A Good Thing

With the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner (and the Big Holidays just down the street), it's good to think about those less fortunate than you. I will readily admit that I could be much better at that. Oh, I think about them. I don't believe there is a day that goes by without reading my CNN homepage and getting all teared up about some sad story on there. But thinking about something and doing something about it are two different things, of course. Most of the time I think a lot of us feel like we don't even know where to start. That's why I loved it when I found out there was a sign-up sheet at our church to go help out at STEP, the emergency food shelf of Saint Louis Park. OK, we don't live there anymore, but of course it doesn't matter where the needy are--in your neighborhood or across the world--it's good to help in whatever way you can. We along with 4 other families went to stock shelves, move pallets around, do whatever needed to be done in the warehouse.

After standing around in a circle and doing some 'getting to know you' stuff with the head volunteer, she split us up into groups to give us various tasks. I think she must have took one look at my group--the one with the pregnant lady and the gimpy back lady--and figured we needed to sit down. (how she could have possibly guessed I needed something lighter-duty because of my gimpy back, I will never know. probably sheer luck) My friend Laurie and I, along with our kids, were brought over to a craft table to make gift tags for various 'giving trees'. It was almost too much fun, I felt a little guilty. You almost don't even feel like you're helping anybody, but of course every little thing makes a difference. Here's a great quote by Mother Theresa to leave you with: "I never take care of crowds, only of one person. If I stop to look at the crowds, I would never begin." So true, so true.