Good Week

picture has nothing to do with post, I just think it's cute!
Thanks, Teresia, for letting him  wear your awesome hat!

I don't really know what to say this week! Ever since the amazing response to my last post, everything I have to write just seems insignificant :)

After experiencing selfless generosity, I really want to find a way to make that kind of difference in someone else's life, but I have to accept that I can't do it with money or material goods (I just don't really have any to give) so I've been trying to completely throw myself into working with the kids at the Boys & Girls Club.

I don't know exactly how much everyone knows about that organization, I for one knew hardly anything about it before I took the position! But it turns out that the program is absolutely amazing. It provides a place for youth from 4th grade through High School to go hang out after school, in an environment that is positive and supportive and encourages good choices.

I run an art program there, and I know that I have at least 3 or 4 kids who show up on Tuesdays and Thursdays just for my art. Not that it's anything special, I have limited materials and not that much free time to be creative with them. But I think just the opportunity for these kids (60%  are low-income/poverty stricken) to just be themselves and express their feelings without any judgement that makes them come back! Not to mention, I'm no great artistic talent myself, I'm just very enthusiastic!

I don't want to go into too much detail about my experiences, since many of the youth I work with are junior high/high school aged and I think it would be an invasion of privacy to write about them without permission. But I've heard some amazing stories, and I'm really hoping that I'm making a difference in their lives. I only wish I could give more!

Anyway, after all the drama that the beginning of this week brought, I'm feeling positive about the outcome, not only for myself and my son but for all the people we are thinking of in a different light now. Buddy was just saying yesterday how we should go through his toys and give his older ones to Goodwill, so "people who needed toys like we needed oatmeal" would be able to be happy :)
Teaching my son about giving and how it makes everyone feel amazing was definitely a great positive to this week! Once I have a free minute (hopefully this weekend) we're going to go through our stuff and see if there is anything that we have that we don't need, and hopefully find a way to pass on the kindness that was given to us!