I attended a big banquet last night where we served 500 people. It was grande! So much visiting, hugs, tears, joy, gratitude, and a bit of complaining by a small number of people. The complaining seemed to be the only thing I could focus on and it stole some of my joy. By the end of the night, it left me thinking about things my mom taught me a long time ago and at the end of the night I realized that not everyone was brought up the same. We all come from different stations in life. The banquet we held was a fund-raiser and potluck. We provided the meat and people were to bring a side dish. When you're serving 500 people, that means we need everyone to participate. I watched as at least half of the folks coming in the door arrived empty-handed. What's up with that?
Take Away: There are givers and there are takers.
Mom taught my sister and I to never go somewhere empty-handed. Never. Ever.
And, she taught us that when someone gives us something on a
plate, never return it empty.
And one more thing.
Be grateful.
Someone, somewhere didn't eat today.
Someone, somewhere is cold today.
Someone, somewhere can't beat their addiction.
Someone, somewhere is alone.
Be grateful.
I'm getting down off my soapbox now.
love, susan
I had noticed this last time also and I grit my teeth when I see empty hands arriving. I would rather take too much and have to throw it out at the end of the night than not take enough. We were both raised the same. Never, never go to a potluck without the pot. You might not be lucky.
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