Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving; Friday we hit the stores and malls on “Black Friday;” Saturday many commemorated “Small Business Saturday” by purchasing items at local, small businesses; and tomorrow on “Cyber Monday” some 100 million of us will take to our computers and notebooks to shop til we drop on-line. What about today?
Today let’s all celebrate what “Parade” magazine editors call “Giving Sunday.” Since 2011, the Sunday paper insert’s readers have donated millions of dollars to the charities of their choice. What a great idea!
Every year our family donates to our church and college alma maters and also Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Dallas. I personally also donate to Austin’s “Breakthrough,” which supports area high schoolers who are first generation college attendees and the Carmelite nuns in Santa Fe. This year I also want to donate to “The Wounded Warrior Project” and the Central Texas SPCA, where we got our sweet Boomer nearly one year ago.
When I think about it, all of these have influenced my life and inspired me in some way or another. Church and OU are both pretty obvious, but what about the others? Scottish Rite doctors were there for Kristen early on, “Breakthrough” is special to me because I am the only member of my immediate family to graduate from college, Sister Marie Bernadette and her fellow Carmelites have forever been so special to my mom and our whole family, members of the U.S. armed forces remind us every day of their sacrifices on our behalf, and Boomer has brought pure joy into our home! Yep, I’m pretty sure they’re all deserving!
So as we decorate our homes with Christmas cheer, how about sharing some of that cheer with charities of your choice? After all, as St. Francis said, it is in giving that we receive.
Beyond Words 