Week 3, December 2009
I grew up in a family that celebrates Christmas. I was quite unusually blessed with a family that always wants Christmas Day to be bountiful with gifts, for the kids especially. My grandparents in particular were quite sincere about the importance of having many wrapped presents under the tree, and without question for me and my cousins arriving at Christmas morning was always a magnificent time. I still recall the year we got snowed-in at Lake Tahoe when I was around 8 or 9 years old as my favorite Christmas as a child. So, it’s without question that I am one who has a deeply rooted affection for Christmas, some of which I hope has been demonstrated by the videos I chose of Christmas lights over the last week or so in the Momentary Getaways. I love the Christmas cheer and I am happy to be a part of it. But this year I hope something far more important than wrapped gifts arrives from the reminder of Christmas. I hope those of us who see the relentless call to consumerism can weigh the value of our funding abilities, year round. I believe most any kid would agree that if we can help reduce some of the suffering some families are having during this recession then maybe that is where we’ll find our wrapped gifts this year— wrapped in the form of a smile from a human being who maybe will come to believe that some in the human family care more about preserving her life than about a flat screen t.v. Perhaps then, in the spirit of Christmas that’s most admirable to me, we maybe can teach our children how we value love first, and all else begins second.
See here for a reminder of how one American keeps hope alive.
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Weekend Wanderer’s Events
…finding the treasures in your town and beyond.
Help Your Fellow Living Beings:
Make a Wish Foundation: First, see here for the story of the first “wish” in 1980. It’s amazing and heartwarming. From the website: “A network of nearly 25,000 volunteers enables the Make-A-Wish Foundation to serve children with life-threatening medical conditions. Volunteers serve as wish granters, fundraisers, special events assistants and in numerous other capacities.” Anyone can help make a wish for a terminally ill child come true.
Salvation Army: Imagine for a moment (I mean really take a moment) that you have lost your home. You also have no money and no one to turn to for help. Imagine you have a few kids who rely on you during this time too. If you really took a moment to imagine this you may have a tear welling up. Since 1865 this organization is where people have turned. And through the goodwill of people who support them they have managed to help an untold number of our fellow human beings to survive when hope had nearly extinguished. “When you make a donation, you can expect change.”
Glide Memorial Church: It was in 1963 that Cecil Williams took the reigns of this San Francisco landmark changing its course and the course of countless others who have benefited from it over its 40+ year run. 365 days a year they manage: Daily Free Meals Program, Health Services, Permanent Supportive Housing, Drop-in Center and Emergency Services, Family, Youth and Childcare Services, Women’s Center, Youth Education and Workforce Development. This is hope, faith, and charity in real life. Check ‘em out.
World Food Program: On December 26, 2004 when the Tsunami hit the Indian Ocean communities killing over 283,000 and displacing over 1.1 million people, the World Food Program loaded up its planes and got to work. Potable water, nourishing food, and medical supplies were brought in as rapidly as possible, and it’s impossible to quantify how many lives were saved by their efforts. That’s just one of the stories of the World Food Program. They’re operating 365 days a year and they are supported from around the world by millions of people who care.
Pic of the Week… from my phone camera:
Christmas morning in 2007