vendredi 29 mars 2013

The Challenge of Compassion

I am a proud member of the Integrity of Vintage Team. We recently had a treasury challenge. The theme was compassion. For me, 2013 got off to a rough start that landed me in the hospital. I'm still recovering. I will tell you that it's at your lowest hour that you find out who people really are. I already knew that most of the members on the Integrity of Vintage Team were a good group of people, but when push came to shove, the members of the team were there for me and went that extra mile. They took time out of their days to send me heartfelt letters of inspiration to get better. They were candid. They were so filled with compassion, that they moved me from tears of fear to courage to heal. They are the kind of people you wish were your neighbors. If I could scoop them all up and make them my neighbors, I would. They all deserve the badge of integrity. I've seen that. The next time I can go on a shopping spree, it will be in their shops, because I feel better about giving my money to good people. Plus, working with them each day, I know they are very knowledgeable about their wares and don't even offer items unless they are certain about it's era and origin. Making a treasury of compassion with these folks put a smile on my face and was not much of a challenge. I know everyone is busy, but often the smallest effort creates an enormous impact in someone else's life. What I will do is challenge each and everyone of you to give just a little compassion to your neighbor, your family, your loved ones, even a stranger. Pick up the phone. Write that email and check up on someone. Help your neighbor get the groceries in. Volunteer an afternoon or hour at a local organization in need. You might be the one needing that compassion one day.