In the Spirit of giving... 1 1

[porcupine48]

  well thank you very much Mr Robot and Mrs. Claus! I'll be certain to read them with my young niece and nephew to pass on some Christmas cheer!

Warmest Season's Greetings to everyone!

[jhutton2]

Great idea for a thread and very generous   Hope everyones weekend has been a good one.

[Gregd]

Nice job on this. 

Just want to share a story how a small gesture goes a long way. My son suffers from addiction and is currently doing extraordinarily well. But 6 months ago he left his sober living home and went homeless for a few days. As tough as it was, we said he needed to get back or be homeless. He chose the latter.

On the third night, he was living on Venice beach and said he was trying to find a place to sleep. He was chased off the beach but another homeless guy and so he found a bench to put his stuff and sleep on. He put his stuff down and went to the bathroom. This was 3 am.

When he went back to the bench someone left him a Big Book- the "bible" for AA members. No one was in sight. That gestured triggered something in him to go back to the house. He said it was the turning point for him.

Since that moment he has done so well and we just spent the weekend laughing and bonding. The smallest gestures can have huge impacts. So thankful to someone I will never know.

Happy Holidays!

[jimjum12]

2 minutes ago, Gregd said:

Nice job on this. 

Just want to share a story how a small gesture goes a long way. My son suffers from addiction and is currently doing extraordinarily well. But 6 months ago he left his sober living home and went homeless for a few days. As tough as it was, we said he needed to get back or be homeless. He chose the latter.

On the third night, he was living on Venice beach and said he was trying to find a place to sleep. He was chased off the beach but another homeless guy and so he found a bench to put his stuff and sleep on. He put his stuff down and went to the bathroom. This was 3 am.

When he went back to the bench someone left him a Big Book- the "bible" for AA members. No one was in sight. That gestured triggered something in him to go back to the house. He said it was the turning point for him.

Since that moment he has done so well and we just spent the weekend laughing and bonding. The smallest gestures can have huge impacts. So thankful to someone I will never know.

Happy Holidays!

.....it was probably some guy named Bill ..................

.....seriously, make sure he gets a good sponsor and works ALL twelve steps..... otherwise it will be same old same old .......... it's what worked for me, it's been going on 17 years now ....GOD BLESS.....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Gregd]

6 minutes ago, jimjum12 said:

.....it was probably some guy named Bill ..................

.....seriously, make sure he gets a good sponsor and works ALL twelve steps..... otherwise it will be same old same old .......... it's what worked for me, it's been going on 17 years now ....GOD BLESS.....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Has a great sponsor and on step 8! Hoping he stays the course but happy he is alive and well today.

[Robot Man]

21 minutes ago, Gregd said:

Nice job on this. 

Just want to share a story how a small gesture goes a long way. My son suffers from addiction and is currently doing extraordinarily well. But 6 months ago he left his sober living home and went homeless for a few days. As tough as it was, we said he needed to get back or be homeless. He chose the latter.

On the third night, he was living on Venice beach and said he was trying to find a place to sleep. He was chased off the beach but another homeless guy and so he found a bench to put his stuff and sleep on. He put his stuff down and went to the bathroom. This was 3 am.

When he went back to the bench someone left him a Big Book- the "bible" for AA members. No one was in sight. That gestured triggered something in him to go back to the house. He said it was the turning point for him.

Since that moment he has done so well and we just spent the weekend laughing and bonding. The smallest gestures can have huge impacts. So thankful to someone I will never know.

Happy Holidays!

Very nice story Greg. Long ago, I had a lot of "bad habits" myself. Wasn't an addict but with the help of friends, family and a patient woman, I cleaned up my act and am the better person for it. Sometimes tough love works. Glad he is working it out!

[vaillant]

12 hours ago, Gregd said:

Nice job on this. 

Just want to share a story how a small gesture goes a long way. My son suffers from addiction and is currently doing extraordinarily well. But 6 months ago he left his sober living home and went homeless for a few days. As tough as it was, we said he needed to get back or be homeless. He chose the latter.

On the third night, he was living on Venice beach and said he was trying to find a place to sleep. He was chased off the beach but another homeless guy and so he found a bench to put his stuff and sleep on. He put his stuff down and went to the bathroom. This was 3 am.

When he went back to the bench someone left him a Big Book- the "bible" for AA members. No one was in sight. That gestured triggered something in him to go back to the house. He said it was the turning point for him.

Since that moment he has done so well and we just spent the weekend laughing and bonding. The smallest gestures can have huge impacts. So thankful to someone I will never know.

Happy Holidays!

Love to hear this, Gregd. I have barely visited many important italian cities, but the only time I came to the USA I was in LA, and thus in Venice. So I can picture the setting, visually, and this makes all the difference. There was definitely some "help from above" here.

[Robot Man]

On 12/16/2017 at 3:10 PM, walclark said:

Great stories so far.  I’m sure many people go out of their way to do special things at this time of the year and all year long.  I also don’t want to participate in your contest (although it is very generous of you) and I don’t want to sound like I’m blowing my own horn, but today was a great Christmas experience for me.

Just back from a very rewarding volunteer experience...spent five hours helping out at the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree warehouse.  The UT Alumni Association put out a call asking for help and Vol Nation showed why we are the Tennessee Volunteers as dozens of Volunteers showed up decked in orange.  It was both a heartwarming and heartbreaking experience at the same time.

Heartwarming to see the dozens of Vols that came out, pitched in, and made a difference.  Heartwarming to see literally thousands of toys, clothes, shoes, diapers, etc. donated by the good people of middle Tennessee to make sure that every kid possible (and seniors, too) got at least something for Christmas.

Heartbreaking to see that there were literally thousands and thousands of bags, each representing a family in need, covering the floor of a giant warehouse.  And heartbreaking to see that SO many of the kids weren’t asking for toys, but for coats, shoes, socks, underwear, blankets, and sheets.

While we live in the greatest and wealthiest nation on the planet, an experience like this reminds me that there is much more that we could and should do.  No child in America should be asking Santa for a blanket for Christmas.

VERY well said! Christmas can be especially hard for kids and senior citizens. It is just wrong that we live in the greatest country in the world and there are so many needy folks. Bless you for giving a little of your time for others, I wish more people did as well.

[Robot Man]

On 12/16/2017 at 3:55 PM, KirbyJack said:

My sister has all of us helping out with her cause; one of the neediest Indian reservations in the country. Our buy lists always include food, warm clothes, and blankets. 

I'm reminded of a line from Gandhi, "Poverty is the worst form of violence".

Great quote and oh so true my friend!

[Robot Man]

On 12/16/2017 at 4:42 PM, Badger said:

I'll play!

This year's annual Toys for Tots drive was being solicited at our neighborhood Walmart.  Right in front of the big sliding doors, there is this glum looking gentleman in full Army dress uniform standing next to the table.  He looked every Walmart customer in the eye, as they entered the store, and said Merry Christmas.  Nothing more, nothing less. Unless someone stopped to ask a question, like my wife and I did, he stands at parade rest, making eye contact with all of the adults, and says. "Merry Christmas."  Over and over. As hundreds of people walk past him, his sign, and his table and he greated them all with a neutral expression and a "Merry Christmas."

This gentleman stood out. Imagine a cross between Edward James Olmos and Lee Ermy standing, in full dress uniform, with hardly a smile next to a folding table and a Toys for Tots sign.  Now outside that Walmart, all along the side walk next to the fire lane, there were also a handful of empty shopping carts arrayed in front of his table, also labeled Toys for Tots,  Curious, we asked what the carts were for and he said, "Why they are there for all the donated toys so that we can show the generosity of all of our good neighbors."  Again, no smile and hardly any inflection in what he says.  Is he mad, sad, or just channeling drill sergeants of Christmas past?

This scene struck me as sad and not at all Christmasy so I continued on into Walmart with a slight scowl contemplating what to do. Looking back over my shoulder, I see that the gentleman returned to parade rest and his stern face croaked out, "Merry Christmas", once again and to all.  Faintly bothered by the scene, my wife and I continued about our shopping hardly speaking as we are both lost in thought.  Briefly leaving my wife, I detour to the toy isle where I grab a Hot Wheels gift set which I toss into our cart.  I then turned to my wife, Toni, and asked, "Sweetheart, would you like to pick out a toy to donate?"  To my surprise she said, "No.", and we check out.  On our way to our car, we place the Hot Wheels package in a box on the gentleman's table where we receive a small smile, a nod, and "Merry Christmas." The smile ignites a glow in me as I step a little lighter; happy in my good dead.

Returning home, I'm feeling good that we donated to the cause.  Toni still is not saying much so I hardly notice when she disappears.  I take notice though when loud crunching, bashing, and all around hootin' and a hollerin' come from our garage.  With nary a thought to my own safety, I run outside looking for the chaos that roused me from my philanthropic self-musings and congratulations.  What I find is Toni literally waist deep in plastic containers spread throughout our garage.

A little back story: Toni was a Beanie Baby fanatic in the 90s and early 2000s.  Her and her mother bought multiples of every stuffed critter put out by that slight wack job stuffed toy genius Ty Warner.  Somehow, all of those wonders of fluff, soft fabric, and Chinese labor ended up in our garage where they sat from the time of Beanie Baby (The) End until now.  Now, the almost a dozen green plastic storage boxes stacked to the ceiling were spread across the garage floor with Beanies of every type being sorted and tossed into other containers.

Toni had a plan.  She loaded her car with half a dozen containers holding hundreds of stuffed toys and drove back to the gentleman with the beret and empty shopping carts.  Arriving in front of Walmart, Toni parked in the fire lane slightly ahead of the carts and probably 20 feet from the folding table.  Jumping out of the car, Toni opened the back doors and began to drag the plastic containers out.  One by one, she went from the car to the carts, from the carts to the car, dumping the hundreds of toys into each formerly empty shopping cart.  Onlookers gasped as they slowly realized what was happening and Children, crying out in glee, ran up to the carts to pick up the stuffed animals.  Excitement gripped the crowd which finally attracted the notice of the gentleman in full dress uniform.  As Toni loads the last of the, now empty, containers back into her car, he jumps forward to stop traffic so that Toni can pull away safely.  As we leave the fire lane, we hear him cry out, "Merry Christmas and Thank you!"

So, you probably think my story, which I admit has a few embellishments but I swear the core is true, is about how my wife brought Christmas Happiness to the gentleman at Walmart. Well, it is, of course, but it is also a story of why I am happily married to Toni.  Every year she surprises me with her kindness and generosity when every year it should become more impossible and improbable for her to do so.  Our 25th anniversary is next year and once again, she has brought the Christmas spirit to me and others.  I saw your generous offer of free Carl Barks books and I knew I had to write this story so that she would have a chance of special Christmas magic herself.  

 

 

Great story Badger! Sounds like you have been very blessed your self with a wonderful wife who cares about so many. Life is good my friend!  

Beanie Babies, I remember those... 

[Robot Man]

22 hours ago, jimjum12 said:

All I've got are a couple of Ghost Riders Motorcycle Club Toy Drives that I can only barely remember .... GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

....it's about the kids I guess...... keeping them happy 

I used to do the same thing Jimbo. I won't mention the name of the club, and I wasn't a member, but it was great seeing all these big tough bikers get all teary eyed with all the kids at these events. They might have "colors" on their jackets but they were all just big softies under neath it all. Hang in there Buddy  

[Get Marwood & I]

39 minutes ago, Robot Man said:

VERY well said! Christmas can be especially hard for kids and senior citizens. It is just wrong that we live in the greatest country in the world and there are so many needy folks. Bless you for giving a little of your time for others, I wish more people did as well.

Second greatest....