This last week I was embarrassed of myself. No one knew it but I was. I didn’t walk out of the bathroom stall with toilet paper on my shoe, I wasn’t showing a million dollar home to clients with my zipper down, nor was I speaking in public with kale on my teeth. Nope nothing that would be forgotten just as quickly as it happened. This was one of those moments in life that silences and separates you from the rest of the world. If you have ever been told unexpectedly about the death of a loved one, or broken someones heart, I put the feeling up there with that. A real game changer, if you let it.
I often get asked to donate money to deserving causes, we all do. Every day there is a new ice bucket challenge, food drive, a race to cure this, a walk to help that, silent auctions, sponsorship opportunities etc. I am pretty sure I donate money to each and every one that approaches me. Sometimes its not much, other times its substantial (at least to me) and while I know the cause is good and I am happy to help I couldn’t tell you today who was or is benefiting from the majority of my donations. That doesn’t mean the need wasn’t and isn’t real – Its very real; Children are starving. Mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers are dying of diseases and are suffering from disabilities that science is on the verge of curing and money helps. So we should all continue to give when we can, its needed. But here is the thing, we can give more than money… We can give ourselves. This last Thursday I joined a group of friends and physically gave back to my community. For four short hours we helped pass out hundreds of toys, bikes, and boxes of food via The Salvation Army to those in need this holiday season. I was embarrassed of myself because I had not previously gotten my hands dirty. I could not recall the last time that I physically helped – yet I am a young, healthy, adult who is perfectly capable of doing so. Shame on me. I believe it was the third bag I handed out that put me at pause. It was a white trash bag easily seen through, it contained a football and a stuffed bear. The woman was weeping as she said thank you and explained that her kids had never gotten anything at Christmas before. Wow!
For those of you reading this that have been physically giving back for years, I applaud you, I thank you, and I look forward to joining you regularly. I will forever now make the time to put some sweat behind the check. For those that have been like me and have only written the check or given the coat or can of food – I applaud you, I thank you, and I hope some day you will join me in what is a truly rewarding and heart filling experience.
for a list of some other great local causes and events head on over to https://fresyes.com/giveback
I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.
I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.
Fresno? I say FresYES
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