Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Each year I am blessed to spend it with my siblings and chosen family of friends.
Oh, and the non-stop feasting is fantabulous too (wink)!
This year, with the economy in turmoil and communities bracing for layoffs, I'm beyond thankful for all that I have...not the materials things, of which I don't have many, but the relationships and experiences that make a person whole.
I'm aware that there are many in my community who lack even that. Too often we tend to view poverty as a purely money-based thing and discuss it in terms of what a person can't afford or has had repossessed. And it is important to remember those among us who will go hungry or homeless or both...and it is so very important for us to give with the knowledge that those in need are our neighbors and friends.
But being poor often makes a person invisible. Even now, when many folks who have been getting by are getting a taste of need and hunger, features on the news focus on the newly poor and segments carefully avoid featuring the women and families who were living poverty long before the economy went o shit.
With invisibility comes loneliness and isolation...depression and desperation. As someone who regularly volunteers with women in shelters I have seen the numbness a life of want inspires in too many eyes and I have also seen the power of a simple conversation...the positive impact you can have on a person simply by asking them what their name is and how they are feeling.
This Thanksgiving I hope that y'all are able to give to a food bank or donate your time serving a meal or two, but I also encourage you to see the invisible among you.
Ask them how they are doing.
Discover the person within.
We have much to be thankful for and so very much to give.
Have a blessed holiday.
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We have a gentleman who comes into my workplace two or three times a week to turn the change he gets from pandhandling into bills.
He told me a few weeks ago how he loves coming in on my shifts because I'm always so friendly, greet him with a smile, ask about his evening and the like. We've talked a few times about his history of mental illness and how much he likes his life right now - he's on his meds, he's got a place to stay, that sort of thing.
I feel so sad about this - he seems so grateful for small talk that I can't even imagine. I just don't know how else to describe it. I wish that it wasn't so.
Indeed. Thanks for sharing that thought, so much!
When I was a little girl, thanksgiving meant a huge street party for my family, in which we invited people from all backgrounds, including the homeless who lived by the dock, for a huge family-cooked meal. I'm glad to read that other people care about those who may not have our luck, after all, we're all about 4 steps away from homelessness, more or less.
When you watch the news all you generally here about right now are the CEO's begging for money. Poverty has a face and that is something we all need to realize. There are real human beings suffering and in need. The system is broken and many more are going to suffer before this comes to an end. I know that I am completely blessed at this point in my life to have a roof over my head and food to feed my children. Take nothing for granted because tomorrow it could be you.