Thoughts About Giving (Not Just Giving Thanks)

Hello. This is me, Melissa, just checking in to say hello and to see how everyone’s holiday plans are coming along.

This is the time of year that we all get crazy and tend to forget that people outside our circle exist.

I’d like to remind everyone – and urge everyone – to think of those who have less than you do this year.

Most days, I’m running around doing my errands, stressing about my bills, trying to decide what I want to eat for the day and complaining about my horrible, sad life. Then, just as I’m getting comfortable in my despair, something happens to remind me that it could be worse.

For example, I have been stressing all week about a move and what to do with all my stuff. It hit me that I could be stressed about not having stuff. I guess things could be much worse. All my stuff is under a warm roof, so I need to get over myself already.

There are people right here in our country – our state, down the road in Waterbury – that have no roof over their heads, no food to choose from, and no clean clothes to decide which shoes to wear with and no gifts to give their little ones during the upcoming holidays.

As a community, let’s vow to do better by our disenfranchised. Though some of you may say, "I give.” Some do give, but I feel we could do better.

I can remember, as a child, discussing with my mother the many ways that she helped out the less fortunate. She gave food from our cabinets and even took some of my new toys. And she’d explain that it isn’t enough to empathize with people and want to give, you must give.

I’ve always thought of helping out at a homeless shelter and working with the children, but I never have. Have you?

I’m going to find a way to follow my mother’s lead. And I’ve learned from her that it isn’t about guilt or a tax break. Why not give until you see that you have made a difference?

Don’t you agree that we should all have a place to sleep, food to eat and children should have things to play with?

And considering the current economic climate, more people can imagine what the less fortunate are going through. And it should help you see that though you wish you had more, you could still have less.

So, as we sit down to enjoy our scandalous display of rations, let’s at least say a prayer and teach our children to say a prayer for the less fortunate. It is Thanksgiving Day, right? So say thanks and remember to give.

Just the other day, I was listening to Sirius XM radio and the announcer mentioned that they were working in conjunction with a group called whyhunger.org to raise money. And he threw out a startling statistics that for 1 out of 6 American, hunger is a reality. Not good.

Let’s all add the less fortunate to our Xmas list – just a thought.