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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Junk mail...Make someone smile this Christmas!

Ever get something in the mail that you just tossed after barely a glance at it?  Ever look over a piece of mail that held your interest for a moment, then discarded.  What about that piece of mail that you read through and even kept around for a few days thinking you might return to it; only to toss it later; the impact worn off?  I'm afraid I have to admit I am recently guilty of exactly that; something in the mail caught my attention; even caught my heart; but after a few days I tossed it out, perhaps afraid to admit that reached me on a personal level. 

I'll also admit that I have thought about that little piece of mail a few times since I tossed it.  But oh well, it was gone, too late to act on it, right.  Right?

Today I woke with no plans...picked up some groceries first thing, have some dishes to do and a meal to prepare, but that's it.  So I enjoy my breakfast in front of the TV...nothing really great on...I browsed the TV guide listings and just as I'm about to turn off the TV and get to those waiting dishes I see it.  Yup, the same name that was on that piece of mail that's been at the back of my mind...Operation Smile.  I select it and am immediately engulfed in the promo-show about volunteer doctors, nurses and others reaching out to children around the world who suffer with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate facial deformity.  BAM!  That little piece of mail that had caught my eye, tugged at my heart and still found it's way into my garbage (well, actually our recycling box)...there it was again, right in front of me saying, remember this...remember you wanted to do something with this...My mother's-heart feels for each of those parents, raising a child with such an obvious, un-hideable deformity, to those children who suffer ridicule, low self-esteem and even possible malnutrition.  A mother on the show said she couldn't breastfeed her baby because of his cleft lip and that just tugged at my heartstrings.  These surgeries to repair cleft lip and cleft palate facial deformities are said to take as little as 45 minutes and cost as little as $240 CND.  (I think of how easy it is for us to spend $240 and not really need or even remember what we bought!)   What these surgeries really do is give someone a renewed sense of self-worth, confidence and a glowing smile!


Here we are, it's about 3/4s of the way through November, less than 30 days until Christmas and my hubby and I have not yet started our Christmas shopping.  I hate buying gifts for people; there, my secret is out.  Unless I know there is something I can surprise someone with that they really want, need or will absolutely love, I hate the pressure of having to find SOMETHING to put under the Christmas tree for family and friends.  I hate the feeling that we are just shopping because we are expected to; that it's actually a waste of money to get people something they won't like, don't need or will never use, just so you had something for them wrapped under the tree.  Anyway, you get my drift.

So, here is something to think about...how would my family and friends feel if I bought them a smile for Christmas; the smile of a child, a smile that would last a lifetime and enhance the whole life of an individual and their family?  Isn't that a great gift?  My mother's-heart sure thinks so.  Time to talk to the hubby about my new Christmas shopping list!

Check it out www.operationsmile.org and consider giving a gift that will last a lifetime, the gift of a smile this holiday season!  And why not let me know about it if you do...let's see how many smiles this little blog post can get!

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