Thankfulness Despite Any Situation by Jalisha

Thankfulness Despite Any Situation by Jalisha - October 2013 Scholarship Essay

Outside the confines of a regular school setting—that is where students are able to truly explore the world. Quite fortunately, I have been exposed to many of these explorations outside of my own country under the care of my parents.
Imagine a world of dusty dirt roads, of rubble houses, and of starving hands—A world where, at every stop, those who drive are confronted by small children trying to sell various foods, candies, or gum in order to sustain themselves. That is the world that changed me. The Philippines is where I truly learned to be thankful about all the opportunities, gifts, and joys I am able to partake of in my life. In the United States, we are able to live with so much freedom and royalties—heated showers, working toilets, air conditioning. Before I saw my home country, I would take these things for granted. I would cry, scream, and make a fit every time my parents decided not to buy me a shiny new toy or gadget. But going to the Philippines, which is my native country, truly changed my attitude.
My cousins, my own family, lived in so much poverty. The different lives we lived posed such a great shock to me. But what posed an even greater shock is the fact that so many of the Filipino people I met, despite their lack of material goods, they were still happy. They were still respectful. They worked hard and would even share with others the little that they had. Despite everything, they still held a positive attitude. And, this is the attitude that I have learned and have been striving to perfect since my visit to the Philippines: thankfulness despite any situation.