Our goal is to collectively provide warmth, nourishment and delight to two local families. Christmas gifts are just the beginning... we are raising additional funds for gift cards, food + essentials for the families.
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There are no words. Seriously . . . the amount of love that was given to our 2 adopted families (Christmas 2016) was beyond measure. The collaborative effort of your generous donations, plus the gifts purchased via our wish list, enabled us to provide tremendous comfort and love to these families. Thank you, my beloved . . . for playing your part in this.
Dennis, Emerson and I wrapped every item and personally delivered it to the two families, over the weekend. We even took time to help assemble and decorate the Christmas tree for a young mother and her three girls. They were beyond shocked by amount of gifts and funds given to them. The children were overwhelmed with delight . . . faces of pure joy.
And for a moment, the young mother with her stoic—yet strong—facade (hardened by the tragedies endured throughout her young life) showed a flicker of emotion.
Despite all of her resistance, we connected—one mother to another mother. Our arms around each other, our mutual embrace conveyed way more than pure gratitude.
With one simple gesture: I felt sadness for all that she's endured; I felt heartbroken for her sacrifices; I felt admiration for her commitment to her children; I felt ashamed of the abundance in my own life; I felt doubt in my own ability to walk in her footsteps; yet above all, I felt . . . human . . . mortal, imperfect, simple, weak, flawed.
Human, but connected.
By time we were ready to leave, the tree was sparkling, boxes and gifts opened up on the floor, and smiles covering the everyone's faces. I glanced one last time at the mother, and saw that her hard eyes had softened. Though no tears were shed, you could see the emotion welling up in her eyes.
The light and the sparkle, that day, didn't come from the tree . . . I found it in Sam' eyes — a glimmer of HOPE shining in her eyes.
Hope that the worst has passed.
Hope that she will be able to face another day.
Hope that there is Someone who Loves her, without condition.
This season, my gift didn't come from under a tree. It wasn't wrapped up in festive paper or delivered in a box. It came from being a living vessel . . . receiving YOUR collective love, and pouring it into the empty cups of others.
Such work isn't limited to a single holiday. It's ongoing, never-ending, ceaseless.
May we ALL be living vessels for Love, in every moment of every day. In every word we speak. In every action we make.
And so it is.
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Dec 27