What do we really need?

As I was studying through out today I have been somewhat preoccupied with the thought of "what do we really need?" My friend Deanna joined me for my last 2 hrs of studying and of course somehow we ended up not studying and discussing life. She is a school teacher and has seen so many children not prepared for school and families not being able to afford some of the basic needs for their children. We also talked about schools and how we recognize its the parents job to educate their children first and foremost and not the teachers. I have seen so many children get so many of their wants but yet centrally lack what I believe are needs in their lives. I wish the world would just wake up so to speak and realize what really matters and to try to meet the needs that are essential to every human being. People need to be loved, and loved unconditionally.

I struggled with this myself growing up, believing that my worth came from my academic achievements and my book knowledge. Something hurt me at one point and time in my upbringing that made me forever think, if only I got better grades people will love me more or my family will look lovingly upon me. I have to say I grew up in a very loving household and to my knowledge I can't point out one specific instance where that thought started to become ingrained in my mind but it stayed there for many years. It also is never easy when you have 3 very brilliant and accomplished older siblings to stack up to. Being an extrovert in a family of introverts has its challenges as well. I for one never liked to focus on one thing, and that thing being school work, but I thrived on interpersonal relationships. I always loved to be around people and to be doing things with people. I think this became apparent to my parents early on on high school when I started to have a social life before the ages that my siblings had started at. I didn't graduate High School with honors and I had no academic awards to show but I had some pretty amazing friends and I still do as a matter of fact.

I went to college and finally decided the summer going into my junior year that I wanted to become a physician assistant after I had spent the past 2 years as a Nursing major. Biology major was the most logical choice on the list to prepare me for PA school. I'd like to think I have been smart all along but for the first time when I had a goal in mind, I set the standards and I actually exceeded them. I also realized that people didn't respect me for my intelligence, and that people recognized me for who I really was... even if intelligence happened to be a quality that had been lurking in the shadows for some time. I felt like people knew I was going to be a good PA because of my heart, my compassion and my perseverance. I don't think people would think I would be a good PA if I was stupid so that knocked that thought out but it was nice to have friends recognize the qualities I thought were special all along and how those come help me become a great PA. So many people out there need unconditional love, that is just my story of how I came to know and feel it. God gives everyone such special gifts and we need to utilize the precious gifts he has given us. I become more aware of the gifts every day as I allow God to work in my life. I know everyone needs to be loved and I know that God loves me and I want to work every day to allow people to be able to feel that God loves them as well. I'm getting too tired to carry on but God gives us what we need, when we need it. Remember that in good times and in bad. +AMDG+