Cookies prepared for the home-bound by my daughter-in-law Julie and grandson Oliver
One of the volunteer projects my daughter-in-law works on is through her church and they are very keen on seeing that the young children have a way to get involved as well. This project was Christmas Cookies for the Homebound. Julie and Oliver made and decorated these lovely cookies and then they were assigned a random name to take cookies to and visit for a bit.
This year they were given the name of an old and dear friend, the mother of one of my daughter's oldest friends. When my youngest daughter was about two she met this other little girl on the beach and they became fast friends, even to this day, despite the fact that they live thousands of miles apart. Having chosen her name randomly to visit is so kismet.
Julie and Oliver both had a nice day visiting Bea. They sang Christmas songs together and remembered Oliver's Aunt Linda as well. This act of friendship and kindness is exactly what I think this holiday season is all about.
Julie tells me that her church's charity work is a year round project. At school time they collect and fill new back packs with supplies for the kids where families can't afford this expense. They also make sack lunches for the less fortunate on a monthly basis. This year Julie and family have adopted a family and will provide food and gifts to that family so they can enjoy a wonderful Christmas as well.
I think it is so wonderful that children have the experience to work with projects of this type as a young age. It helps them to feel good about themselves and also I think it plants a little seed that will stay with them and grow into bigger projects when they are older.
Good Job Julie and Oliver!
You're right Annie. That's what the season (and the whole year) is for: being kind to others. I rarely hear anymore about the sorts of things you describe. In the suburbs, where I now find myself, reaching out to others seems to be a lost art.
ReplyDeleteMy first volunteer job was at the Lighthouse, teaching arts and crafts to blind people, bowling with them, all sorts of things. I was 12 and it was an eye-opener for me. Maybe, as you say, it instills a giving instinct in youngsters. But I suspect people are either kind, or they're not, and there's little that can change this.
I'm pleased to report that our kids have hearts of gold. That's the only thing that matters in life (that and good health and the good fortune to be somewhere where you're not persecuted for irrational reasons). The kids seem to have been born with the key ingredient for a good life: kindness. Nice post.
Thanks, Keith, some days I get so "errrr" wanting to fly about over the world with my fairy dust correcting all ills. I get so wrapped up in the "what's wrongs" that I fail to see all the "what's goods" - then something like this falls into my lap and I get warm fuzzes about mankind all over again.
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