So, today I spent the day painting a house for Toronto Habitat for Humanity with volunteers from my work, and others. I've painted rooms galore at home, with and for friends and family, but this somehow was different.
It's one thing to paint walls and cupboards in your own home, or those of your friends or family ... but to do it for someone else, someone who is embarking on a new life and you are helping in the leg up that they are being given by this organization is an entirely different thing.
You can support Habitat for Humanity corporately through the company you work for … big or small ... or as an individual by registering on their website (I’ll add the link when I figure out how to do so here ... I’m still a blog virgin after all)
Spend a day painting, erecting walls, installing bathrooms, roofing, bricklaying ... cleaning up the site, finishing basements, installing vents & furnaces ... whatever you can ... it takes no special skills .. EVERYONE is a volunteer under one paid site foreman. After all within every tribe there has to be one chief.
The Jays Care Foundation was the impetus that provided me this wonderful opportunity. I will encourage everyone I know to contribute to such a whole heartedly and unreservedly deserving endeavour. One day of your time cannot be too much to ask.
We spend far too much "me time" on selfish pursuits; things that are completely beneath us. Our time could be much better spent assisting others. We have seen cataclysmic events in the last several months, nay years. We have stepped up to give aid to our fellow man through hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; to name only those "acts of nature".
I won't even get into the devastation that we inflict on our own kind. I do not mean just those in our own neighbourhood, culture, country, heritage, gender or faith ... I mean EVERYWHERE ... I mean MANKIND ... and yes, as a female component of humanity I have no trouble referring to us all by that word. It is not a sexist term in any way to me. I don't feel that my reproductive organs differentiate me from the other half of us. It takes two to tango after all ... otherwise it is merely a solo performance. We are the sum of ALL of our parts, X and Y chromosomes. We are firstly, individual with all the choices to do as we wish ... but ultimately, I feel we are part of a one society ... WE ARE ONE!
If the global economic crisis that we have all dealt with in the last little while has taught us nothing ... it should be that WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! All of us are connected, tied, dependent upon and responsible for each other. There has to be a balance somewhere … or we are all going to be dragged down.
Big or Small … Male or Female … Rich or Poor, or somewhere in between … Black, White, Brown or any other shade you define yourself with … Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindi, Buddhist, Wicca and every other faith or belief you choose to live by … again ... need I say it ... WE ARE ONE .. And should act as one!
The herd is only as fast or as strong as its slowest or weakest member … the others of us should strive to protect and uphold these … for as we know, it takes only a single grain of rice to tip the scales one way or the other. It is not always the mightiest that survive and prosper!
So, give your neighbour a hand with their groceries; Offer to cut the lawn or shovel the driveway/sidewalk for the couple next door; every hand you extend in service to another may or may not be reciprocated; but in the long run can only serve the greater good.
After all … why else are we here, on this rock ... from the smallest cell to the greatest evolved minds of us all … You need only look around … to find your reason.
4 of 5 (and then some)
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