One of my recent goals has been to try to give back. And when I think about what my big issue is, where I would like to focus my energy out into the world, I know that it's hunger. I feel as if no one in this country should go to bed hungry. I won't get on that soapbox now, but recently I have spent a little time working at a local food pantry. For a couple of hours on Saturdays I can help organize boxes of food to hand out to people who need it. Really need it. There's so much hunger in the world.
Last weekend, hundreds of people filed through the food pantry as I packed up little lunch bags for kids. Toward the end of the morning, I saw a grandma with two small children come through the line. The little girl had on a beautiful pink coat and a fuzzy animal hat; her brother was wearing a dark green jacket and a baseball cap. They were no older than five, both bundled up against the winter and it was obvious they had been through this gathering food drill. The little boy looked up at me and said something I couldn't quite hear, and he held out a plastic bag. I had to ask him to say it again...he pushed the bag at me and mumbled, "I want to donate this." I took the bag and looked in--there were two tiny Army men and two toy trucks. The food pantry doesn't take toys, but this kid really wanted to give back. He didn't need the toys anymore, he needed food. And he wanted to give something back.
I didn't want the toys to get tossed out when the room was cleaned up. I brought them home and added them to my other small treasures. Good reminders of focusing on what I need.
I don't know why this came to mind with this post. Melancholy, I know, but tied up in there somewhere this seems appropriate:
ReplyDeleteGo ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.