Why are we doing this? are we actually making a difference?
Little things do make a difference!
Have you ever noticed how you always remember those little, seemingly insignificant events? Those little memories that you can see so clearly. They're not the big events, the ones you're supposed to remember. It's the little things. I can remember the first time I ever met my best friend, the first time I finished reading my, now, favourite book. I'm sure you can think of some examples for yourself.
Small acts of kindness can make someone's day.
There are so many examples of this in
givesmehope.com so i've picked out a few good ones.
- My brother has Down Syndrome and doesn't speak very well. This week while we were down the beach he tried to learn how to skim board.He would try and ask the other boys how they did it and they would laugh at him and walk away. The last day 4 teenage boys spent hours with him teaching him. They were so patient. He wouldn't stop smiling :)They GMH.
- Today I was going out for a coffee with my boyfriend. On the way I passed a homeless man and gave him $5. When I got to Starbucks my boyfriend dumped me. I walked home crying, and when I passed the homeless man he told me how sorry he was, and offered to buy me a coffee. He used the $5 I gave him, and smiled proudly as he handed over the money. GMH
- I suffer from severe depression. I try to keep that part of me away from friends because I'm worried they'll judge me for it. After revealing this to a dear friend via email, he went silent. I went to bed feeling worse than ever. Early the next morning, there was a knock at the door. He had driven all night to see me, just to give me a hug. GMH.
A helping hand can make a huge difference in someone's life.
Again, I've search givesmehope.com for some examples.
- A long time ago, I was on the verge of committing suicide when a guy came to the roof to have lunch. He saw me climbing over the railing and asked me to share his lunch with him. After receiving my puzzled look, he explained, "everyone should die happy. or at least with a full stomach." We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary last month. GMH.
- Two years ago, I tried to kill myself by swallowing a bottle of painkillers. My online friend, who I'd never met, was the only person who knew. He called 911, they pumped my stomach to save my life. Today, I got my bachelor's degree in sociology. I'm now going to grad school. GMH
- I work in a bank - a place where good news is hard to come by recently: Today I spoke with a gentleman who told me he needed to know how much money he had. When I asked if he had a large purchase coming up, he said yes. "I'm buying clothes for the man who asks me for a quarter every day on my way to school," he replies. This gentleman was 12. GMH
One act of bravery can change the world.
"On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks, age 42, refused to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. Her action was not the first of its kind: Irene Morgan, in 1946, and Sarah Louise Keys, in 1955, had won rulings before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Interstate Commerce Commission respectively in the area of interstate bus travel. Nine months before Parks refused to give up her seat, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to move from her seat on the same bus system. But unlike these previous individual actions of civil disobedience, Parks' action sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott." "The boycott resulted in the U.S. civil rights movement receiving one of its first victories and gave Martin Luther King, Jr. the national attention that made him one of the prime leaders of the cause." -Wiki
Finally a thought to leave you with;
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
God Bless
