A newspaper clip

Normally I don't read newspapers. There are only 3 reasons if I do. 1, for comics and puzzles ( I am sucker for comics especially Archie's) 2, cheap sales/coupons and 3, for jobs. At any rate, My grandparents have a newspaper subscription in which I eagerly go for the comics and puzzles. My eyes caught a Dear Annie clip. Since it was Thanksgiving I decided perhaps this time there will be something good, I'll learn something from this. I'm glad I did. Here down below is a clip from Dear Annie...please enjoy.



From Annie herself:



Today is Thanksgiving. We hope you are lucky enough to be spending the holiday with loving family and friends. Here's one of our favorite Thanksgiving pieces author unknown:

Thanksgiving Prayer,

We come to this table today, O Lord, Humble and thankful and glad. We thank thee first for the great miracle of life, for the exaltation of being human, for the capacity to love. We thank Thee for jobs both great and simple- For wonder, dreams, and hope; For the newness of each day For laughter and song and a merry heart; For compassion waiting within to be kindle; For the forbearance of Friend and the smile of a stranger, for the arching of the earth and trees and heavens and the fruit of all three; For the wisdom of the old; for the courage of the young; for the promise of the child; for the strength that comes when needed for this family united here today of those to whom much is given, much is required. May we and our children remember this. A-men



Dear Annie: I lived on the streets of Los Angeles from 2001 to 2003. I won't go into reasons why, but I didn't think I could go home. The ravages of homelessness took their tool on my eye-glasses pretty quickly. One of the earpieces was missing and a lens kept popping out. It was terribly demoralizing. People are less apt to give you opportunities to better yourself when you go beyond a certain point in appearance. I was ready to give up.

One day on impulse, I stopped into an eye wear boutique on Melrose Avenue. It was a nice store and I was bedraggled, so I expected to be immediately escorted out the door. That didn't happen. I asked the lady behind the counter how much it would cost for me to purchase on earpiece. I braced myself for a sarcastic comment, but instead she asked me to have a seat. She came back in about 5 minutes and said, "Try these one. Do they fit?" And then she handed me a brand now pair of frames. I stammered that I couldn't afford them and she replied, "don't worry, sweetie. You don't owe me anything."

I began to cry. She made a few adjustments and never flinched away from me in spite of my obvious need of a shower. She was kind enough to give me a drink of cold water. She even hugged me before I left.

I don't know the woman's name and cannot remember the name of the shop, but for years I've wanted to thank her for helping restore my dignity and preserve my safety. She also reminded me that there are wonderfully people in the world who don't judge you, based on your appearance or circumstances.
I give her much credit for my getting off the streets because shortly after that, I regained the courage to turn my life around. I'm now a wife and mother to a beautiful little boy, my family is speaking to me again, and I'm about to graduate from college.
Ma'am, if you're reading this, God bless you! Your kind gesture saved my life. I've been and will continue to paying it foreword to others in need, and you will be in my heart forever.
-I can see clearly now

There's not much I can say. Every time I read this clip, I sit in awe and with tears in my eyes. We do have the power to make a difference...the question is are we willing? Will we get outside of ourselves and reach out to others? Will we look past our comforts to look for those who need our help whether it is obvious or not? The choice is yours. What decision will you make?