Saturday, January 21, 2017

Word of the Day, Empathy

In just the last couple of days, I have heard two stories that epitomize  the meaning of empathy.  Both centered on Our Dear Brother [Sister Betty's words].

I had never heard either story, although the story tellers both thought otherwise.

Sister Helen told of a time when a fellow worker was in need.  Usually at our workplace, that individual's supervisor would step in with an effort to raise money.  In this instance, the designated person lacked empathy and declined the obligation.  Brother stepped forward.  He and his troop of followers held a bake sale and raised a large sum of money.  The norm was for the money to be made into a neat bundle and given to HR or the designated supervisor to be delivered to the individual in need.  In this case, instead of a neat bundle, the cash was tossed into a very large clear plastic trash bag and plunked down in front of the apathetic supervisor who was instructed to deliver it to the recipient. I looked it up. Apathetic is the opposite of Empathy.

The other story came from my friend Sherrie.  She told of a co-worker named Cindy that had a motorcycle accident with her husband.  Cindy was fine but her husband suffered a head injury.  He lived but is to this day disabled by the head injury.  About six months later Cindy was diagnosed with cancer. The couple had 3 or 4 children and  little income.  Brother decided to  have a bake sale to raise money.  Sherrie, he always said, "We are not running a food charity, we are trying to raise money".

He got Tony to donate  6 live turkeys.  Brother and Sherrie butchered and dressed the turkeys, hanging they by their feet on the iron gate frame at the back of his house.  That same gate frame that still has turkey feet dangling from wire hangers.  They distributed the turkeys out among their cooks, made lots of dressing and sold turkey and dressing dinners.  They raised over $3000.  Sherrie remembered at all the bake sales, after about noon, they went into fire sale mode.  Everything a dollar, or give us what you have and take what you want.  But still, on this day, there was lots left over.  Sherrie gathered up the remains and took it all to Cindy's house.  She says she will never get over just how grateful Cindy was for that left over food.  She was so thankful to have something in the house to feed her children.

It has occurred to me that these two stories may actually be one story.

Empathy

Friday, January 20, 2017

Lesson for the day

1 Samuel 8: 9-22
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Seth William See

Seth William See
Born 10/02/09 11:05 AM
WT. 6 LB 10 OZ
19 1/2 inches long

Helen is being a pest again.  She always wants a family b day calendar.  She wants me to fix it and print it and print pictures to go with it.  She says I do not have her 4 youngest grandkids on my google calendar or the birthday calendar.  I know I added them all either last year or the year before. I guess I forgot to tell google to repeat them.


I have a genealogy filed named Erin's Calendar and it had dates for eveyone's grandkids and children in law.  However, I saw a few problem dates on Helen's last few.  Asked her for confirmation on dates. She did not know all.  I do not understand.  I can always remember all  my grandkids dates.  We reconciled all of them except for Seth.  I decided that it was likely that when he was born in 2009 she was still blogging.  I had Oct 2.  Went looking at her blog.  In October 2009 she was scanning old pics and posting them.


Here is her picture

Sweet Sixteen


Emmy got a car.  A 2012 Malibu.  She is very excited.