I had a very last week was very interesting it was a great week and this week I know will be even better. My attitude is back on gratitude and you know that can only mean more things to be grateful for, So, with that said yesterday I saw my first red bucket from the Salvation Army and I made sure I made my little deposit. Each year I never just walk by acting like I don’t see or hear the bell ringing so that I don’t have to drop something in. Every bucket I pass this season I shall drop what I can into it and be grateful for all that I have. My kids learned to give because of my giving attitude kids are all about mimicking what we do.
When my daughter was 2 we
lived in the Azores at the time I was still
married and our two years there was an adventure to say the least! I believe it
is where I learned to truly be grateful for what I have. I must admit that I
did become so overwhelmed with guilt because I could not give to every beggar that came to our door step. We arrived in the Azores
in December to join her dad and anyone who knows me and my kids Christmas is
our time of the year. I love helping
others even more during this time of the year so to see so many individuals and
families needing help concerned me so much. I kept trying to help everyone who
came to our door but was running out of food and my money. My husband at the
time told me I had to stop that we were going to end up having to beg if I kept
trying to feed the entire island!
The following Sunday after
services I went up to the pastor and asked him how do I feed everyone? How do I
not feel guilty about having what we have and seeing what they don’t have! How
do I not give when it makes me feel so bad?
He said Marian you are so
sweet and it is so good that you want to help all those in need but your husband
is right you cannot feed everyone! He suggested I select one person or one
family to help and to concentrate on just them. He continued to advise me that
I do not need to keep giving them money that the families here need help with
food and clothing as well. He suggested that I save our leftovers for who ever
I choose to help, to buy maybe something small for them at the store when and
only when I can.
I chose a family and they
were the only ones I helped and shortly afterwards all the others stopped
coming to our door! It was nice and I was able to breath again and feel that I was
helping my daughter always helped me give whatever it was I was giving that
day.
One day as we were in the
house due to the rains myself and my ex were sitting down reading and our
daughter was on her tricycle. She stopped and asked me for a bag and she put it
on the handlebars then rode her bike to her dad then me. She stopped in front
of us held out her bag and asked us each of us if we had food, U.S.
The Azores was not all about beggars by the way it is a beautiful island with people people in it and to this day my daughter remembers the joy and the fun we had their! We were stationed there for three years and my son was born there!
What are you doing this Holiday season to help those that are not as fortunate as you?
And, so it goes…
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