Enriching Life

I am the kind of person who prefers to help others, instead of needing help myself.

I kind of feel like people don’t want to help others without getting something out of it. We have lost the compassion for the fellow man.

I do not like needing help because I feel vulnerable and also at the mercy of others. I do not trust people to be sincere.

I am a sensitive person so that is a reason I stay guarded. I do LOVE helping others… and maybe I get something out of it too?

When I help others – I don’t have to deal with my own aspects of needing help. I can focus on someone else. Not only do I feel deeply for others, but it allows me to have a purpose and a cause. For a moment, I can help make someone else’s life better – I like to make impacts. It also allows me to escape from my own struggle. Not the best thing to do, but helping others makes me the happiest. I feel peace to make sure someone else is not suffering.

Obviously I can’t save the world… although I would love to lol… so I just do what I can when I see a need, and I’m able to help.

I don’t have the ability to help with money – I struggle there myself. What I can give is my compassion and my time.

A few months ago I met a little old man. He had just lost his wife to Alzheimer’s – which I can relate to because I am losing my mother from that disease.

He has 2 children who are fighting over the inheritance and have no time for him. He feels lonely. He is in his late 80’s

Well I have a lot on my own plate but I can’t stand by and watch someone be so sad and alone… so I cleared my Friday mornings, which is my day off, and I visit with him at a local McDonalds every Friday morning. We spend about 2 hours catching up and chatting.

We talk and laugh about things … and he is an avid reader who loves to share his books. In an age of technology it’s so refreshing to read and discuss actual books. He gives me so much to read about – I love that!

And then to hear his stories is amazing! I love to tell stories myself and compared to him – I am young… but his stories are of a lifetime, a view from a different perspective.

I once asked him, “In your lifetime, what is the biggest change or challenge or thing you have noticed?” Right away he answered “less education now” … which has a truth to it sadly. I can see how that has changed over time. I do believe he is right.

He is a very sweet, kind, funny man. I’m sad his children have no time for him. He is delightful. He reminds me a lot of my own grandfather, which is comforting to me.

I live in the United States so Thanksgiving is coming up. I have had some pretty rough holidays myself, and I don’t want anyone to be or feel alone on the holidays. I am thinking I am going to ask if he would like to join me and my kids for Thanksgiving. He can absolutely say no if he doesn’t want to – but the offer would be there for him. Thanksgiving is about sharing food, thought and family with others, and being thankful for the life you have.

One of the things this man has taught me… is here we have an aging generation who is kind of lost. They don’t fit into the world of technology, they are kind of forgotten and left alone. When you age, those around you start dying off too and you lose people you love. He is private like I am, while I am social – my life itself I am private with until I trust someone. I am not a group type person and neither is he.

His stories are very intriguing and we have a lot to learn from the older generation if we pay attention.

I didn’t plan on “adopting” him… but when I tried to see if there was anything there for elderly – there was pretty much nothing available that was free or would be what he wanted and would be ok with. So I adopted him myself.

Everyone needs a friend and some laughter from time to time. The only cost to me is time. In return, I get a wealth of information, stories and education. I completely enjoy my time with him, and look forward to seeing him every week, as he does me.

So I think I will ask if he would like to join us for Thanksgiving. I would like him not to be alone during the holidays.

I don’t like how much the holidays have become commercialized… and what they are about has been forgotten or taken for granted.

Greed and commercialization has become the norm. Lost is a time of compassion and caring, a warmness that made the holidays feel comforting.

All I want this holiday season is the love of my family, compassion towards others, and a little bit of warmness back.

I don’t have much, like I said… but I will have a nice meal to share with my family and this man, if he has no one else and would like to come share this holiday with us. I’ll just make the offer and see what he would like to do.

I already have everything ready… my pies are all mapped out, what I am making and what my people want… I have the Turkey and the side dishes ready to make. It’s still about 2 weeks away… I just wanted to make sure I can provide for everyone.

Anyway, I want to share the warmness this holiday season. I am thankful for many things in my life, no matter how hard life can be. This is my first year after beating cancer. So little emotional for me with that. I still struggle, but so do others. Some even worse than me… so I want to share what I can while I can. I am very thankful!

My life is enriched every day by the people I keep in it.