There is a very important point being made here. We do not have to wait for the government or private charities to help people in our communities. We are perfectly capable of making a difference in others’ lives ourselves. The investment of our time can be just as important as our money. By teaching, mentoring, hiring, and creating opportunities for those who simply need a helping hand, we can uplift others and open doors for generations to come.
It’s been said that no man is an island. We are all interconnected and interdependent. It’s time we realize this and make a more conscious effort to nurture future generations through our efforts today. Getting to know your neighbors through creating community support networks can be a way to start.
I’m currently transforming our front planters into a citrus grove and vegetable garden for our condominium complex—on my dime. The woman who cleans my home is the third generation in her family to work with me. (I clean right alongside her.) Whenever anyone in my extended family is downsizing their closet or replacing sound kitchen appliances/ pots, plates, or storage containers, I collect them and bring them to her to distribute as she sees fit. It’s also important to me to pay the folks I hire a fair wage for their labor.
By the way, I’m not rich. But I am frugal, resourceful, generous, content with less, and most importantly grateful for the goodness I experience in my life. It’s from this place of gratitude that I find it meaningful and fulfilling to share. Perhaps it’s my Catholic School upbringing? To me, greed and gluttony are both sins.
This is jumping ahead to next week’s installment. I had a friend in middle school who went from being the son of a successful lawyer to being the son of a successful lawyer who ran off with his secretary and used his lawyer abilities to leave my friend’s Mom with the bare minimum in child support. It happened very fast. Thanks to other family, they kept a fingernail hold on the middle class, but his high school years were very lean. Thanks to generous financial aid, he got through college and back into a solid middle to upper middle class career.
My friend has two younger siblings that were more affected by the divorce than my friend and kept some contact with Dad for a while. About 10 years later, when the youngest was in high school, Mom married a real nice guy. The kids were old enough that he was always John, not stepdad, but I don’t think any of them have had any contact with their father in the 40+ years since then.
I'm happy for Lauren and Peter that they are receiving this help from Richard. And good on Richard for giving the help but I don't share his seeming glee in them also becoming well off. One person helping one person is not even a drop in the bucket and it's definitely not a model for how we get to where we need to be. Lifting someone out of poverty is a good thing but eliminating poverty and excess wealth is a zillion times better!
There is a very important point being made here. We do not have to wait for the government or private charities to help people in our communities. We are perfectly capable of making a difference in others’ lives ourselves. The investment of our time can be just as important as our money. By teaching, mentoring, hiring, and creating opportunities for those who simply need a helping hand, we can uplift others and open doors for generations to come.
It’s been said that no man is an island. We are all interconnected and interdependent. It’s time we realize this and make a more conscious effort to nurture future generations through our efforts today. Getting to know your neighbors through creating community support networks can be a way to start.
I’m currently transforming our front planters into a citrus grove and vegetable garden for our condominium complex—on my dime. The woman who cleans my home is the third generation in her family to work with me. (I clean right alongside her.) Whenever anyone in my extended family is downsizing their closet or replacing sound kitchen appliances/ pots, plates, or storage containers, I collect them and bring them to her to distribute as she sees fit. It’s also important to me to pay the folks I hire a fair wage for their labor.
By the way, I’m not rich. But I am frugal, resourceful, generous, content with less, and most importantly grateful for the goodness I experience in my life. It’s from this place of gratitude that I find it meaningful and fulfilling to share. Perhaps it’s my Catholic School upbringing? To me, greed and gluttony are both sins.
We need both — government support for the needy that we all pay into AND a spirit of caring and cooperation for others.
This is jumping ahead to next week’s installment. I had a friend in middle school who went from being the son of a successful lawyer to being the son of a successful lawyer who ran off with his secretary and used his lawyer abilities to leave my friend’s Mom with the bare minimum in child support. It happened very fast. Thanks to other family, they kept a fingernail hold on the middle class, but his high school years were very lean. Thanks to generous financial aid, he got through college and back into a solid middle to upper middle class career.
I’ll never understand why some men do this to their kids. I will say, however, that they tend to pay for it. Kids don’t forget that sort of thing.
My friend has two younger siblings that were more affected by the divorce than my friend and kept some contact with Dad for a while. About 10 years later, when the youngest was in high school, Mom married a real nice guy. The kids were old enough that he was always John, not stepdad, but I don’t think any of them have had any contact with their father in the 40+ years since then.
I see this dynamic a lot.
Whenever I said if, my father used to recite the beginning of a Rudyard Kipling poem:
If ifs and ands were pots and pans
And the sea were made of ink
Enjoying this series very much and looking forward to the next segment. 🥰
I'm happy for Lauren and Peter that they are receiving this help from Richard. And good on Richard for giving the help but I don't share his seeming glee in them also becoming well off. One person helping one person is not even a drop in the bucket and it's definitely not a model for how we get to where we need to be. Lifting someone out of poverty is a good thing but eliminating poverty and excess wealth is a zillion times better!
But if every well-off person did the same …
We can't be dependent on the goodwill of individuals
No, but we should treat others with good will
1000%!