Sara
Growing up poor kind of sucks.
It is tough to not grow up in a house that isn’t performing so well financially. However, being poor doesn’t just mean you live on the streets and it is just a hand-to-mouth situation. Poverty is a little more complicated than that. Some of us are very privileged and we take a lot of things for granted that mean so much to someone who doesn’t have access to those things. Being born in a lower income or even middle-class family means that you barely get to make ends meet. The environment in your house is always tense because your parents are usually just worried about an upcoming payment that is due or receiving bills. They don’t know how to deal with the tension so it affects everyone in the house.
We don’t realize how blessed we are to have access to basic things. People don’t have that, so they know the value of it. Twitter User Victoria Barrett, who goes by the Twitter handle @victoriabwrites, started a thread on Twitter asking former poor kids what things they never had in their houses but rich people wouldn’t consider them luxuries. The replies were heartbreaking. Scroll down below to read some of them:
Even some basic necessities are luxuries, but people don’t realize that.
Victoria listed some of her own.
Then the tweets flooded in. This guy said “A dad.” I have no words.
Almost all of these things are necessities for a person these days. You expect this stuff from your parents when you grow up. Little do you know it is actually a luxury for some people.
A lot of people added Kleenex to their lists.
Liquid milk. Vegetables are actually very expensive.
A toilet is a luxury. Always remember that and be grateful if you have one.
Eating healthy is such a luxury. You can buy a McDonalds burger and it wouldn’t cost much, but healthy and clean veggies? It’ll be heavy on your pocket.
Silence is underrated. Peace and quiet are very important.
My mum would always come home in a bad mood after buying groceries.
At one point, you get tired of wearing pre-loved clothes, eating cheap and unhealthy food, and always being left with absolutely no money after paying your bills. Some of us make it out of these sad situations but a lot of people are still stuck there. This is why we should be more generous towards others and count our blessings. Scroll down below to read more responses from people:
Eating out? That was only for birthdays.
My mum, sister, and I would share the same 3 pairs of shoes.
Not being able to vaccinate your pets and then the vet blaming you for not doing so when they get sick is just heart-breaking.
Air conditioning is such a privilege if you live in a warm country.
If we had this certainty, we wouldn’t be feeling tense the entire day.
Beds are a luxury.
This is adorable and sad at the same time.
These lists would really come as a surprise to privileged people.
Do you have anything to add to the list? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.