Well, the holiday season is upon us again and we are all fattening ourselves up with our winter rituals - spending time with family, watching 'the game' or just freezing our butts off (in certain areas only of course). The season of giving and caring for others has become the season of pass the potatoes and don't bother me during the game.
Everyday, all year we hear about the homeless and the hungry all over the world and in our very own backyards. Yet we never really do anything about it. Why is that? There is a silent group of people who do help out others out of the goodness of their hearts or for a tax brake. Most of us, however simply rely on the same old reasons - "I don't have the money to give," "Let the celebrities give their money away," "If everyone else is helping, no one will notice if I don't." No one will care if you sneak a cookie before dinner, but people do care when you don't help out your fellow man.
This has nothing to do with particular religions or beliefs - that has to do with basic human decency. I have heard so many people complain about the homeless problem and problems of poverty. Well, just so you all know, those problems won't go away as long as they are thought of as a social problem, we have to think of them as our own problem. It may be a cliche, but we each have to a small part to make these problems go away.
It doesn't take a lot. Think of it, if we each gave $5 or a can of food to a local charity, that would added to thousands of dollars and hundreds of pounds of food - A WEEK!! That could make a world of difference to so many people. And it wouldn't brake anyone's bankbook.
Think of it this way - what if it was YOU out there needing a meal, without the money to buy an apple or can of soap.
What if it was YOU trying desperately to make ends meet and always coming up short. Wouldn't it be nice to know there were kind people in the world who would help, not to be repaid but just because they would want the help if the situation was reversed. Put yourself in their frame of mind for a minute and realize how lucky and easy we really have it. Those who have the ability to share, should. Not just during the holiday season, but year round.