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DECEMBER 6, 2013
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
Hope IS Possible
Helping others is all that matters Helen Blocker-Adams
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here are many times when I have received inspirational messages via email or Facebook that resonate in such a way that I have to share them with others. The one at the end of this column is one such message. For anyone who has followed my columns over the past five years or so, you already know Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. After moving to Augusta in 1975, my mother started a Thanksgiving tradition, still ongoing, of having dinner at her house. Relatives from all over the state join us on that special day with their favorite dish, and
the fellowship is breathtaking. Our family has grown so much over the years and it’s gratifying to spend time with the children. I love that day, and I hope yours was as enjoyable as mine. Thanksgiving isn’t as precious to many others in our community as it to me and you. And for that reason, there have been times I have joined hundreds of others and volunteered to serve others on Thanksgiving Day. This year I am happy to have assembled a group of 16 people, including young people, who served food and helped with clothing distribution at Greater Young Zion Baptist Church. It’s a pleasure to say what a blessed experience it was. Helping others is all that matters.
When we think about our shortcomings, lack of money, joblessness, bad relationships or health challenges, it’s easy to get caught up in ourselves and think no one else is having problems like you. Well, you’re wrong. There are millions of people all over the world who are worse off than you. Even closer to home, there are thousands in our community having a much tougher life than you and I are. God gives us a giving spirit and a giving heart. It’s up to us to turn on the switch and allow it to manifest itself. I urge you to try it. Of course, by the time you read this column, you will have already celebrated Thanksgiving and again I pray you had a wonderful, peaceful and happy day. Keep the spirit of thankfulness and gratitude alive in your heart every day, not just on Thanksgiving and not during the holiday season only. Please find encouragement in the following words from an anonymous writer. God bless you and your family and Happy Holidays. + Helen Blocker-Adams is Executive Director of the Southeast Enterprise Institute; mental health advocate; and youth advocate. You can reach her at hba@hbagroup-intl. com or visit her website at www. helenblockeradams.com
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Helping others helps you, at the very deepest level. Giving real value serves to create real value in your own life. By providing encouragement, you receive encouragement. When you teach, you learn.
Each day is rich with opportunities for you to make a positive difference in the lives of those around you. And it is through genuinely enriching the lives of others that you find true richness in your own. Right here, right now, there is a beautiful way to give of yourself, and to make the world a better place. Choose to do so, and immediately feel the benefits begin to manifest. You have the chance today to change lives for the better. It’s difficult to imagine anything that could be more fulfilling than that. Reach out, give a hand, make a difference, and offer a kindness. The lives you lift will most certainly include your own.
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