Changing Paths $1 At A Time

Ever have one of those "I need to win the lottery moments?" I had one earlier this week. It was a moment when it seemed that everything would be easier if a nice chunk of money would fall out of the sky and land in our checking account.

Of course, it would need to be a "nice chunk" of money.

I spent some time pondering how much exactly a "nice chunk" would be. It occurred to me that the number has changed over the years. I thought about how there was a time when $100 would have drastically changed my path. In college, I paid my car payment, insurance, and paid for other essentials with around $150 per month. Now $100 wouldn't make a dent in changing my path.

It would be nice, sure, but it wouldn't be life-changing for even a short amount of time.

Then I realized that there was a time when $100 did change my path. I went to Spain as an exchange student in high school. The experience changed my life forever, and it cost about $4000 total. I paid for it by working four jobs the summer before I left and by begging for help. I wrote letters to the local Kiwanis, the Elks Club, and others. Some of them responded by sending a check for $50 or $100.  One of those small checks was the tipping point.

My path was different ... better. I was able to do something more in life thanks to the kindness of strangers.

You have the power to change someone's path. It doesn't take much.

Right now, Center for Victims is providing emergency shelter to a woman who had the courage to run away from a terrible situation. She fled with the clothes on her back and her children in tow. She has no plan for tomorrow or the next day. Right now she's just putting one foot in front of the other as she figures out her path.

Imagine the difference it will make in her life when she's able to hand her little girl a Barbie on Christmas morning. Imagine the moment of normalcy and joy that will come when she watches her little boy play with the toy cars a stranger provided. It won't fix all of the problems, but it will be a step towards better.

It's about empowerment. It's about normalcy.

It's about changing someone's path for the better.

Drop a toy off at Anchor and Anvil.

Send an item off of the Amazon wishlist.

Or throw a few dollars into the well.

Thanks to y'all who have already helped. You are positively amazing.