Before I tell you about this link up and share with you what we did this week, I want to tell you a story:
A mother in her early thirties stands in line at a grocery store ready to checkout. She glances at her groceries on the conveyer belt silently adding their cost up in her head. The total will come close to the cash she has in her wallet. It might go a little over. She hopes it won’t.
When the cashier finally finishes ringing up the total , it is a little over what she has.
“ I think we can do without this”, she says handing one of the items to the cashier.
“All right,” responded the cashier looking as frustrated as the mother before her. She wishes she could make the groceries fit the money the mom has in her wallet. It isn’t as if the mom is purchasing junk food or extras. The bagging area holds fruit, milk, inexpensive meat, vegetables, and a couple loaves of bread. Groceries the three children standing beside her are going to need grow and be healthy.
The mother hands over what remains in her wallet on this day near end on the month. She hopes that this won’t happen again. It is embarrassing and humbling. She hates that her girls have to see this.
This mom works hard to provide for her girls. She spends her days teaching other people’s children in a public school. She pinches her pennies and uses coupons. She makes sure her girls’ basic needs are met. There just isn’t money for extras and sometimes at the end of the month there just isn’t enough for all basics.
This is a true story.
I was one of those little girls standing beside my mom in the grocery line. It was the mid-seventies and grocery stores took only cash where we lived. You could only spend what you had. We had the basics. My mom made sure of that, but there just weren’t extras.
Even with tight times my mom taught us that there were others much worse off. She instilled in us the need to give them. I so want Jdaniel to become someone who looks out for others too.
How this link up works:
There are so many in need during this Christmas season. I am hoping you will join me in giving to others in your community or beyond this holiday season.
Each week I will feature a way my family is giving to our community during the month of December. I am hoping each of you will take the time to not only give to your community, but to write a blog post about it. If you do, I would love for you to link it up below and include a link to this post or this badge.
My posts will go on Sundays, but feel free to share your giving post any day of the week that works for you. The link up will be available during the rest of the month of December and will appear on every Giving Others Christmas post.
What did we do?
This week JDaniel and I just went to the grocery store to give to others this week. BI-Lo is the grocery store closest to our house and it also happens to be a big supporter of our favorite food pantry at the Golden Strip Emergency Relief and Resource Agency.
BI-LO has put together food boxes for you to buy filled with wonderful things that the food pantry visitor will need. You just purchase the box and they deliver it to the Golden Strip Emergency Relief and Resource Agency for you.
I give to the food pantry monthly and love that BI-Lo has made it easier to purchase and drop off the food for me.
Thankfully we haven’t needed to visit the food pantry ourselves, but there are many this year that have. They have lots of visitors.
What have you done to give Christmas to others this week?
i love this and what a wonderful lesson to teach your child!the gift of gratitude for what we have and the skill of giving…i am quite teary! awesome mummy!
as you may know i spend loads of time raising funds for reeces rainbow, a charity that saves special needs orphans fro mental institutions in eastern europe.i spent this week finishing a canvas (i a a professional artist) that is being givenaway over at my blog on christmas day…it costs just$5 to eneter the giveaway draw and 100% of all money raised goes to help a family adopt ryan, a 4 year old with noonan syndrome who has just been transferred to an institution.
i do hope you and yourreaders will visit and have a little look, possibly take part and say hi at the same time xxxxxjane xxxxx
wow found some lovely blogs through this awesome linkup…so thankyou very much. merry Christmas my lovely blogworld friend xxxxxx
Great story to share. yes, I can remember when we ate a lot of bologna or pbj sandwiches growing up. Back then, if you didn’t have the $ you didn’t spend it. Regardless.
I’ve been there at the grocery store. It’s definitely not a fun place to be. As you know from my link-up post, a couple weeks ago my family helped a family in that exact situation. It sure felt good to be able to give back now that my family is on the other side of the fence.
This week I sent a package to a senior citizen who may be forgotten at Christmas. I belong to a group called Heart4Seniors, and each week we send “happy mail” to one on the list. For Christmas we were assigned someone. I wasn’t able to send much, but I’m really excited that my couple will have something to open on Christmas morning. Have a great week!
This idea is lovely. Each week, I give Christmas to those who I work with at Headstart.
That story had me to tears as I think of my family, a family of 10 children, always pinching pennies and trying to make things work. Thank you for sharing love, that’s what our world needs.
A wonderful holiday link-up. That story reminded me of my childhood. Money was always so tight, but my parents also did a great job at not making us not feel like we were in need.
This week my kids gave unwrapped gifts for Santa to send to children who need them much more.
i love your post. I am from the Philippines and grew up almost never having that much.At present , though my financial situation is not that better, still my kids are luckier because they receive hand me downs from their cousins in NY.Since they have clothes they have outgrown.What we do is give these clothes or donate them especially during Christmas.And each time I do,it always leave a smile on my face.
Food banks are the BEST!! Where I work we have a commercial kitchen. The local food bank used our kitchen this past summer to make lunches for those who were not getting the free school lunches. I loved coming in to work an hour early so I could help with the lunches before starting my regular work day.
Fantastic post! We brought can foods or whatever our church needs to help the homeless. Little does add all up!
Next week while the kids are off we want to go to our mitten tree and buy something for those kids. Our kids are very fortunate but so many are struggling. Thank for this very true reminder.
Happy Sunday girl! 🙂
I love your post and your focus on others. I’ve just started a little blog series, mostly me thinking out loud!, about redoing Christmas. Less stuff. Less stuff made from slave labor. Focus on the true meaning. Helping others. etc.
It is hard to buck against what American culture tells us, especially about having STUFF. But I am determined to be a rebel. 🙂
As for helping others at this time of year, there are several things we have contributed to. One being a fund that buys things for local children who need presents.
It’s interesting how much of a long term impact that had on you! You’re wonderful to help J Daniel learn lessons like you’re doing.
What a story to have been a part of! This week? The boys and I packaged up gifts for girls who’s dad can’t afford to buy them gifts. We had fun picking it out and wrapping!
Thank you for this…
and for you and your family 🙂
HUGS
I’m so glad I read your blog tonight. What a wonderful way to celebrate the season of Jesus’ birth.
I am so touched by your story. In part, because it sounds so much like my childhood.
I think this is a wonderful link-up. Thanks for encouraging others to be intentional with their giving this season!
I just love your heart for others!!!
You are such an amazing person. The story at the beginning had me in tears. It is amazing that you are teaching your son to care for others.
This is so wonderful that you are doing this. You have such a good heart!
What a sad story in the beginning of this post. I have had to use food stamps myself when I first came to this country as a refugee, so now I am happy to give to Second Harvest and to the local shelter. We dropped a couple of bags there yesterday.
Again, what a wonderful idea this is. What we did over the weekend is have a Christmas dance with all the young adults in our church family and have each one bring a gift for families that we will be helping in our area. I will probably be posting it tomorrow. I was so proud of the pile of beautifully wrapped gifts they created. Even more so because most of them are tight on cash themselves!
=)
PS. I wish I had been behind your mom in line so I could have paid the difference.
I hope you don’t mind that I linked up another post. Your story reminded me of another way I have given this season.
What an endearing story. Sounds like we had similar experiences growing up. I remember nights when my brother and I ate dinner, but my mother did not. I think it’s wonderful that you’re showing JDaniel to be grateful for what he has and how important it is to give to others. It warms my heart.
An inspiring post – thank you.
What a great great meme! And thank you for sharing your story. Your mom sounds like an amazing woman.