Currently sitting at 30,000 feet and thought I would take the opportunity to post another update about our Yes, Virginia efforts so far this year.
It is important to me to share these with you - yes, because the funds are yours and you deserve to know how they are being used and how you are helping - but also because they offer much needed perspective.
None of our lives are perfect. We all struggle on some level. Emotionally, physically, financially, psychologically - we all have something. Something that hides behind our cheery posts. Something that belies the "highlight reel" we share on social media.
Yes, even me.
I have lost count through the years of how many comments and emails I have received about my "perfect" "charmed" "blissful" life. I always laugh. EVERY life has struggles, every person faces fears, every family endures hardships - we all have something.
Our family is in the midst of a "something" right now. Sleep is being lost, fears swallowed, fingers crossed as we attempt to stay on the "something surfboard" and ride this life tsunami to the shore.
It would be very easy to give into the "woe is me" and wallow mentality, so perspective is especially helpful for me right now. Elfing is always full of it. My heart is never not pained by the stories I am sent. My life never not put into sharper focus. My blessings brought to the fore as I read of the realities so many face daily - not just when the universal rug gets yanked.
To that end...
The most recent elfing has involved warmth and sustenance. Two things I am not even thinking about in my own life. I have both. Privilege. And I know that being granted this perspective is also a privilege. The privilege of being allowed into someone's life, trusted with their fears, their heartaches, their embarrassments.
Some of the funds have gone to buy a much needed winter coat for a mom in our midst who lives in a far northern state, has no coat, and has been trying to get by wearing two hoodies. Below freezing temps and two hoodies.
Perspective. My challenge is deciding which winter coat I feel like wearing.
Donations have gone to winter boots for two small children and a teen.
Perspective. My kids have footwear to spare. Some for function, some for fashion, some just for fun.
Giftcards have gone out to provide food. The mother of the kids who need boots confided that she eats very little so she can feed them more.
Perspective. My pantry is full, my refrigerator supplied, and I just spent three days enjoying eating out all over Boston with one of my kids.
Think about your own life. When you pull on your coat, remind yourself how lucky you are to have that coat. When your feet are warm, say a silent word of thanks that you have those boots on them. And when you feel hungry while looking into the pantry or freezer, and options stare back at you, be grateful, not grumpy that what you really have a hankering for is not there.
Again, we all have something. We all face demons, fears, and circumstances we did not ask for or deserve.
That is why I share these updates. To remind you (and me) that life touches us all - good and bad. But if we're lucky, we have a High School Musical-We're-All-In-This-Together group like ours at the ready to reach out and make things better, if even a little, if even for a moment.
The days are passing quickly. Help if you can. Ask for help if you need it. My inbox is always open, as is the donation link on the left side of the page.
Love you all, Linda
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