Stories of Kindness from Around the World

On Friday when I called my parents,  who are in their early 90s now. They were upset as they confessed they didn't know what to send me or my adult kids and their families for Christmas presents. Both of them very recently have suffered serious health setbacks, and I begged them not to worry themselves, that all of us had what we needed and didn't need anything more if the truth be told.

Not happy with that, they insisted on getting us all something, even though this year it would have to be less than usual and easy to send to us all. My mother said that she was giving the other siblings fruit and gourmet food baskets. That gave me an idea. I asked her to please consider, in that case, giving whatever she would have given us to a local food bank. Or easier yet, donate whatever money she would have spent on all of us to the food bank. I knew for a fact, and when I checked with them was proven exactly right, that all of us would be delighted, actually very very happy to know we had been able to donate to a local food bank.

She and my father liked this idea, but had no idea where a food bank would be. Although my father was until quite recently quite able and interested in doing his own computer searches, his ability or motivation to do this has steadily been declining. I looked it up right there and then discovered not one but three local food banks, and the center for a state-wide food bank initiative located right there in their town. I gave them the address and phone number, which they asked for. They seemed very relieved by this proposed solution and I was very grateful. And it is all so true. I am over the moon happy with this present idea. And so is everyone else.