Are you feeling lucky?

If you need a reason to feel lucky, watch this. Over the weekend, Food Network aired a special called “Hunger Hits Home.” I think all Americans are aware of food stamps and aid for needy families but how often to we take the time to truly wonder and try to relate to what these families face every day. And this special barely mentions food stamps. It’s about families who are facing hard times for one reason or another. People who are going to work every day just like you and me but their kids aren’t sure if there will be enough food for dinner. People who have lost jobs and find themselves suddenly in dire straights. Many of us could be a paycheck or two away from being these families and no one has absolute job security these days.

I simply cannot imagine having to feed my son Ramen Noodles every night because there is nothing else in the cupboard. How would I ever tell my broccoli loving, corn eating, salad gobbling little boy that there simply isn’t money to buy vegetables? Fortunately, I don’t have to. I can shop freely and often and, frankly, we are rather spoiled in our household with the foods we eat. I can imagine that I work with people who think it’s crazy that I offer my son steak. It’s because I am one of the lucky ones who has the means to give my family whatever foods we want.

I can buy ingredients and play around and if we don’t like it, well, better luck next time but let’s order a pizza. I’m like every one of you who takes the time to read this. I know there are hungry kids in our country but it hasn’t affected me so did I really care before? William has taken food to school to offer for food drives in the past. We talked about why this is important but I’m not sure either of us really got it. He’s 7 so I can cut him some slack. In his world, parents simply take care of their kids and that’s that. But I’m older and should know better. This special really did hit home.

Is this a call to action? No. I know I have many wonderful and generous friends and if they heard that their child had a classmate without enough to eat, would probably invite the entire family over for dinner and send them out the door with a bag of food. We all do what we can. But as I get back to blogging and think about things I cook or what to write about, I couldn’t let this go without bringing it to a wider audience. I could have shared that we had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn for dinner tonight. Instead of trying to peak your interesting is what I had to eat, I am using this forum to peak your interest in what you had to eat.

Count your blessings as you eat well tonight, tomorrow, and in the days that follow.