Lately my days have been feeling pretty empty and meaningless. Can I just tell you how bad I hate being a stay-at-home-mother?
But then I stumbled across this blog via my newest addiction, pinterest.
In case you are too lazy to go to the link, it's a blog describing how to put together "blessing bags" to give to homeless people. I read a lot of the comments on this particular blog post (I know, I'm one of THOSE people), and I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about these "blessing bags."
For one thing, if you are going to truly help a homeless person, you shouldn't shove free deoderant in their face, you should give them a place to take a shower and sleep for the night. I wish I had the guts to offer every homeless person I saw my spare bedroom. Alas, there are far too many truly freaky people out there (most of which are not actually homeless), and I'm too poor to afford a hotel room for everyone I see holding cardboard signs next to Wal-Mart.
While all of the things in these goody bags are given as a nice gesture, I still feel that they are somewhat demeaning. I feel like the message they communicate is:
"I don't want to touch you with a 39 1/2 foot pole, but I still want to consider myself Christian so I'm going to give you a Bible and some things from the dollar store to improve the quality of your life. Of course I won't give you money, because everyone knows you will spend it on drugs or booze. I definitely won't take more than 30 seconds out of my day to help you any further, but throwing this bag at you from the window of my pimped out Escalade makes me a good person, right?"
I truly hate the stereotype that all homeless people are drunks and druggies who will spend any money given to them on booze and cocaine. In a lot of the comments on the blog, people talk about putting giftcards to Starbucks or sticking a mere quarter for a phone call in the "blessing bags." Don't actually give them money!!
What if the person hates coffee? What if they have no one to call? That quarter could maybe get them 5 M&Ms from a candy machine at the local Jiffy Lube.
Who are we to judge and say how they will spend money? I'm reminded of a scripture that was pointed out in one of my classes during the first semester of my masters program. I can't remember if it was from the Bible or BOM, (and I'm too lazy to try and find it so I actually look credible), but basically it said that you should just give the poor the money, and let them do with it what they will. That is how you get blessings, folks. Not by judging God's children and witholding because you think you know what is best for them.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to get after people for trying to help the homeless. I think it's just the BIG thinker in me that gets irritated when people try to do something so SMALL to solve a problem that deserves so much more attention than a trip to the dollar store and a family home evening putting together ziplock bags of goodness.
In fact, that's why I have mixed feelings about this idea. Because somehow, even though I really like the motto, "Go big or go home," I still know and believe that sometimes you have to start small, and that little things do add up to big and miraculous things.
And because I want my children to change the world, I want to start small with them when they are small; helping them create a little "blessing bag" for a homeless person while educating them about the issue of homelessness and showing them how to love and help everyone (in small and big ways) could be a great way to do that.
Gah. I just can't make up my mind. I told you I had mixed feelings about this.
On a more optimistic side note, stumbling across this idea did remind me of the few times I've found a glimmer of hope for humanity in the last few years...
...When the guest staying at the Abbey Inn (during my days at the front desk) gave me $100 bill in an envelope with a kind note telling me to "put this towards your big day"after overhearing me talking to my coworker about how stressed I was about paying for my own wedding cuz I didn't want my parents to worry about the money.
...When people driving by the lemonade/snowcone stand my sister and I manned every summer in front of our house growing up would stop and buy a glass to enjoy in their perfectly air conditioned vehicle and tell us to "keep the change" from the $5 bill they handed us. -Side note- A few days ago, Miles and I were walking home from the grocery store and a couple boys were selling bags of cherries on the corner. It felt so good to give them a $5 bill (the cherries were $1), and telling them to keep the change!
...When I lost my sister's camera in a mosh-pit at the Big Ass show, someone actually responded to the "missing" ad I posted on KSL about it and returned it.
...When the lady at the store bought my husband "Ernest Saves Christmas" because he was telling her how much he loved it while they were in the checkout line.
I guess "little" things really can be "big" things after all.
Hahaha! Julane and I totally made these about 6 months ago! I have to tell you though, I love them!! It definitely took a lot of effort and more money than I thought that went into each and every bag. I put in about a dollars worth of quarters along with various other stuff (deodorant was included I believe, along with goodies, a comb, uplifting message, etc...) that should truly help them. Before I made these, I would just drive past the people and wish I had cash or anything to give them (I don't carry cash) but never did. Ever since I made these, I love seeing those in need because I actually can help them! Yes, it may seem small, but it feels really big to me. A little something is better than nothing and I have to say that the look on their face when they are given the bag is priceless.
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