Jacob, the little boy I play with after
school, was so cheery as he got all dressed up for trick or treating!
(Photos will surely be posted soon.) He urged me to wear one of his
mother's dresses to be a "Bollywood star." Adorable - though it
was too cold for that. As we went from door-to-door, he began to slow
down, became tired of the routine and demanded we get back home --fast! I
was curious why he wrapped up before 7 but didn't think much of it. We
got to his front steps and he combined all of his treats with the candy
bucket inside. He waited as a bunch of children, close to his age, ran
along towards his home. Unsurprisingly they raced to him yelling "Hey,
hey, HEY Jacob! Check out my costume. . ." and to give him a big hug.
Everyone knows and loves Jacob! He smiled and threw lots of candy in
their bags. He looked at me, with his head up, then boldly and cheery
said ". . .just in time!"
Whoa. He finds a way to warm my
heart every single day. The night went on and that is all he did and
only wanted to do - share his own candy and give more, more, and more to
his friends, neighbors and fellow trick-or-treaters.
That's what Jacob, whom is 11 years old, enjoys most about Halloween. Simply, the act of giving.
We, community organizers, can learn a lot from him. The key to building
community is relationships. UBUNTU' in the Xhosa culture means: "I am
because we are."
Ya know,
I thrive when WE thrive.
I
am doing a lot of reflecting today; thinking about kindness and
compassion! Would you be willing to lose it all to gain it all? ♥
