We had the great pleasure of watching our son graduate from Trinity College this past weekend. It was an incredibly fabulous, fun-filled weekend with family and friends. Liam was on the lacrosse team at Trinity and he lived in the lacrosse house, off-campus, for the past three years. If you’ve never been to Trinity College, it’s a beautiful college that looks a lot like Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, only this school is surrounded by a very poor, inner city kind of neighborhood—and Liam’s lacrosse house is part of that neighborhood.

On Sunday, we went over to Liam’s house to help him move out. The backyard showed all the signs of a college party having taken place. As I noticed all the bottles and cans on the ground, I asked Liam about recycling, but before he could reply, my question was answered. A woman came onto the property and started rummaging through the trash for recyclables with a refundable deposit. I was instantly moved by the dichotomy of the whole situation. This was this woman’s job. This woould be income that was likely feeding her and her family. My mind was blown. I’m still thinking about her and will be for a while.

Sometimes we forget to be grateful. Sometimes we overlook how blessed we truly are. Sometimes we fixate on our own problems and in doing so, we make them bigger than they really are. What’s your biggest worry right now? What’s your biggest fear? What’s your worst challenge at work? What keeps you up at night? Spending the weekend trying to decouple Trinity College and Hartford in my mind was a great reminder for me. I tried to help this woman in Liam’s yard, but I wish I had done more. Today, take a moment to truly see all of your blessing and be grateful.

With Gratitude,

Beth Fitzgerald