Getting Back from Giving Back
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| A special cookie |
There are a few blogs I like to follow, most of which have to do with families. Families are what Finding Freedom is all about; the nitty, gritty details of creating an emotionally and physically healthy family. There is a common theme among my fellow blog writers:
Being the right kind of mother is hard.
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| Vitamins for Guatemala |
Being the right kind of nonprofit to support indigenous mothers is just as difficult. The nitty, gritty details of running a nonprofit will suck the stamina out of the most enthusiastic, passionate person, especially if they are, as we are, volunteers.
So when we have a few days of giving back to the givers, it is cause for celebration.
When FFF friends Holly and Maureen worked a small miracle in their busy schedules to find time for the three of us, all from different cities, to have lunch, and to bring me a most-delicious cookie from their favorite bakery as well as loads of vitamins for the children in our program, it nourished more than just our bodies. Somehow three hours buzzed by as we chatted away about our respective Guatemalan adventures.
And when The Catapult Foundation reviewed our grant application, and sent back through provoking questions, with sweet personal responses, I got the shot of enthusiasm for our work that I needed.
When we needed a Facebook header for our FFF page, and Rae House landed the perfect one back to my inbox in a matter of minutes, it fed my impatient soul and my creative spirit.
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| Graphic design donated by Rae |
When Becky B., who is always thinking of others, loaded up my arms with new shoes for children in Guatemala and fresh organic produce from her garden for my own table, the day got even better.
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| Becky’s bounty |
Soon after, Carol S., who leads a student group of enthusiastic future leaders, dropped off a jar of spare change the students had collected for our mother’s in Guatemala.
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| Donated coins |
It was a few days of giving back to the givers. And at the end of those special moments, I suddenly noticed that the weather, which had been beautiful all day long, was just perfect. The nourishment for body and soul had given me just the right spectacles to see what was already in front of me. The kindness of those supporting the supporters helps Carol Kremer in Rhode Island sell Guatemalan crafts to support our funds. It lifts the spirits of Mike in Denver as he tries to find donated laptops for our facilitators doing our work in the mountains of Guatemala. It motivates Kathy in Lexington to learn Spanish so she can communicate with our Spanish speaking staff. Well done, all.
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| A perfect day |