Sharing a Christmas meal.

We always shop at a grocery store where it takes a quarter to use their carts. When it’s returned the quarter is given back. All the carts are linked together with small chains. The reason for this is because carts are not left out in their parking lot. Cuts costs in employees and in turn savings are passed on to customers.

After our shopping we returned our cart to the area where they are lined up at. I had a pocket full of quarters so decided to unlock as many carts as I could. Just a simple way to make people smile in getting theirs for free. No big deal and didn’t think much about it.

While preparing to pull out of the parking lot we noticed an elderly lady pushing all the carts back together and taking the quarters that come sliding back out at the same time. This wasn’t what we intended. At first I just shook my head and was a little upset. When I seen the clothes this lady was wearing my attitude changed. It was in the middle of winter and her coat had holes in it. She had tennis shoes on and no boots. I understood better why she was doing what she was. These quarters were needed. Sandi looked at me and said we should stop and give her some money. Sounded like a good thing to do but we didn’t have any. We had paid for ours with a swipe card and the quarters I had she had already taken.

What we did have was food though. We shop at this particular place because of the prices. Its like a warehouse of generic labeled food. We don’t mind and the costs really are about 50% less, throughout the year, as a regular grocery store. Food is food in my book. The fancy packaging and colors means nothing. Most of our funds are put towards our home with hopes to someday pass it along to our children. Instead of a 30-year mortgage we have a 15-year one. Things are always tight but we are so much better off than millions. At least we had a home.

I backed up the car, got out, and opened the trunk of our car where the food was placed. We had picked up two turkeys because they were on sale and many meals can be made from just one. The biggest one was picked out and taken over to the woman. She looked surprised and relived when I told her to have a Merry Christmas. I think she thought I was going to say something about her taking the quarters. This concern on her face soon changed to an expression of relief. I didn’t want to hurt her pride and shared that we had bought an extra one by accident and didn’t want to deal with the crowds inside the store. Her face light up and we thought for a moment she was going to cry. Told her that it was no big deal and we had plenty to share.

How we respond to people in need is what makes the human spirit what it is. We didn’t do this because we wanted to be thanked or looked at as nice people. We did it because it was the right thing to do. That little voice that tells us what’s right and wrong was listened to. When so many people were shopping for Christmas presents and going about holiday plans this lady probably had none. Her concern was making it through the next 24-years.

That night, before sleep came, I said a prayer for this lady with no name. I prayed that she find peace and hope this coming new year and that her life would be transformed. Nobody should ever have to survive on the change that many take for granted. I don’t know what will ever happen to her but did know that she would not go hungry on that night. Maybe her life will change and she will remember this simple act and return it to another. You just never know how far one and seemly small thing will impact another’s’ life.

Gimme Shelter.

Our family has had many different pets over the years. Dogs, cats, frogs, lizards, turtles, and even a snake once. CC (our 7-year old grandchild) has always had a compassionate heart to all of them. When we learned about a shelter in the area that was ran by just volunteers she couldn’t wait to get involved. This was an excellent opportunity for her to learn and care for many different animals. What made this shelter different than most is their policy to never have any of the animals put to sleep. The animals they tended to would live at the center until they were adopted. If it took a week or a year for them to find a home it didn’t matter.

When CC learned that many of the animals were there, because they had no home, it really bothered her. She couldn’t understand how that could be. When she asked if there were lots of other animals without a home we told her unfortunately yes. She knew I like to build things out of wood so asked if I could build homes for animals that couldn’t find the center. It made perfect sense to her.

So that’s what we did. About 3 weeks later (and $400 lighter) we had two large dog houses. She took part in just about every stage of building them. She helped sand, paint, and hammer on both. It was a project that she felt good about. When we were done she made a small sign and we put them in our front yard to sell (the money would then be donated to the shelter to help).

CC learned that it took a lot of work and dedication, from volunteers, in caring for the animals. It was a lot more work than she first expected. The mop used to clean the brushing rooms stood 3 feet taller than her. She didn’t mind. She learned how important it was to keep clean cages and fresh water for all of them. Her favorites were the cats. The dogs scared her but she didn’t shy away from doing what she could to help them either. We were proud to see such a caring side to her.

These two dog houses sat in our yard for a good month. When the economy went south nobody was buying any extra’s. It came at a time when many families were doing everything they could to keep their own homes. We decided to then donate them to the center for a fundraiser they were putting on. These actions helped out in two separate ways. One being shelter for two different family pets, and the other cash for the center to use at a time when there is not much around.

We wanted to show CC that her volunteer work at the center really was nice to do. When she outgrew her bicycle we decided to get her a new one. On the day we had planned to go down an work at the center we asked her if she first wanted to go get a new bike. It was on the way and we could quickly stop. Her response was that we could always get a bike but the animals needed to be tended to first. At a time when many children are written off as lazy and uncaring about the world they live in this made us smile. Children learn from what adults take the time to teach them. In turn they often teach us the things in life that really matter the most. A very rewarding experience.

Helped at a charity.

This week we picked a random faith based charity to donate time to. Our daughter-in-law Jennie worked at it and mentioned that they had some clothes that needed to be sorted, folded, and hung up. The staff at this charity see people come and go at a steady flow. All are in need of some sort of assistance.

This is a period of time when our nation is struggling to overcome many challenges. They say “Wall Street” got drunk. I say it was the greedy who got greedier, betting it all on numbers and crooked books. The result has pushed America to the brink of another great depression. What we do will define our actions to the next generation. How will they later judge us by our actions today? Do we help the ones who lost their jobs and homes? Do we help feed the hungry or give shelter to the homeless? A new winter is coming and there is real fear in the air for some. Will they be able to heat their home? Will they be able to find work after having been laid off? What happens if someone in their family becomes sick? These are serious times we live in. Millions of people are asking themselves these very real questions.

When I showed up to work Jennie showed me a room full of boxes and bags filled with donated clothing. I was first taken back a little. What had I got myself into? As I began sorting through the clothing I came across things I had no clue how to fold or hang. I thought a skirt was a pillow case.

This gave me an opportunity to really help make a difference. It didn’t seem like it at first, but as I watched people come and go I learned how important of a role these workers played in helping humanity. The clients they helped often had the look of despair in their faces. It showed in their eyes. They had come to the right place. Problems weren’t always fixed but they left feeling a little more hope (this also showed in their eyes). They greeted their clients with kindness and a smile, knowing that their own funding was the lowest it had ever been. They showed everyone respect and dignity. I could tell that everyone was overwhelmed with work. Jennie seen up to 20 to 30 people, herself, each day. I felt bad for them. To see so many lives hurting, day after day, phone call after phone call, would be tough. To have a room that needed hours of organizing took time away from lives that really needed help. Every action has a reaction. The time this project took helped more lives receive the attention they deserved and needed.

I learned a couple different things donating time to this charity. One was how much of a humanitarian Jennie was, and how many coat hangers a 2000 Saturn could hold. A large department store in the area stepped up to the plate and donated thousands of hangers to the project. The hangers filled the inside of the car completely! I never thought I’d be driving anywhere with a car literally full of hangers!

In every town there are charities and organizations trying to help make a better world. Their work is often gone unappreciated and unseen. It doesn’t always take a cash donation to make a difference. Sometimes it can be as simple as making a phone call and asking to help. Go to the places that need the help the most. You never know what the response will be.

These projects of helping others unexpectedly have also impacted my life personally. I had a lot of past resentment towards this faith based organization that ran this charity. I had very legit reasons but blamed an entire faith for the wrong actions of one person. I was able to show forgiveness (40 some years later) by helping them today. It did me as much good as I did for them.

Lose the Wheels.

Lose the Wheels.
Today was an interesting day. The phone had rang last night and told me where to go.

The program was teaching disabled children how to ride bicycles. A local public school was holding the camp on their facilities.

On the drive there I thought about how courageous these kids are. This was the first day of writing about my experiences and it had good symbolism in starting things out. After about 20 minutes of meeting people and learning about the program kids started to show up.

This morning I witnessed examples of how life is basically for all of us. We start out believing we can do something, but often fall along the way. Kids first started out in the gym riding bikes specially equipped with back rollers. They learned that they could actually feel the wind without fear of landing hard on the ground. They trusted and were helped along by others who cared about their lives.

Many were scared at first, needing encouragement and support. To watch them later laughing and feeling proud of themselves was a transformation. Staff and volunteers would shorten the back pin as the kids grew more skilled. With each stage came a new challenge. The goal could be seen but yet not felt. They were there to learn how to ride a bike with no training wheels.

We all can probably remember the training wheels coming off our bikes. The incredible feelings of independence and freedom. These children wanted this. The people around them did the same.

The goal was to help these kids slowly move from the gym to the outdoor runners track. Another scary crossroad. This is where I seen the faces of achievement and success. Bikes no longer had back rolling pins but regular tires. A brace in the back of the bike made it possible for spotters to hold on. I watched as some kids struggled and were telling others they did not want any help. They knew what they were doing and could do it themselves. Overcoming challenges were nothing to them. They struggled simply to be excepted and treated as the human beings they were. I watched as this spirit soon propelled the wheels on their bikes faster.

Being part of this experience taught me about a little girl named Trish (not real name). I knew her only by a pink helmet and a smile. She went from never knowing what it was like to ride a bike (without training wheels on) to looking like Lance Armstrong!

Having surgery on a wrist soon so was limited in how I could help. Simply did what I could. Spent about 5 hours on a project highlighting them to different major media outlets. There is always a way to help.