The Spirit of Giving

Howdy y'all.

I just wanted to take a moment to talk about giving. This is the time of year when even the scroogiest person gets a little flame in their hearts, called "the spirit of giving."

I want to encourage you to personally feed that little flame. While money is a nice thing for a charity, organization, church, or needy person to receive, you can't really be sure where that money goes. If you donate food, or furniture, or clothes, or gas cards, or what have you, you know that those items are going directly to someone who needs that particular thing. And there are so many in need.

Last week I went to a local food pantry because due to bills and if I'm honest, a little irresponsible spending, we had little for grocery money. Seeing other downtrodden, unhappy, sheepish individuals there really made me sad. We all kept our heads down and didn't make eye contact unless we had to. We all looked exactly like I felt, ashamed and embarrassed. When we accepted our groceries, we all had empty smiles, but our thank you's were sincere and full of emotion.

I am getting beds for my family on Thursday, from the Salvation Army, donated by a business or a family. I hate that I have to go that route, but I am so thankful that someone donated them so that my family and others like us can have a place to sleep.

I know that everyone has to buy or make gifts for family and friends. I know that everyone is a little short on cash this time of year. The more blessed you are, the more you want to spend on gift giving. All I'm asking is for you to consider a donation of some sort to a local charity.

 It doesn't have to be money, it doesn't have to be a big charity, heck it doesn't even have to be a charity.  Just consider donating some food or those extra pair of gloves and that scarf you have in your closet. Consider maybe giving to Toys For Tots or donating an item to the Salvation Army or to Goodwill. I can promise you, there is a person who will be so thankful for whatever you give, it will bring tears to their eyes. I know, because as I walked out with my cart of groceries last week, the sidewalk was wavery and hard to see. The thought that my daughter only has one more night of sleeping on a flat air mattress definitely gets me a little teary eyed in relief. You may never see the result of your actions in person, but you can be assured that there is a real person out there, maybe even a whole family of people, who are so thankful to you they wish they could give you a hug and pay you back in kind. You are not helping an organization, you are helping a person.

To all those who have donated money or items or time:

Thank you for the ride to the food pantry.

Thank you for the groceries I fed my family with all week.

Thank you for the beds we will get tomorrow so we don't have to sleep on the floor.

Thank you for the free school lunch program for my daughter.

Thank you for community meals.

Thank you for giving me a ride every day took pick up my daughter so I don't have to walk in winter with a small child.

Thank you for buying us Subway that one time.

Thank you for the uniform shirts for my daughter you donated.

Thank you for the utility bill help that one time.

Thank you for the package of diapers.

Thank you for the free apartment you let my family stay at while I had surgery in a different city.

Thank you for the money that funded my stay at the Ronald McDonald House when my oldest was in the hospital.

Thank you for the change you put in the March of Dimes jar that funded research that probably saved my daughter's life when she was born 2 months early.

Thank you for the soup kitchens my parents took us to.

Thank you, for giving of yourself and your resources, and for being a good human, and for helping those like us in need. Thank you, and I wish I could hug you.