This time of year, we as a collective society are more attuned to the needs of others and the spirit of giving than any other month in our calendar year. For the past several years, I have struggled with trying to come up with a meaningful act of giving that I could share with my husband and children and carry on as a tradition. The first year I decided to buy a bunch of small stuffed animals and deliver them to a local hospital for the pediatric ward. The second year it was a local police station that we donated stuffed animails to, as they keep them in their cruisers to take on domestic violence calls where children are involved. Then last year, my entire extended family donated bags of food to a local food pantry. And the list goes on. But I have yet to come up with a "signature" act of giving. And the more and more I thought about it...it hit me. CHARITY STARTS AT HOME...
Like many of us, I am inclined to donate to almost any family member or friend who asks for my support in raising funds for one organization or the other. Cure this, help stop that, raise awareness for this other thing. THEY ARE ALL ADMIRABLE CAUSES and it's hard to spread the little funds I have amongst them all, and really feel like I've made a difference. So this year I am going to take a different approach and help someone in need that i know personally. I know a lot of people. I am involved with several organizations both personally and professionally, and I like to network. SO I KNOW PEOPLE. And I know people who are struggling to pay their bills, struggling to make it through another day at work, struggling to get by. Instead of sending another donation to the Make a Wish Foundation (which makes me cry my way to work for a solid 30 minutes once a year), I am going to make a local wish come true. And this is so EASY to do. We all know people who could really benefit from a couple extra bags of groceries, an extra $50 bill, a warm pair of mittens, a cuddly teddy bear. Maybe sometimes my "gift" will have to be anonymous, and maybe sometimes it will not. And you know what? What you put into the lives of others, comes back into your own. And your children learn from your actions, not your words.
PAY IT FORWARD...
I encourage anyone reading this blog to do the same. No matter who you are, and what financial circumstances you find yourself in right now...you can afford to be the catalyst that restores someone's faith in humanity.
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So well put!
Even brining a morning coffee to the receptionist in your office, or the bus driver that picks up your kids to bring them to school is something almost everyone can do. Put a little bow on top and bless them as you wish them a good day. That can put a smile on anyone's face!
One of my friends recently posted as her Facebook status "If you want to change the world, but don't know how, look around you. Change it in concentric circles." Your post made me think of this quote and it's something I struggle with too -- so many good causes, so many people in need, so many diseases to be cured. I can't donate to everything that touches my heart, but I can do something. Good for you for focusing your energy close to home, and who knows the snowball effect it can have with others.
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