I'm fortunate

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Today despite everything that has been going on, despite my last post I still woke up feeling like I'm fortunate. Now, that seems messed up I'm sure but I keep thinking about people in the middle east and in poorer countries and I think how fortunate I am. I was born and raised in America and while we don't always have it the best when it comes to some things we sure as heck have it better than a lot of people. I don't live in fear of being stoned or beheaded. As a woman, I walk around with pretty equal rights in comparison to a lot of women in other countries. I can vote, drink, have a baby out of wedlock and not be stoned, I am treated as a citizen. I mean as a country we still have a long way to go but next to some countries I'd say I have a lot to be thankful for. I often wish we didn't have to worry about healthcare expenses and things. I wish we had paid maternity leave. I wish for a lot of things but when I really look at it, I'd say I'm pretty fortunate. I wish we didn't have the violence we have but again when you compare your surroundings with what's going on in the middle east I'd say we have it pretty great here. Sometimes, I feel like we take what we do have for granted. I see people whining and complaining about some ridiculous things when you really stop to think about it. I'm not saying women shouldn't fight for their rights but I am saying they should stop and think about what we do have and how far we've come. It's sad that we have ever had to fight to be treated as equals but the truth is we have it pretty darn good. If you're fortunate enough to live in any country where you have freedom and opportunity count your lucky stars. I know I have mylot friends on here from all over and I know some of us have it better than others, but I'd say if you are even able to read this online that you already have more than some. I've had a lot of horrible things happen but sometimes instead of drowning in my sorrows and letting the depression take over, I try to take a step back and think about all that I have to be thankful for. I hear so many people complain that they have nothing. That's not true if you have food in your belly, a family, friends, a roof over your head, clothes on your back if you have even one positive thing in your life that's something. We can either let everything bring us down or we can try to keep fighting and lift ourselves up. As a whole, I do complain and I'm often depressed or sad. I have just been trying to keep myself going down a hole that I can't come back from. I remember reading about the war in the middle east and I remember seeing people being killed for simply being alive or for doing things I do on a daily basis. I have a child out of wedlock and in some countries, that's very frowned upon. I live in a country where I'm treated like everyone else. No one really cares that I'm not married. I am that fortunate. I've been down about my brother and while it's ok to be sad and complain sometimes I just need to remind myself what I have and that despite my stream of bad luck lately there are others fighting so much worse and that often gives me some perspective.