I just read this article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081206/ap_on_re_us/secret_santa
And it made me completely weepy eyed. Ok, scratch that. I bawled like a baby. I think about all the kindness that has been extended to me during the tragedy that Emma suffered. After Emma's trauma, we became homeless, I had to stop working in order to take care of her. I nearly gave Emma up for adoption because there was no way I could take care of her. My friend called me one day and I answered the phone in tears. I was living in a tiny room in my grandmother's mobile home at the time. The place was filthy, the environment was extremely abusive and I just got out of the hospital for having a mental break down. Let me tell you, having your life completely disrupted does a lot to a person. Having Emma be a healthy normal, 11 month old one minute and watch her fighting for her life the next because of a man who should have loved her the most. It was all overwhelming.
Anyways, my friend asked me what was wrong. I told her I was going to give Emma up for adoption and I had a meeting with the adoption agency that day. I knew I couldn't give Emma what she needed, our housing conditions were appalling, it was just a bad situation. Well, my friend said she would call me back but not to go to the agency.
See, this friend, she has seen a lot. She was at my first 2 babies' funerals when they were born premature. She saw Emma the day she was born. She came as soon as she heard what happened to Emma. She also helped me out when I went into surgery for my tubal ligation.
Anyways, she called me the next day and said she and a group of her family and friends are going to help us. I told her no. I am too proud. I would do what was right, blah blah blah.
To make a long story short, they raised nearly $10,000 so I could get a vehicle and a small apartment. If it wasn't for them, Emma would be somewhere else.
Here's the info on the fundraiser: http://www.foolslife.com/2005_fwtf.htm
So, I always think of the movie "Pay it Forward". That newspaper article is the epitome of paying it forward. Now that I am finally back to work full time, although this year I am short, but next year I am going to pick an angel or two from the Angel trees and help out where we have been helped.
The economy might be bad, but we all have $20 extra to spare. I know I gave a little this year, not able to do as much as I would like. How about you???
