“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people; first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy.
A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.
A human being is part of a whole, called by us the "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest -a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
Only a life lived for others is worth living.”
-Albert Einstein
In this life we are living, we should always remind ourselves that we are not an “island unto ourselves” but a part of a whole.
Are we our brother’s keeper? It is generally understood that it means being responsible for the well-being of a brother or other sibling or, by extension, for other human beings.
This time of the year, this concept becomes particularly poignant as we see the needs of our community’s less fortunate exposed to a greater degree. We are entering into a few months of extreme weather that challenges the very existence of those that have insecure housing, not enough food, isolation that can affect mental wellness, as well as a number of compiling issues.
But, there are avenues here within the confines of Moose Jaw’s city limits that focus on helping those in need.
Every year we are aware of the Salvation Army kettles in locations around the city. The Salvation Army mission states, “The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities around the world.”
Even if we don’t have much left at the end of a grocery budget, we probably still have something left in our pockets to put into the kettle. A little from a lot is as good as a lot from a little. Mother Theresa once said, “If you cannot feed a hundred people, feed one.” We may not all have the same means to give as much as another, but we all have something to give.
This time of the year, the Moose Jaw Express office collects the “Stocking Fund” for the Salvation Army. Please drop by the office at 468 High St. W during 9-5 pm Monday thru Friday with your cheques and donations; receipts will be issues for all amounts contributed. We can all be part of a greater work in Moose Jaw.
The Square One Community Inc. continues their work towards fundraising so that Moose Jaw can have a warming/cooling space and women’s shelter at William Milne Place. Their recent ‘Empty Bowls’ fundraiser brought out about 200 individuals in support of the work. Their next fundraiser will take place on March 14th with the annual ‘Walk for Warmth’.
Another fundraiser that is presently highlighted is the Hunger in Moose Jaw’s ‘I Bought Lunch’ campaign that provides lunches for hunger kids at school. Kids’ lives are good to invest in. They are our future.
Current and continual fundraising for the Food Bank is always on our minds as we try and provide enough for those in need, especially at this time of the year. The next upcoming fundraiser is the ‘Goodbye to Hunger’ campaign that kicks off shortly at Moose Jaw Co-op in-coordination with CP rail. The CP Holiday Train will be making its stop in Moose Jaw on December 6th this year.
As we all know, there are many needs but we can all make a small difference individually.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
