Today I volunteered my time to go videotape Dr. Asa Morton’s HELPS Eye Care Mission that he goes on each year to dark recesses of Guatemala. I have photoed and videotaped his “Thank You Dinner” every year for the last three years.
My dad really believed in helping the poor and unfortunate in other countries and contributed greatly to Dr. Morton’s mission. Last year I can remember how thrilled he was to go and be with his friends and see the slide show presentation.
I see visions of him sitting in his wheel chair, with his contorted smile, complimenting all the women young and old on how beautiful they were and talking with the other contributors and supporters.
It is times like this that I realize helping others with time and money transcends our own selfish reality. When we realize there are so many people in the world who are blessed by a scrap of bread , a roof over their heads and a place to sleep, it is much easier to be thankful for all of our blessings. Our problems in comparison are nothing!
In light of the suffering of many people in the world it is sad to think we are so caught up in our own pathway to wealth and personal possessions and power that we lose sight of what is really valuable…helping others in our family and neighborhoods.
We don’t have far to go to find others who need our help in our local neighborhoods…the sick, elderly, poor, depressed, confused, orphans, divorced, etc. Real personal power is not what we do for ourselves and how much adulation we gain but how we serve others who have no one else to help them but us.
take care,
ralph