which makes me wonder, could it be possible to travel with a large family for missionary work? This I would love to do with our children. Before adopting within B.C. we were looking to adopt overseas. We would still love to adopt overseas but the stumbling block to adopting now is having a large family. Most Countries wouldn't even consider us now from what I was told. With our children now, it doesn't matter what we say.....some will never understand that they have more then most. I feel they need the world's reality. Even with the impact of 9/11 ten years ago, it's not our children's reality. They just don't understand people's losses, the impacts of world disasters, real starvation until it's their own or experienced through travel or like myself, with age. As much as I prepare for "Christmas" we also prepare for a cause in hopes to not only make a difference but to educate our children that they are fortunate and to appreciate a few rides around a lake.