Giving for others - Thankful for my blessings (countdown to new years pt1)

 I wrote a couple of things for Thanksgiving, but they seem fitting for my take on 2020 and how I've tried to handle the Covid situation. Let's say I'm going to do a couple of COVID 2020 DEBRIEF POSTS. That's how it feels right now.

I didn't even pay attention that I had written this post before. 

So, if you want to know the spcifics of what I'm grateful fore - go to the November post. I only have one (that's bad).

My ket point, and this was where I got stuck in "I'm not bragging but want to share and maybe you would like to do something similar" was when mentioning how much of my salary this year has gone to others/charity. I've given more this year than ever. Why? Partly becasue I have not spent any money on travel or restaurants. No theatre nor opera performance. I haven't been to an art opening and I haven't purchased any paintings, photo cards or any other things that I usually buy when going to local art galleries, vernissages, art festivals as such.

However, I have given to these things regularly during the year:

local theatre company

globally to Doctors without borders 

Kiva - microloans all over the world

Currently 5% of Gross income. Most of that money otherwise spent on travel, restaurants and experiences (and HOCKEY). Mainly this has been easy since I decided that if we didn't go out to eat, drink and travel - I could spend a good portion of that money on others who will be in need of it since clearly I could spend it before, so why shouldn't I spend it on people who need it now?

• I've also tried "two birds with one stone" and purchased at least 12 races of virtual races for good causes (charity). This has been a way for me to keep motivated to get out of the house and walk/run when the weather was 100F in the summer, and to keep going when it turned more rainy and dark in the fall. (I am tempted to post a list of the races with photos of all the medals, yet I don't want to come off as a bragging person but someone who want to share happy things! It's been the beacon of entusiasm when it was 100F degrees outside, and it's been similar for running in the mornings in Nov/Dec when it's 37F in the mornings...... I'm no a morning runner....)

I'm not stating this to feel good about myself (only). It's been a help for me to find my footing in a world full of uncertainty and not being in control (apart from over my very tiny part of working from home reality). 

I said short and sweet, so I will stop here. If you have the opportunity of giving to someone else - local foodbank, a venmo for a friendly server, a virtual race that gives to opportunities for women in law (Ruth Bader Ginsburg race....) or anything else that goes to someone out there in need of support - please consider it this holiday season. If there ever was a time to use those "Christmas present money" on others rather than on some unused little gadget, now is the time.

Here are a few links to places where your money will do a lot of good:

www.kiva.org

https://www.msf.org/donate

local food bank - for me it's MidSouth Food bank: https://www.midsouthfoodbank.org/

Purchase to help trafficking women getting out and a new life: https://thistleandbee.org

I've also given to local Arts organizations to keep the hope that there will be theatre, opera and art as painting in 2021.

And any local organization that will help service people with tips, work and other normal things. We had a "server Go fund Me" pop up in April for all the laid off Servers in the city area.

Overall though, my thing for this Holiday Season is "Give to someone else additional to you and the gift recipient". This is of course said if the gift recipient is well off/not having a rough time with covid. 

For some of my family and friends this year, I give hard cold cash since that's the best gift they can get from me right now.

Be good, be safe and do to others what you want done to you. I'll write the bitterness post soon.... ;)