I have worries today. Such as, did I get enough stuffers for
Mary’s stocking? Will everyone enjoy the meals we’ve planned? How will I get
that durned Santa blow-up figure to stand upright?
Okay, I get it. Not exactly earth-shattering concerns. But I
do have more substantial worries. Will my editorial readers like the book and
give me the feedback I need to proceed with final edit? Will I receive Cochran’s
book on ISO 9001:2015 in time to have it read before the training in two weeks?
What to do with all the crap that has settled in this office as we work to
de-clutter the house (and how did my writing space become the designated
bin-de-crap)?
I admit I find myself somewhat ashamed of this paltry
attempt to find drama in my life. The fact is, I am better off than a high
percentage of dads in this world. My kids never had to wonder whether food or
shelter would materialize. Or whether they were loved. Or welcome. And growing
up, neither did I.
Most of my friends
and I grew up in a bubble of time and place and circumstance in which our
subsistence was assured. We were halfway up Mazlow’s Heirarchy of Needs the day
we were born. And if we missed out on ‘Esteem’ or ‘Self-Actualization,’ the
failure was at least in part a function of our own choices, or lack thereof.
This is the time of year when many of us gaze upon the
mountains of gifts under trees and wonder at the concept of ‘enough.’ Don’t get
me wrong – I do not propose guilt at largesse. The urges to provide and to
please are both positives, to my mind. But the charity we all seek this season
will be more complete if we extend the ring outward, don’t you think?
I find myself reflecting on the people who through no fault
of their own find themselves today in less secure circumstances. Some of them are short on cash, some suffering
from illness, some just having trouble sorting out life. I wish hope for them
all.
One demographic that we can each and all help are the teens
who are ‘aging out’ of foster care. Please consider helping one of these kids,
many of whom just need a secure place to stand as they make their start. And perhaps
every now and then a shoulder to lean on.
Many of these kids reside in the twilight existence of ‘almost.’
Many need not much more than a hand and a nudge.
You know what to do.
http://www.childrensrights.org/newsroom/fact-sheets/aging-out/http://www.aecf.org/resources/helping-children-aging-out-of-foster-care-prepare-for-independence/
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