Tuesday, November 19, 2013

My Worst Thanksgiving

I sat on my couch with a watered down bowl of Campbell's Tomato Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.  It was an incredibly surreal day after having experienced 20 years of big traditional family Thanksgivings.  The food wasn't bad and I had a roof over my head but what I remember most about that day was looking down at my plate and thinking, "This cannot really be happening."  I was alone. Utterly, completely alone.  Not just alone though.  I had been forgotten.  No one called, no one invited me over.



My dad had died the year before and with that death came the loss of my entire family, and a lot of friends as well.  Hundred's of people showed up to my dad's funeral but not one of them thought of me a year later.   I was the sheep that no one came to look for.  I was the burden that no one wanted to carry.   I was essential to no one and dispensable to everyone. 


Soon afterwards I lost my apartment and became homeless. I began bunking on friend's couches; struggling to get through school.  People were confused about my situation  They wanted to care but didn't really want to get involved.  I think they missed me as a friend but were overwhelmed with the chaotic mess my life had turned into so they stayed away. Things slowly and eventually improved but remembering that one moment in my life, sitting and staring at a bowl of red soup always makes my chest tighten.


Loneliness is a hard thing to forget especially around the Holiday's. 

It is not enough to be grateful.  It is not enough to say the words that we are thankful for this or that blessing.  Gratitude, just like love and forgiveness, are not nouns.  They are verbs that require action.  They require a response, proof that we are indeed so very thankful for the blessings in our lives. 




Monday, November 18, 2013

Silly Little Parties.

Our plans for the Thanksgiving Food Baskets and the December Christmas Party are well under way. Special thanks to everyone who has donated towards the food baskets.  There are still some things we need so message if you would like to help.

Father David Medina, in his homily this past weekend, said that helping the poor is a lot like caring for our children when they are ill.  Many times there is very little we can do to actually speed up the healing process.  But we can give our children medicine, we can give them hugs and snuggles.  We can show them in so many ways that they are loved and being cared for.  It may not do a lot to actually heal the illness but it makes our children feel safe and protected.  Similarly, we can protest and fight against the systems until the end of our days and these are not erroneous actions even if we are unsuccessful.  But we must take time to love those whom the systems are oppressing.

Sometimes our  community parties seem a bit silly.  Especially when we are at home planning how many teddy bears we need to buy or what kind of cookies to bake.  Don't get me wrong, the parties are super fun but at times it seems a bit silly is all.  It actually may be silly but these parties are far from superficial.

We are not just giving teddy bears.  We are giving middle of the night hugs when the police sirens are blaring.  We are giving something nice to dream about while they lay in bed and hear their mom crying.  We are giving a friend when the weekends feel long and lonely and tummies are empty.

 And when Santa Clause only visits the homes of the wealthy, these bears and other toys can be unwrapped and serve as a reminder that the Infant Jesus does not just visit the poor, but He  chooses to live with them and love them.

We are giving the moms and dads and grandparents a nice evening with their kids, full of music and games and toys.  We are providing a small amount of relief in the never ending stress that accompanies poverty.  And in the corner of the party, while the kids are eating cookies and having their faces painted, we are quietly providing a day or two worth of food for the family.  We are interacting with these families and listening to their stories, easing their burdens just a little bit.

Are we erasing oppression and eliminating poverty?  Not even close.  But we are, I hope, showing the poor that they  are loved and cared for.  And in that, I hope we are serving Christ.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Things we are doing, Stuff we are praying for:

Hey Everyone!  We mostly need everyone's prayers.  If you would like to do more, here is what is upcoming:

November 26 we will be delivering 40 Thanksgiving Baskets to RiverGlenn Apartments.

We would like each basket to include the following:

A small ham or turkey
1 box of stuffing
1 box of butter
1 bag of rolls
I can of cranberry sauce
1 can of green beans
1 bag of potatoes
1 pie


On December 21st we will be having a Christmas Party with the residents of RiverGlenn.

We are collecting 30 each of the following:

New Build-a-Bears (the ones valued at $10) completed with cardboard house.
Christmas coloring book
Pack of Crayons
Warm Kids Blankets
Winter Hat
Winter Gloves

We will also be handing out 30 Food Baskets at this party to include the following:

1 Whole Chicken
1 small bag of potatoes
1 pie
Can of Corn

We also hope to provide a $10.00 Walmart gift card to each adult. There will be about 50 adults.

We are praying for support and participation in these efforts.  If you wish to help in anyway, you can message us on FB or email to catholicworkertulsa@gmail.com