we celebrated thanksgiving a week early at work, which ultimately meant that shea & i got a sneak peek of the deliciousness that will be entering our bellies this upcoming week. turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed taters, sweet potatoes, stuffing... you name it, it was there. even homeade gravy!
this also meant, preparing a full thanksgiving dinner for approx 90 hungry individuals.
yes. i said it.
90.
the amazing part of this, is that despite the stress, chaos, mess and craziness that occurred, it was well worth it. those 90 hungry individuals are individuals whose thanksgiving dinner, prepared by shea and i, may be their ONLY thanksgiving dinner. some of them do not have families to go to on thanksgiving, so they will spend next thursday in their apartment eating meals on wheels, warmed up in the microwave, in front of a tv, alone. while all of us, sit around a big table with our families, laughing and making memories. some of those 90 individuals do not get to eat a hot meal on a daily basis, unlike all of us, and for them, that meal that we worked so hard on, was a meal fit for a king. that plate of food was worth so much then we can ever imagine. despite my aching back and sore feet, i really GAVE - which is what this season is about. i gave my heart and my soul into preparing that meal, and only saw smiles and felt so much love in return.it really strikes me this time of the year how i am so grateful for everything in my life. spending the past few months working in social services with the geriatric population has put my life into perspective. yes, i commute four hours a day to work and am cranky by the time 7pm rolls around, but i make lives easier for people who are unable to help themselves. i make people happy. i feed people who do not have the money or energy to make a meal on their own. i help them with their needs. i am their advocate. i speak when they cannot speak or are afraid to. i stand up for them and i give them all of my attention and smiles throughout the day. yes, i get a paycheck every month, but what is more important is the respect and love i get in return from my old folks in astoria.
i am grateful for a supportive family, and for a beautiful job that truly allows me to give back to the world. when my parents passed away, i could have went a million different directions, but i was saved. saved by two generous people with gray hair, who i can never repay. my job right now, is my form of repayment. my way of giving back my heart and soul that was given to me by grandparents.
i hope one day, everyone can have a job where they feel complete. where their heart is filled with love from the people they work with, and from the people they work for. where your job doesn't feel like a job, but a home. a happy home where when people smile at you - they mean it.
“Smile at each other,
smile at your wife,
smile at your husband,
smile at your children,
smile at each other --
it doesn't matter who it is --
and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.”
_mother teresa
2 comments:
I'm being called but I must say that through Dawn I met you and through Dawn's blog, I found yours... and I'm glad I did... I didn't read your whole post just yet, but I started it and I've read a few others... you inspire.
=)
awww i love this post :) i got goosebumps, once again, of course... and it's so true :) we warm people's hearts just by doing our jobs. what we get from working at CSH is worth so much more than those paychecks (one of which you still haven't cashed, cough cough). yay.
Post a Comment