6 former poor kids share things they never had that their friends didn't appreciate

Growing up, I assumed that everyone’s family was like mine. Most of my friends had two parents, but I was raised by my single mom. I never complained—I loved her and appreciated all her sacrifices—but my peers couldn’t understand what it was like to grow up without a second parent. I made my own school lunches, handled household chores, and even went to parent-teacher conferences alone. While my friends grumbled about their strict dads, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would’ve been like to have one. Would he have taught me to ride a bike? Celebrated when I got my driver’s license? Helped with school projects? I had no idea.

When I was older, my mom remarried, and I finally had a dad. And I savored every moment I could with him. Whether it was debating politics, going on late-night runs for ice cream, or learning how to change the oil in our family car, I at long last had a glance at what my life would have been like if I had a father. I was immensely grateful. But not everyone recognizes that they should be grateful for the things they have in their lives. In order to highlight this, writer Victoria Barrett took to Twitter and asked, "Former poor kids: what are some things you have in your house that you never had as a kid, things your not-poor friends would never consider luxuries?" And the responses came flooding in. From the absence of a loving parent to lacking basic necessities like a toilet, individuals shared poignant examples of what they went without—things their friends likely took for granted. If anything, this viral Twitter thread is a wonderful lesson in gratitude.