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Opinion
December 14, 2007 |
A true season of giving and deciding what to give
By Gail Paparian - For the Record Gazette
This is a tough time of year for me and lots of
other people who struggle with and through the holidays. I miss my husband
and I miss too many family and friends who are gone too soon.
The religious significances of the holidays too often take a back seat to
the marketing of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and many other holidays caught
up in the likes of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and any other sales or
marketing tools designed to have people spend more money than they should or
can afford.
This year is no different for me. If anything, it's a bit financially worse.
My expenses have increased and my income hasn't. Unfortunately, my savings
account has a bottom and I'm reaching it!
My parents passed away years ago, my husband left this earth about three
years ago and my baby brother a year before that. Other than a few cousins
scattered throughout the country, I do not have much of a family. I am
fortunate to have a number of dear friends who make up my family.
My husband Bill had two sons and I remain in close contact with one of them.
He's got a smart and talented wife and two growing sons. My stepson and his
wife have done an excellent job of keeping them grounded. They have taught
both of them the value of reading. They have taught them that things are
earned - they're not entitlements. They have also tried to instill in them a
sense of social responsibility. I applaud them for this excellent formula of
parenting.
This year I was going to send both young men the
usual check or gift card. I suspect it would be momentarily acknowledged,
and then be cast aside with thoughts of BMWs and iPods dancing in their
heads. Hey, they are 12 and 16 and world peace may not be in their first
thought waves.
I serve on the Board of
Directors of several organizations. I am deeply committed to these nonprofit
groups. While there are usually people named on boards for their “marquee”
value, I'm a working board member. With that responsibility
comes labor, asking other community members to
join or contribute and making a financial contribution either annually or
when funds are desperately needed. Serving on a board can be a full-time job
Š you just don't get paid for it.
I realized early on that this Christmas/Hanukkah
was going to be a lean one for me when it came to reaching into my
not-so-deep pockets. Much to my chagrin, I had to admit I couldn't do
everything I needed or wanted to. I was going to have to sacrifice something
and this made me mad and sad.
My quandary ended when I thought of a gift my
stepson gave to his dad and me every year. Between the books and practical
gifts, he always made a donation to
www.heifer.org.
American farmer Dan West, the founder of Heifer
International, was serving as a Church of the Brethren relief worker in
Spain during the Spanish Civil War when he became frustrated at being forced
to decide how to allocate a very limited amount of food aid.
Upon his return to the United States, he founded
Heifers for Relief, a Little Rock, Arkansas-based organization dedicated to
providing permanent freedom from hunger by giving families livestock and
training so that they “could be spared the indignity of depending on others
to feed their children.”
The basic philosophy of Heifers for Relief was
based on the proverb, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach
a man to fish; you have fed him for a lifetime.” West
also conceived the slogan “Give not a cup, but a cow.”
Heifer envisions a world of communities living
together in peace and equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet.
Heifer's mission is
to work with communities to end hunger and poverty
and to care for the earth.
This simple idea of giving families a source of
food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for over 60
years. Today, millions of families in 128 countries have been given the
gifts of self-reliance and hope.
WHEN I got involved, my
gift-giving mission became much clearer. Much to my delight, I did not have
to choose between one or the other. I could and
did both. I sent a check to two organizations in each of my grandson's
names. I requested that both executive directors send each young man a
letter explaining where the donation in their honor would go and how much
good it would do.
Not only did I get to honor these wonderful
grandsons, but someone would benefit from a much-needed donation. Hopefully,
both grandsons will recognize what I have done in their honor and pick up
the habit of giving to others who have less.
I think “Mr. Bill” would be proud of me. If he was
still here, we could have signed it with both of our names.
I wish you all a season of giving, happiness and
health.
(IN THE REAL WORD is written for the Record
Gazette by Gail Paparian, a Banning resident for nearly six years, has
served on Banning (and Riverside County) commissions and committees. She
currently serves on these boards: Community Blood Bank, San Gorgonio Pass
Rotary, San Gorgonio Pass Boys and Girls Club and a member of the Banning
Economic Development Committee.
)
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