Gathering Together
Turkey Family
Daily Photo
After my recent post about homelessness, My mom sent this to me worried that it might sound too preachy if she added this to the comments. However, I thought it sounded just the right note for today as we gather together and give Thanks.
“I often struggle with whether to give a person money or not. Like many of you, I have always been concerned about being conned and the money will be used for items that probably won’t be helpful to the recipient.
But, a friend put it in perspective for me a few months ago. She said that if you give from your heart that is the important thing. What the recipient does with the gift is his/her responsibility.
No, I don’t give to every person sitting in front of Shop Smart. But, every once in awhile someone will catch my attention and, for some unknown reason, I know that I am going to reach out to that person. And, when I do, I try to give for the right reasons and not worry about where the money is going.
Hopefully, I have picked the right ones.
Happy Thanksgiving! We probably all have a great deal to be Thankful for – Number 1 might be that we aren’t sleeping under the bridge tonight.”
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No doubt they are happy that you shot with a camera today….
“So Say We All” to both the post and forkboy’s response 😉
Oh, Firefly reference now my Thanksgiving is complete.
Wise words from your momma. Wonderful image of family, too. Hope you had a great day.
Cameras are good. Unless you are hungry and that’s all there is to eat. But it’s nice to see them au naturel.
The hen had another 5 or 6 chicks that were slower to gather round their mama. But coyotes, bobcats etc. have probably taken out over half the babies. I’m thankful my odds are better than that!
do you know Lazyboy’s song about being homeless? Great lyrics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJeNok-lTEw&feature=related
I love that response from you mom. I try and remember that too. Especially since there are so many people MUCH worse off than I am.
I share your mom’s concern about how a gift of money may be spent, so my “handouts” are always food instead of cash. The only times they were unappreciated were when a pan-handling young man snidely turned down the offer and once when a much older man smilingly shook his head and pointed to his toothless mouth (I changed my gift from apples to grapes which were happily accepted).
Celebrate the miracle of leftovers and refrigeration today!
Nurse Myra, I had never heard this one. Here is the pertinent part for those of you, like me, who have download issues, but the whole piece is hilarious and sad at the same time. What laughter should do…this whole piece makes you redial in your view of a couple of things.
We’re in one of the richest countries in the world,
but the minimum wage is lower than it was thirty five years ago.
There are homeless people everywhere.
This homeless guy asked me for money the other day.
I was about to give it to him and then I thought he was going to use it on drugs or alcohol.
And then I thought, that’s what I’m going to use it on.
Why am I judging this poor bastard.
People love to judge homeless guys. Like if you give them money they’re just going to waste it.
Well, he lives in a box, what do you want him to do? Save it up and buy a wall unit?
Take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a CD rack? He’s homeless.
I walked behind this guy the other day.
A homeless guy asked him for money.
He looks right at the homeless guy and says why don’t you go get a job you bum.
People always say that to homeless guys like it is so easy.
This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
Outside his pants. I’m guessing his resume isn’t all up to date.
I’m predicting some problems during the interview process.
I’m pretty sure even McDonalds has a “underwear goes inside the pants” policy.
Not that they enforce it really strictly, but technically I’m sure it is on the books.
http://www.lyricstop.com/u/underweargoesinsidethepants-lazyboy.html
Jen, I agree. It seemed at Thanksgiving especially it was time to look at the homeless so much more kindly because, compared to them we live in wealth.
Kato, One of the greatest blessings of cooking Thanksgiving is the no cooking the next day–all those wonderful leftovers. (I like cooking and I like having holidays from cooking!)
Happy “T”day Kym, to you and yours.
Same here, Kym! Leftovers are part of a good recycling program.
And regarding your “underwear outside the pants” post, I had a friend who was approached for money around this time of year (right outside the liquor store… not hard to guess the intent). He gave the guy a generous sum, saying “I know you’re gonna buy booze with this, but tonight, buy something GOOD!”.
wise words from your mom. I get a lot of grief from people for giving to panhandlers – telling me that they’re just going to use it for drugs. I just say that I can’t give conditionally. If I give money, I just have to give it unconditionally and hope that it’s used wisely. And really, many of us take money and spend on alcohol; it seems odd to judge someone else for that same purchase. 🙂
Ernie, Same back to ya!
Kato, That story is great. Now that friend of yours is amazingly unjudgmental!
Elizabeth, I’m not a consistent giver but sometimes something touches me and I give just hoping somehow I help.
Not sleeping under a bridge… Amen.
That is my philosophy about giving money, too…what they do with it is up to them. But I don’t give to everyone I see. Just when I feel “moved” to do so.
About your cool photo…you aren’t calling us all turkeys are you? LOL