Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Giving Has No Season









This is the season for holiday mail.  Catalogues stuff my rural box, while cyber reminders of deals and sales stack my in box with temptations. This year, I get Aunt Ruth’s mail.  She doesn’t get Williams Sonoma or Neiman Marcus.  She gets letters from Sloan-Kettering, Hadassah, The Policeman's Fund, The Free Clinic, Catholic Charities, The Jewish Community Center, and organizations I didn’t know existed.

Aunt Ruth believed that helping people, loving people was simple to do.  She gave something to everyone who wrote to her from a dollar to ten, because she thought that this was the right thing to do.  “Imagine how many mouths the Salvation Army could feed or new research for cancer could be funded, if everyone gave something?” she would ask off-handedly.  She’d add, “If you don’t have money, then give your time.”  She talked like this as if the lessons were filling space like commas, because she wasn’t preaching.  She was narrating her daily life.

I get her mail now.  I stack the envelopes and watch the Giving Tower grow.  Her goodness shines light on everything she taught me, everything she did, and everything she hoped others would do. 

Aunt Ruth said, “Everything is better shared.”  Little by little adds up to a lot, and a lot surely makes for better.  I know it is trite, but Aunt Ruth didn’t have a Giving Season, and my hope is that her Giving Tower inspires me towards kindness, because opportunity is always right in front of me.  It can be as easy as answering the phone with a happy voice.

My dad’s photographic legacy taught me that a camera is a key to open doors or hearts.  Aunt Ruth opened the door to her apartment and let me photograph her life, and my heart has been full ever since

May her Giving Tower inspire you to start yours, but most of all, thank YOU for Loving Aunt Ruth.

Happy Holidays.  

12 comments:

  1. Aunt Ruth is inspiring, as always. Thank you for sharing her with us.

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  2. Aunt Ruth lives in all of us. I feel like she was my aunt too and you know, I love her recipes. Thank you for sharing the wisdom and love of Aunt Ruth... she is a beautiful role model for all of us... and so are you.

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  3. Aunt Ruth taught you well...and through you and Aunt Ruth the gift of family is truly evident. Thanks for reminding us!

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  4. And so Aunt Ruth continues her giving.

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  5. thank you. for inspiring us to love. to give. to be.

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  7. Aunt Ruth was an inspiring woman to many of us. There is much you wrote about her that I still remember and I think it will be with me for a long time. Especially the photos you took of her, and especially one of you, Honey, and her. The love was so visible.

    I do think that her spirit will always be with you, Honey.

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  8. Happy Holidays to you! I love the idea of a Giving Tower...what a legacy filled with love and hope and kindness.

    Aunt Ruth has touched you deeply, and through you, she has touched us as well.
    xoxo

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  9. Love is eternal. For Aunt Ruth, Love is a verb. And for you to share with us reverberates!!!! Thank you, Honey, for your spirit of generosity and inquiry. You lift us up. And yes, Tessa is correct, you write beautifully. Thank you for this, too. oxoxox

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  10. Oh a giving tower! Aunt Ruth reminds me of my mother-in-law in this regard. Audrey would donate to every organization that sent something in the mail and after she died, all those envelopes came to us and we realized just how much she donated -- a bit here and a bit there. She felt it was the only thing to do -- they asked...how could she say no? Giving is loving. Really quite simple. xo love you Honey!

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  11. This is beautiful! Aunt Ruth's inspiring legacy lives on. Thanks Honey for creating and sharing this. And - to you and yours - happiest wishes for this up and coming new year - :-)!

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