Everly, our daughter, had always wanted a big party for her 16th birthday. She imagined a fancy party with family and friends, complete with a red car and a fancy cake bar. But Everly’s attitude on the big day was not what we had thought it would be.
Everly wasn’t thankful for all the work we did to make her day special; she was angry. She told us straight out that she didn’t think we could give her the amazing party of her dreams. We were all hurt and ashamed by her temper tantrum because it was so bad.
Then, as it often does, life taught Everly something important. My parents, George and Martha, chose to take her to a nearby soup kitchen so she could learn what it means to be truly thankful.
Everly didn’t like the idea at first. Never before had she volunteered or helped people in need, and the thought of it made her feel bad. But as she served food and talked to people at the soup kitchen, she felt like something inside her changed.
People she saw were having a hard time making ends meet, but they were thankful for what they did have. She saw children who were content with a simple meal, and that’s when she realised that real happiness doesn’t come from things, but from the people we meet and the things we do.
Everybody was quiet as we left the soup kitchen. I could tell she was thinking about what she had seen because she seemed to be lost in her thoughts. We saw her change over the next few weeks. She did more to help out around the house and even looked for a part-time job.
One of the most important things that happened in our family was that we learnt how to be thankful. We learnt that what makes us truly happy is not the things we own, but the people we meet and the things we do.
After a few months, Everly shocked us with a party she had planned all by herself. It was a small, private get-together on a rooftop, and it was clear that she had given it a lot of thought and work. As we celebrated, I saw that Everly had finally understood how important it is to be thankful and work hard.
