In our family...

In our family....we do second chances...we do grace...we do real...we do mistakes...we do I'm sorry (and I forgive you)...we do loud really well...we do hugs...we do family...we do love.















Sunday, December 20, 2009

To Be Humbled

I am going to go out on a limb here and share something with you. Maybe I shouldn’t because hell, what will you think of me? Yes, it’s humbling sharing this with you but on the flip side what do I really have to lose?  I am so touched and blessed that I must share this.  I also want you to know that when you are reaching out to someone it really does mean something to them.

I have admitted here that things are tough for us right now. They are not tough in the way of not having a place to live or not having food on the table. We are not poor by any means. The thing is we just don’t have money for anything extra right now. Which means Christmas or anything like that.

The last few months of me going to the doctor and for therapy depleted our finances. We don’t have insurance so having these doctor appointments, an MRI and physical therapy has taken a toll on us.

We could use our credit card and charge stuff but we just can’t. As much as we would love to buy gifts for my kids and the little ones, we can’t. We refuse to go into debt in order to buy stuff that none of us really need. I know that some will say that is selfish of us but we have committed to living within our means.

It’s not that we are not working. My husband works long hours. I work as many hours as I am allowed. But, no it’s not enough for things like insurance and getting sick or hurt or Christmas. This is just for a season and as much as it sucks right now, we have to remind ourselves that this is only temporary.

I talked to my kids about not being able to buy gifts and of course they were cool about it. We didn’t have a clue what we were going to do about the little ones. Do you have any idea how humbling it is to admit this to you? Can I even begin to get any of you to understand what it’s like to not have enough? I can’t.

A couple of weeks ago I got an e-mail from a very special friend I met through blogging. He wrote me asking for my mailing address because he had bought me a t-shirt. Then he wrote that he had gotten something for my little ones. I was beyond touched by his thoughtfulness. I was touched because I don’t think he knew that we were struggling.

Can I just tell you how humbling it is to accept a gift when you cannot give a gift in return?

On Thursday, this package from  Santa (my friend I met through blogging) arrived. I won’t share his identity because I didn’t ask him if I could.

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I cannot even begin to tell you how blessed we were from this gift. This is what Santa sent to Emeril and Rachel Ray..

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And to me…

CIMG0052 Santa sent me a “Free Hugs” T-Shirt, a Chicken soup for the soul book, some chocolates and some Christmas books to read to the little's.

To add to this wonderfulness…

At the beginning of December I got a letter from my niece saying that she felt it in her heart to give some gifts to our little ones and that she had a friend that had bought gifts for them also. Mind you, she didn’t have a clue to what was going on with us! I cried and then shared this with my husband. Today we met up with her and she gave our family a gift of books.

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We were beyond touched by her thoughtfulness. She reads my blog so she knows that little man struggles with being a different color then us and our community. Three of the books are for us to read to the little people and one is for us. Wow.

That’s not all.She and her friend bought other gifts for the kids as well, for us to give the little people from Santa on Christmas morning! My niece is a college student and works part time. Amazing isn’t it?

To say that my husband and I are completely humbled and grateful for their act of kindness is an understatement. All the way home, we were in awe of all of this generosity.

Tonight, I sit here in complete awe. I am humbled. And yes, it is embarrassing to not be able to buy gifts for those you love. I don’t want my loved one’s to think for one second that we didn’t want to buy them something special.

One of the main reasons I am sharing this with all of you is this. Many of you give to those in need. Many of you give and yet have no clue that it makes a difference. I am here to say to you, as a voice for those receiving,  thank you and that what you give means the world to who you are giving to. You make a difference. A big difference. And to all of you that won’t get a thank you, I say thank you.

It’s so much better to be on the giving side. It’s so much more rewarding to be the giver. I’ve been the giver and love being the giver. Does it not feel wonderful to give? Having to humbly accept without giving something back in return bites the big one. Eating humble pie is a lesson in humility. There are times I forget what it means to have to be on the receiving end and so this will be another lesson to remind me for future references when we help someone. 

I want to say thank you to my special friend and my niece and her friend for blessing us in this manner. Because of you my children are so excited about the spirit of giving. Because of you my children have been touched. Because of you, my little people will open presents on Christmas morning.

I want to say thank you to each one of you that took time to give to someone in an act of kindness this Christmas season or any time for that matter. You make a difference. You make a difference because you care enough to take the steps of reaching out and giving. 

I humbly stand before you and weep in gratitude and as a voice for all those that receive from you this Christmas season, say thank you. Bless you. May what you give come back to you in a multitude of beautiful blessings. My husband thanks you. My children thank you.

Love & Hugs, Lori

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

So cute pictures.Thanks for sharing besides Wish you all a joyful Merry Xmas n New Year ahead.

LoL:)
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Natalie said...

Oh, Lori. The same thing happened to me! Three of my blog friends sent a little gift to me. Humble is the only word to describe this feeling.I am so happy that there was a Santa for the littles. I think I know who Santa is, but I won't say. He is a super hero after all, and you just can't give them away. *wink*xx♥

Anonymous said...

What a blessing friends are! I'm so happy for you and your little ones, to receive such joyful gifts in the mail! I understand the financial difficulty of this season, for it has hit our family as well. For the first time in over 30 years, I have not put up a Christmas tree, nor are there any gifts to give, except to our four grandsons. But, I am thankful to be here, to at least be able to spend time with my family and enjoy watching our little grandsons open their gifts :)

Have a Merry Merry Christmas, Lori! Hugs and best wishes for you and yours :)

Brian Miller said...

tears of joy this morning...could not have been giving to a more wonderful family. hang in there...a new day dawns on the heels of this longest night...

Buckeroomama said...

While it is easier for us adults to accept that there are times when we just have to do without, it is not easy for the little ones to understand. I am so happy to read about the unexpected but very welcome kindness that you have received.

Have a blessed Christmas.

Anonymous :) said...

It's nice to see smiles on those little faces. I admire you greatly for not whipping out the credit card. Thank you for sharing the post. This is a wonderful community of bloggers.

lisa said...

What Brian said so well, I second. Christmas Blessings.
Lisa E.

mommytoalot said...

Wow..now that is a true meaning of Christmas story. I am very teary eyed. I know what you mean about struggling and trying to stay within your means and I commend you for it. What beautiful, loving , thoughtful people there are out there. I love the pictures of those smiling kids. God bless Lori,

My Aimless Infatuation said...

"May what you give come back to you in a multitude of beautiful blessings". You said it so well. It just came back to YOU..... For all you do for others.......Enjoy your Blessing and have a Merry Merry Christmas.

SciFi Dad said...

I am sorry you are struggling right now, but glad your little ones still received presents this Christmas.

This was truly an inspiring and humbling post.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Because you have always been such a giver...is WHY you deserve to recieve.
Not getting yourselfs into credit card debt is not only NOT being selfish...it is the smart thing to do. Your kids and your little people need happy parents...not stressed out in debt parents. You are doing the right thing.
I am so glad that you are surrounded by kind people who show their compassion and love for your family.
This made me cry...I just wish I had sent you something first!! :)
XOXO
Suz

I Am Woody said...

What a blessing the blog community is!

Bogey said...

Lori the rewards to those who give is the act of the giving. No return gift is ever necessary because it would take away from the act itself. It's kind of like people who donate to charity's but get a "gift in return" for their donation. It doesn't make sense to me. I'm sure that seeing those happy smiling faces and knowing that the act touched somebody's heart was all the return gift required. Perhaps, because of this, your little ones will always remember this with special affection. I can pretty much guarantee you that the givers' hearts are pretty full right now.

Riahli said...

We have had the same sort of experience this year. I never want to over do Christmas any ways, but we really had nothing for the kids. Out of the blue we were blessed by a few people and it's a great feeling but very humbling for sure. I also like to be able to give and we have been very limited this year on being able to do that.

I am so glad you've been blessed as well and that your kids will have a little something to open on Christmas morning. :)

Kit Kat said...

Oh Lori, Thank you for this!

Brittany said...

Of course I read this at work.

Of course I cried like a baby.

Of course I wish I lived really close and we could bring you TONS of presents!

Mommy, I wish that I could do more for you, anything for you. I hope the kids like the presents that me and J bought for them! It's not much, but we hope they like them!

I also hope you like what we are sending you! You deserve more gifts then anyone I know! God knows your Heart Lori, he knows what you do, and he knew when you needed him the most!

Thank you to everyone that has blessed you, because it blesses me that you are happy! I love you SOOO much!

-Brittany

Pseudo said...

It could not have happened to a nicer, more deserving person and family.

Making the decision to not get into debt is a good one and am glad you can stick to it.

Ginger@When Ginger snaps... said...

Lori, I know this was hard for you to share, but thank you. Thank you for reminding us what Christmas is really all about. I think the spirit of giving, without asking for anything in return, is what whoever came up with Santa Claus had in mind, all those years ago. And Santa represents (or he should, in my mind) the love God has for us. When we give to others, freely, out of our hearts, we are also representing the love of God to that person. And yes, it is humbling. As it should be. To be on the receiving end is also to experience, in some small way, the love our Father in heaven has for us. And that, I think, is what Christmas is about. Your children and blessed to have you and I love that you were willing to open up and share this story. MWAH!

Mike said...

That is a very awesome act of kindness. I take my hat off to your blogging friend! That was super cool!!!

LPC said...

I'm so glad. Were you to put a Paypal widget up on this site, I'd be glad to donate to the wee one's school fund. Or mittens fund. Seriously.

wolfie185 said...

Dear Lori, I am sure it bites hard not being able to give gifts to the little ones but if they knew that in doing so grandma and grandpa would be hurting themselves they wouldn't want you to do that. You give them so much more than material things throughout the year, they may not be able to comprehend this but they are very bless by having you in their lives and they love.

What happened to you with receiving the gifts is exactly what I mean by the Promises being a gift from God for living a spiritual life. When we work towards living a life based on spiritual principles God takes care of us. God provided for you and your hubby because you were humble and honest enough to understand the situation you are in. You placed your needs ahead of your wants, you swallowed your pride and did what was best, understanding this was God's will for your life. I would guess that in the past you have helped others without any selfish motives and now you are receiving the gifts from those actions.

Have a blessed Christmas and great New Year.
Scott

colbymarshall said...

That's so awesome...there are some great people in this world. Merry Christmas to you guys!

MGM said...

This is so touching! Thanks for sharing. I'm always inspired when I visit you! I admire your choice not to go into debt. We made that decision when we got married 13 years ago. We spent the first years of our marriage living VERY modestly and paying off debt. In fact, we didn't borrow a cent for our wedding. That meant no catered meal or hired band or lots of other stuff. We used paper plates in our wedding colors, bought meat and cheese platters from a local grocer, a friend made our cakes, and our church's praise band volunteered to be our live music. we've never regretted not going into debt for our wedding or anything else (except our mortgage).

So glad to hear you've been blessed, and may you continue to be blessed this season and always!