Well, folks, Christmas is looming once more. To me Christmas is about people and caring, so I thought I'd cheer up your season with a tale of real caring. These are true stories, with only the names changed.
A very dark cloud ...
A young family of my acquaintance struck some very bad luck at Easter. Jack, the husband, suffered a serious stroke. The family, Jack and Jill and children Mary (5) and Peter (4) were already in trouble, due to a business that had turned sour. They had lost their very nice home, a city warehouse apartment, and were scratching for income. Jack, a former policeman, had taken a sales job that he really hated, and was just getting up to speed with sales and commissions when disaster struck him down.
Fast forward to today. The young family are living in Jill's mother's and step father's small house, which has been hastily converted to accommodate a young family. Jack has been in hospital and rehabilitation for 6 months, but has now been sent "home". He requires 24/7 care. He is able to walk a few feet at a time, just, with the help of a 4-pronged walking stick and a guide. He cannot shower himself or go to the lavatory without assistance. His attention span is 60 seconds, tops. Basically he is wheelchair-bound and looks most unlikely to ever work again.
...with a silver lining
During the whole time there have been many examples of support and kindness, from friends helping transport and store household belongings against the day the family have their own home again, to the local ballet school who gave Mary a lifetime scholarship. But those are not what I want to describe.
Caring ex colleagues.
Jack retired from the police force about 8 years ago. However, his former colleagues have not forgotten him (he worked in a very elite branch where they literally put their lives in danger all the time). When Jack had his stroke, the members of his former branch banded together and pledged a weekly donation to be taken directly out of their pay packets. Something like $200/week total. But there's more: Last week Jack received a Christmas card from his mates, and inside was a cheque for $750 towards his wheelchair.
A random act of kindness.
When Jill went to pick up Mary from school the other day, one of the other mums approached her and handed her an envelope. It was from a third woman who had heard about the family's plight. Someone Mary has never met. Inside the envelope was a Christmas card and a $1000 gift voucher for a major department store. One thousand dollars given by a total stranger to another total stranger!
Restores your faith in Humanity, doesn't it?
So here is my Christmas message: Let this be a time when we all give some thought to those less fortunate than ourselves. However tough your life may be, there is someone else who is doing it tougher. Is there someone you know who will be all alone at Christmas? Invite them into your home for Christmas dinner. Or maybe you could sponsor a child in India or Africa. Is there perhaps something you could do for the homeless people freezing on the streets of cities like Chicago?
Let your Christmas present to Mankind be a random act of kindness.
Post script: Mary is now 6. She had her year-end ballet concert last Saturday. She performed like a star!
Stop press: Literally as I was writing the above (this is totally true) Jack and Jill received a visit from an ex colleague in the sales job he hated. His sales ex-work-mates had all banded together and collected $750 - towards his wheel chair.
