Journey of Empathy

Not all passages are smooth

And some have traveled long

On winding, washed out trails

That led to nowhere

It takes so little

To pave their stony path

Tiny offerings of hope and comfort

Can burnish a bumpy road

http://allbuthomeless.wordpress.com/

Wanted: Ten Nice People

I was thinking about a fellow blogger’s dilemma. Actually I think about her a lot. I think about how she has sacrificed everything, hanging on to her dignity to reach out to total strangers.  What absolutely amazes me is the reluctance of others to help, even with a few dollars.

We see homeless people on the street.  They weren’t born there. They started from a place where the bottom finally let loose, there was nothing else to hold on to, no one else to approach for help, nowhere else to GO. It is a turning point that most of us can only imagine. Lucky us.

So, when you have the opportunity to do such a SIMPLE and SELFLESS thing for someone that could be the difference between security in their home and being on the street, why do we hesitate to do it?

Is it because we would really miss that ten dollars?

Is it because we think they will ask for more?

Is it because we question their story?

Is it because we think it is wrong for them to ask?

Is it because we think our small contribution wouldn’t make a difference?

Is it because we have no time?

Is it because we think they don’t work hard enough?

These are questions we may never have the all the answers to. However, we throw a dollar into a hat and hope for the best ( or maybe assume the worst). We donate money to charities without always researching their administrative costs.

In this case, one human being has bared her soul, shared the personal financial details of her mortgage, her bills and her urgent situation. Most of all, she has shared her heart.

Her heart is GIVING.  Her heart is STRONG. Her heart is GRATEFUL.

I have never met her. As much as I’d like to, I don’t need to in order to know that she deserves any help that she is given. I don’t need to research her. All of the facts are on her blog. I will not miss the very small offering I have given her. I KNOW that it made a difference. She has not asked for more. I do not question her story. I don’t think it’s wrong of her to ask for help because that is ALL she has left right now. I believe she IS working hard to change her situation. Some situations cannot be resolved without a helping hand. This is one of them.

Her most urgent need at the moment is to keep her power on in her mobile home. She needs 145 dollars to do this. YES, she has many other needs! That is what happens when you spiral into  poverty. It doesn’t mean that things won’t change. It just means that RIGHT NOW, assistance is needed.

If TEN nice people gave TEN dollars, it would help her more than we can ever know. It eliminates one of the burdens on her shoulders, giving her more time and strength to deal with the others.

Her name is Cheryl and her story is at allbuthomeless.wordpress.com

You can donate many ways but to help with her immediate power bill, all the necessary information to do this is on one of her posts at:

http://allbuthomeless.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/reprieves-are-great-but-help-please/

You can email her at allbuthomeless@gmail.com if you have any questions.

I will leave you with a quote from one of her recent posts because I admire her writing skills and her philosophical thoughts.

“ If you have to overthink the deed , analyze, speculate or procrastinate or even doubt despite your ability to make a difference , you probably shouldn’t do it. Because, certainly if it causes you angst, you will find no satisfaction in your generosity .”

 

 ~Cheryl~ (“Hot Southern Mess”)

 

Ten from ten.

Are you in??

Reach In and Reach Out

Hand me a soap box

I’ve something to say

If you don’t want to help me

Push a button today

Like, share or follow

It is easy to do

There’s no obligation

Wrapped around you

But if you can find

The light in your heart

A voice without judgement

That says, “Do your part”

Act solely on kindness

Release any doubt

Place hope in another

Reach in and reach out

This is not my usual style of poetry, but at this point I would tap dance (terribly) on a soap box if it would generate any response. Actually, I am sure I would fall off and land on my patootie. Maybe not the response I was looking for.

Seriously….

I am moved each day by the financial struggle of a fellow blogger, a very nice lady named Cheryl (“Hot Southern Mess”) Yes I know, my last post was dedicated to her as well but I am one stubborn Canadian gal on a mission.

Please take the time to read her story at  http://allbuthomeless.wordpress.com/

She holds nothing back, beginning with her “Intro” page.  She is not asking for a miracle but one could happen right here.

Please share her story if you are unable or willing to assist her in any other way.

Thank you for listening.

Bless you for caring.

~Mish~

Helping Hot Southern Mess

After reading about the desperate needs of one of my favourite bloggers, Hot Southern Mess regarding her financial situation, I have not been able to ignore her story.

As I carry on with my own life, my mind wanders back to her with concern and questions, the biggest one being “How can I help?” or better yet “How can MORE people help?” because she needs a lot more help than I can give her.

You can read more about her circumstances at http://allbuthomeless.wordpress.com/

You can email her at allbuthomeless@gmail.com

Her regular blog is http://hotsouthernmess.wordpress.com/

When you’re in a financial bind, it is optimistic to think somehow everything will work out. The reality is that in many cases, things only get worse for various reasons out of our control.  Sometimes, no matter what you try to do, there is no way you can stay afloat without the help of others. I can totally understand how this can happen. It happens every day.

Can you imagine going from what you have now, a roof over your head (no matter how fancy), to having to sell anything of value because you need to pay your bills?  It helps but still is not enough to keep you from losing your home. It seems so hopeless. Family can only help to a point or perhaps do not fully understand what you are going through.

You make a radical, brave move that was totally unthinkable until you were looking at the street and wondering where you would sleep. You reach out to total strangers for the smallest gesture and hope that all of these small wonders will add up to the difference between staying in your home or being a homeless family.

If I hadn’t already connected to such a sincere , warm soul and already had my opinion of who I sincerely believe her to be, I would not be writing this post. I believe she is a good person who happens to be in a bad situation. It is my opinion.

Recently, I responded to a post entitled “Past, Present and Future Reside, a poem.” by Jennifer at  http://writingsofamrs.wordpress.com/ , a blog I happily follow.  The subject was about how we as individuals can use our passion to take action and contribute to meaningful change.  We can do this by being a part of addressing social issues, protecting our children, reducing stigmas, or just by reaching out to a single person in need.  The ways we can help are limitless. Small miracles can happen when many people pool their resources together. This could be the case for Hot Southern Mess.

SO…I need to practice what I preach. After mulling over different options to help, I decided to send her a gift card.

I am not in a great financial place in my life considering my age, but I have a home, I never go hungry, I manage to pay my bills and I sleep in a warm bed every night counting my blessings. To think of losing that is terrifying, so I can only imagine the stress that Hot Southern Mess and her husband face daily. At the same time, she still manages to find a kind word or inspiring thought to share with her readers. I find that amazing.

This isn’t about moving mountains. This is about giving a nice lady a small gesture from your heart. It might equal to what you paid for Starbucks this week or it might be more. It all adds up. It could add up to keeping a roof over her head. Imagine that!

Am I taking a risk on a lady I have never met?

Maybe.

Do I care?

No, because I’d rather lose a little than see her lose so much.

“There should be no scrutiny in generosity. It should only involve our hands and our heart.”

~Mishunderstood~