Spring flowers in the desert.Monday: Hearty Ham and Lentil Souphttp://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/10949
Reflections from the Backcounter
In the busyness of our days and the rush of our lives it is often easy to forget and dismiss the many blessings that we experience each day. The chance to get up each morning and start anew is truly a gift, especially if we enjoy our health. As parents, we need to encourage our children to be appreciative of the opportunities they have and the many privileges they enjoy in our homes. Philanthropy is an excellent way to center a family and add meaning to the journey toward adulthood. Finding a philanthropy that engages your children and is meaningful in a concrete way is the challenge for parents as children do not always understand the abstract nature of some philanthropic endeavors.
St. Judes Childrens hospital is a wonderful organization that offers hope and treatment to children with life threatening illnesses. Children can understand the need to help other sick children. One suggestion is to encourage children to do chores to help St. Judes and donate the money earned to the hospital.
Canine Companions for Independence
In our family, we have chosen to be puppy raisers for Canine Companions for Independence. This is an amazing organization that pairs service dogs with people who have disabilities. This has taught our children many important lessons about service and personal sacrifice as it is very difficult to have a dog in your home for 18 months and then give it up to the organization. In spite of the noble mission that we are all behind, it is still very challenging and difficult to see a dog who has become an integral part of the family leave. I encourage you to check out CCI as it has many opportunities for service to others...not everyone is a puppy raiser! Here are a few pictures of our current puppy, O"Hanna! She is scheduled to depart on May 31 and we are already sad.
Share with us your family philanthropy and ideas to engage your children in service to others by leaving a comment.
Peace,
Julia
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