as well we should, we talk a lot about (and, i hope, do a lot about)the problem of hunger. one thing i do, for example, is every time i go to kroger, i opt to "round up" my total to the nearest dollar, with the extra money going, where i live, to the mid-ohio food bank.
but, as i was rounding up yesterday, it struck me that those who provide me my food never get the time of day. we're always so focused on giving our time and treasure to some hungry person out there that we never stop to think about - much less thank - the people right in front of our faces who are shelling out food to us every. single. day.
like the guy who stocks the shelves. when you get right down to it, we should probably be more grateful for him than anybody else in the whole wide world. when was the last time you walked into a grocery store and hoped and prayed and held your breath that something would be on the shelves?
or the check-out person. what a thankless (but shouldn't be) job. she gets the distinct pleasure of conducting perfectly legal, usually friendly business with you, in the interest of filling your mouth and stomach, and you're standing there simmering over how much it all costs and being pissed off that you're gonna have to go home and unload all this crap.
last year, for every day during advent, abby and eli had charlie and olivia do something good for another human being, often for the ones that are typically overlooked and taken for granted. like the guys who pick up their trash - they made them a big "thank you" sign and gave them each a candy cane.
and one day, in the cold and the rain, eli took them to kroger and they gathered up all the wayward grocery carts in the parking lot - you know, the ones you're supposed to put in the corral but you don't - and then they went inside, found the guy whose regular job it is to gather wayward grocery carts, and they gave him a homemade thank you card. and a candy cane.
those kinda guys. we take 'em for granted. we get so caught up in giving to or working for a charity that we forget the whole other side of the hunger coin - the haves. and especially, the ones who make it easy for the haves to have it.
so,thank you, kroger.
thank you, farmers.
and thank you, abby and eli. i'm stocking up on candy canes right now.
