A recent request by someone to check my privilege made me realise that I've actually done this for most of my life, we just used to call it counting our blessings before this new phrase became popular. I think I prefer to be told to count my blessings as it comes across in a more positive and productive way, so will be less likely to put people on the defensive.
Everyone has to deal with adversity and challenges in life, even the richest and most "privileged" people. Death and illness don't discrminate, so at some point we will all encounter grief and sickness. An early realisation of blessings I had that others did not was not having to experience the death of someone close to me as a child. Many children have to grieve the death of a grandparent and I even had two classmates who lost a parent to cancer. It was so common to hear of the deaths of grandparents that as a child I exclaimed my surprise that an adult's grandmother was still alive. It made all the adults in the room laugh at my naivety. As it happened I was in my early 20s before I had to say goodbye to my first grandparent and I'm grateful to have had them around for so long.
It was my father who mentioned that I had never experienced what true hunger was like. I probably didn't appreciate it being pointed out at the time while my belly was rumbling for food, but no matter how tight finances have gotten I have always had a place to call home and food to eat. Even in first world countries some children aren't lucky enough to have that.
I was born female in a time and place where I have been able to experience a level of freedom and equality that many women haven't throughout history and even in the world today.
I work as a cleaner for people with disabilities so I have regular reminders to be grateful for the health, lack of pain, for the most part (I'm getting older 😜), and mobility I retain.
While I've lived mostly on and occasionally below what is considered the poverty line for first world countries I know that I still have a far better standard of living than the majority of the population in the world and even many in my own country.
But let's not prevaricate, I realise that this call to check my privilege is to do with my skin colour in this day and age, so let's analyse that. I am white and born in a majority white country, which is to be expected when it comes down to probability, but I'm still grateful for that. Had I been born in a country where my skin colour is rare then I could have faced more than just discrimination I could also have faced a much higher level of danger. In some countries white women and girls are valued for sex trafficking, particularly if they are blue eyed and blonde or red haired (I am the latter). Even in the UK where I grew up blue eyed children are targeted more by trafficking and grooming gangs, but they are most likely to be taken from broken homes and foster homes because they are less likely to be missed. So I was blessed to have grown up in a stable family situation which offered higher protection from this kind of situation.
While I experienced child sexual abuse, it was minor compared to the abuse many have experienced and I count that as a blessing too. The reality is that even in first world countries a lot of women have experienced sexual abuse and/or rape. Most women I have gotten to know well have a story to tell. I can't say if this has improved for younger generations as more awareness is raised, but I can only hope so.
Have I missed anything or have I checked my privilege enough? 😉
What blessings are you grateful for or have you been grateful for in your life?
