“The meaning of life is to find your gift… the purpose is to give it away” Pablo Picasso
When I’m able, I love to garden, draw, paint, and take pictures, but the artwork behind these past couple of card collections for our veterans have completely blown me away. I can’t thank our area students and teachers enough for making such beautifully artistic, heartfelt cards and all they have helped us do for our veterans.
Gratitude helps you love and appreciate what you already have, rather than what you might not have. Finding things you love and care about makes you appreciate so much more of your own life and even look at it differently.
Starting a Gratitude Journal/Notebook Log:
Take 5 minutes each day and write something you are happy about thankful for or appreciate in your life. If you find you want to write much more than a few words, awesome, keep going! If you only want to jot down some key words that come to mind, that is great as well. The key is to start training your brain to realize the positives and become more grateful for what you do have. Here are some examples.
What Truly Matters
Cards for Our Vets collected over 1430 beautiful and creative cards this Valentine’s Day. This is one thing I am very thankful for is that we have such dedicated, caring teachers and students willing to take time out of their already busy schedules to make such thoughtful cards, pictures and poems for our veterans! My husband and I spent a few hours delivering the cards to our vets and talking, smiling and laughing with them and their families. Just a few moments of our time can mean so much more to someone else and truly make a difference.
Things Happen For a Reason
Just the other day, I was out spending time with my husband and we stopped to get coffee at the local Dunkin Donuts. I was thankful we were able to and to make it even better, they had my favorite coffee flavor, caramel. There was an older gentleman walking up and down the street looking like he needed help right outside the parking lot. Cars and trucks just keep driving by ignoring the man like he wasn’t even there. He looked tired, frustrated and hungry. I talked to my hubby and we bought him a breakfast special and I walked across the traffic and after some simple hellos, handed him the bag with the sandwiches in it.
His face seemed to brighten up, just a little, like he was shocked by what we had done. I said, “here, I thought you might enjoy these”. He smiled, and said gratefully, “God Bless you, thank you so much”.
How awesome I felt after that!
I really thought I made a small difference in someone’s day, and even if it only was two little breakfast sandwiches, the smile on the man’s face said it all.
After that encounter with the gentleman on the street, it had me wondering what kind of program could be developed to help so many homeless people in need in our area. Countless people need food, consistent shelter, access to mental and physical healthcare, and the opportunity of employment to get a fresh start.
Why can’t we find a way to form one of these many vacant buildings into housing for homeless people, including veterans. Give them 90 days to get a job, doctors, community housing, assistance with food and utilities until they get on their feet and make the American dream they fought for possible for them and other homeless people as well. Yes, it’s amazing and wonderful to have houses that have all the state of the art amenities for, say, $600,000 and up, but how is that helping all of society have a fighting chance.
When we find a way to give to others, even in the smallest way, it can go much further then just making ourselves feel good, it can make a true difference in so many lives.
