In our time of technology one of the main stays in our homes is the telephone. It keeps us in touch with loved ones, with the touch of a finger we have medical aid, and a way to resource the world around us without leaving our homes.Of course with the good also comes the bad. Telemarketers bombard us daily with calls. The same can be said about people with good causes looking to raise money. The problem is that I become jaded with not only the telemarketers but also with so many needy fundraisers. I have hardened my heart over the years just so I can survive the sometimes cruel ways I must tell the phone" no I don't want to buy your product, no I Know I have not won a free trip to... and no I have no donation funds left for you cause." I was raised a good Catholic girl and guilt was driven into the very fiber of my soul. So saying "no" does not come easy... or maybe too easy these days.
My husband Randy and I attended a fundraiser last week and I must admit out of loyalty to Silent River Kung FU. The cause once again was a blur with no real meaning to it. Just another place to put a meager donation and keep the flow of income going into our schools fundraisers. Our attitudes soon changed as the speaker "Memory" described her life and those of women in general in her home country. Anyone who was there came away with a new understanding of how well off we are in Canada. We have three daughters of our own and could not imagine in our wildest dreams how hard it would be for them to have to survive such a life. The night turned out to be a real eye opener.
The topic around our table these days is about giving to these women. Each one of my teenagers has pledged to give a portion of their next pay cheques and we as a family are going to sponsor one of these girls for the next year and maybe the next four. We have so much to give thanks for and maybe one way to appreciate this is to give to someone who doesn't. I am hoping by putting a face to a young girl in need will drive this home to my whole family. This Christmas will have more meaning with project in mind. After all isn't this the message that Christmas is bring to us each year, the one I have been missing for a long time,it isn't about receiving,it's about giving.....
Once again;
Linda
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1 comment:
Memory sure removed a lot of abstractions for me too. It is amazing at how little effort we can do so much for someone less fortunate. It really gives me a lot of hope for the future when I read posts like this. Your family is doing something wonderful.
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