Just a Thought

A friend of mine recently wrote about helping people that are less fortunate than us. I have always had a very strong opinion for myself regarding this issue. I remember when I was little and going to the mall with my grandma and mom and seeing the men standing outside ZCMI with signs and torn clothes. I always wondered why there were standing out in the cold, I wondered why they didn't want to go inside where it was warm.  Well as I got older I learned who these people were and why they were standing outside inthe cold. I have never been able to pass a homeless person without wanting to give them money or food or what ever I could. I have always felt that if they are standing there begging for money or food then they need my money more than I do. I have been thinking a lot about how grateful I am for what I have and what I have been given in this life. I have always had a place to sleep, food to eat, and a very loving and supportive family. It breaks my heart that some people are born without some of these things.


After an experience I had a few weeks ago I am saddened to say that I have lost faith in most people in this world. I stood on one of the busiestcorners in Sugarhouse trying to help a handicap woman fix her scooter wheelchair thing and not one person got out of their cars to help me. I even motioned and asked for people to help and they just kept driving as if they didn't see me beckoning for their help. The lady wasstuck on a very steep hill and her scooter was broken. So me being very tired and emotional I called my mom for advice on what to do. Yes I am twenty two years old and my mom is still the first person I call when I need help or advice. My mom told me to call the police and ask for help, good thing I called her because that thought hadn't crossed my mind. So I called the police and they sent help. As I was driving back to work all I could do was cry. I was so torn up about all the people that refused and didn't care to help me. They couldn't take two minutes out of their busy day to help a stranger in need. 
Helping people has always been important to me. My mom used to tell me stories about my great grandmother and how she used to welcome homeless people into her home so she could feed them. Ever since I was a little girl this image stuck in my head.

So this morning as I was driving to work I passed a homeless man that I see frequentlystanding on the corner off of 1300 south. And I remembered that I saw a few stray dollars in my purse a few days earlier. So I rummaged through my purse and found four dollars. I know it wasn't much but it was all the cash I had and the smile on his face made my day seem so much brighter. I don't care what he is going to do with that money. Of course I would hope he would spend it on something to eat or a warm drink but I will never know. And honestly I don't care because like my mom always says "what does grandpa say, never to a favor and expect something in return."( or something along those lines) 
Sorry about my rambling I'm sure this post doesn't make much sense. But what I was trying to get across was help when you can. Now that it is getting colder outside think about how lucky we are to have a warm place to sleep. I'm not asking that you give your life savings to a homeless person. All I am asking is don't just walk or drive by if someone is in need of some help. Take one minute out of your busy day and do what you can do to help. You will never know what it means to the person in need. And one day when your having a hard time someone will save you in one way or another. So take some time to make someones day better or make someone smile. I promise it will be worth every single second or penny you spent!!!!!

ALBERT EINSTEIN:
"It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it."

ANNE FRANK:
"No one has ever become poor by giving."

BARBARA BUSH:
"Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others."