Last night while eating Chinese I opened up my fortune
cookie (after the kids went to be of course so I didn’t have to share LOL) and
it was one that struck me right in the old ticker. It said “One person cannot
help everyone; but everyone can help someone”.
It was the best fortune I have ever received and such a
great timing for the season. This past month I have been able to give to so
many thru book drives and donations to the local food bank. This past week I have
had two people come up to me and thank me for my giving heart. I thanked them
and continued but what I should have told them was to thank my parents.
Honestly…I wouldn’t be the giving, caring person I am today if it wasn’t for
them teaching me to be that way. You see my dad volunteered on our local fire
department and so we did a lot of volunteer projects with them as well as with
our church. If there was anything we could volunteer to help with, my parents
did it and they took us kids with them. We helped build a garage for our local
church, we helped stain cabinets for our local school, we made countless meals
for the fireman as well as helped at all their fundraising events.
We never felt obligated to do these things, we just did
them. My parents wanted to make sure that we knew how blessed we were and that
there were some who were less fortunate than us. If someone needed help
shingling, we went. If someone needed help getting firewood, we went. These things
have been built into me from the day I was born. And for that, I will be
forever grateful!!
I am so blessed that I am able to give almost 3 giant boxes
of books to two little boys who have lost both parents over the course of 3
years. I am so blessed that I get to donate 106 cans of food to our local food
bank for those that are in need. I am so blessed that I was able to help
organize a fundraiser to raise around $1500 to help a very deserving family go
on a family vacation that is once in a lifetime. But the thing that I am most
thankful for…is that I have the support from all of my friends and family who
help me be able to achieve all of these wonderful ways of giving.
This holiday season I reach out to all of you to make a
difference, be it big or be it small. We all know someone who could use a pick
me up or a family who could use something. Buy that person a hot drink (less
than $5) and deliver it with a smile. It may mean the world to them! Buy that
family a new board game for them to play or a movie for them to enjoy. Spoil
those around you by showing them how amazing it is to give. This morning I told
my daughter that I had 3 big boxes of books coming for some very special boys
who lost both their parents. Being 4 she doesn’t understand all of it but she
looked up to me with her big eyes and said “mama they can have some of my books
too because they have nothing and I have a lot”. Not only did my entire heart
pour out with pride but I also knew that we are getting something right during
this parenting gig!
I hope that you all find someone this season to shower with
some love and to keep the holiday spirit going. I know I have been down on
times where people have given to me and for that I love to pay it forward!
Teach our youth of today what it’s like to give and not always receive as they
will be grown one day and we will need it as much then as we do now!
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