Next Friday I will be getting a new computer, flat screen monitor and printer, all fully loaded and ready to just plug in. My old computer died long ago, and I have been using the computers at my college, at my public library and relying a lot on my iphone. Having a computer of my own in my home will change a lot of things for me. It will make my school work much easier. It will allow me to take some online classes, which will help me manage my free time and work schedule much better. It will let me spend more time working on my novel (which is coming along well, by the way.) I am very excited and very thankful.
But that's not even the best part. Let me tell you how this all came about. Since New Year's Eve of 2010, one of my daily affirmations is, "I have everything I need, when I need it." Right now I don't earn enough money to meet all my living expenses every month, and have been watching my savings balance go a little lower each month. I really do believe what I say, that I have everything I need, when I need it. And not just money. It goes beyond that.
One of my best friends was in a bit of a financial pickle. I helped her out. I wasn't expecting anything in return. She had a need, I could help, and so I did. Right around this time, I had a Spanish exam on a chapter on technology. While speaking with my professor during the oral part of the exam, she asked me if I had a computer at home. As we talked, she told me (in English) that our college has a program where students who meet a certain criteria can get a free computer. So I applied, I qualified, and from an ethical standpoint, I believe that the money I have in savings is low enough that I can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity without feeling like someone more deserving should have it. Without feeling like a moocher.
The timing of all of this is nothing short of miraculous. I am thinking that maybe this is a little extra bonus for me. A way of reassuring me that when you do the right thing, when you give, you don't have to worry about not having enough for yourself. I have everything I need, when I need it. It was a nice idea on December 31, 2010. Somewhere along the way, it became one of my core beliefs. Next Friday, I will open Pink's hatchback and load it all in, take it home and set it up. Having a computer of my own, free. Having everything I need, when I need it, priceless.
Susan
Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Glue and Rocks
A family member nicknamed her "Elmer," which is kind of a funny endearment. It was meant as a compliment, for she is the glue that holds their family together. She remembers everyone's birthdays and anniversaries. She loves having Christmas dinner for the extended family at her home. She is the one who picks up the lonely, elderly aunt and takes her out for an afternoon of lunch and shopping.
If she is the glue, another friend of mine is the rock. A solid, common sense kind of guy, he is the one that gets called in the middle of the night when there is a crisis. He is the one folks go to when they need advice on buying a car or getting a kid into college. He is the one with the pickup truck who will devote a whole weekend to helping someone move.
Those folks who are the glue or the rocks usually love what they do and are happy that their strengths play to the needs of the people they love most. But I have a concern here. What happens when the glue begins to come apart a little? What happens when the rock gets a little crumbly? Those around them often don't come to their aid, don't even notice that there IS a problem, because they are so conditioned to seeing these folks in their roles. The woman who is called Elmer, for example, threw her own 40th birthday party, which was very ironic. She has always been the one to give the parties, so it never even occurred to anyone she might like to have a party in her honor.
It takes some thinking outside the box to realize that those pivotal people in our lives, the ones who hold things together, the ones who are solid, the ones who are always giving, might need something from us. They seem so self-sufficient and together.
This has gotten me thinking today. Who are the people I count on most in life, and can they count on me?
Susan
If she is the glue, another friend of mine is the rock. A solid, common sense kind of guy, he is the one that gets called in the middle of the night when there is a crisis. He is the one folks go to when they need advice on buying a car or getting a kid into college. He is the one with the pickup truck who will devote a whole weekend to helping someone move.
Those folks who are the glue or the rocks usually love what they do and are happy that their strengths play to the needs of the people they love most. But I have a concern here. What happens when the glue begins to come apart a little? What happens when the rock gets a little crumbly? Those around them often don't come to their aid, don't even notice that there IS a problem, because they are so conditioned to seeing these folks in their roles. The woman who is called Elmer, for example, threw her own 40th birthday party, which was very ironic. She has always been the one to give the parties, so it never even occurred to anyone she might like to have a party in her honor.
It takes some thinking outside the box to realize that those pivotal people in our lives, the ones who hold things together, the ones who are solid, the ones who are always giving, might need something from us. They seem so self-sufficient and together.
This has gotten me thinking today. Who are the people I count on most in life, and can they count on me?
Susan
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