I’ve been thinking about “Tomorrow and Today” that posted on Havok last week. I was wondering what I do that gets me through the tough times and what I would like to happen after I’m gone. I thought that it would be nice to be remembered, not necessarily for all of eternity, but at least for a while.
Lots of people have a morning routine that they use to get going or to get out of bed. I’ve got mine. I have a pre-arthritic right hip. Pain can be bad and makes walking a challenge at times. I’ve had lots of physical therapy and a folder almost an inch thick with exercises to strengthen all the muscles around the hip joint (and I’m guessing between my ears). It would take me hours to run through them all. So my compromise is to do about 25 minutes in bed before I roll over my side and crawl out of bed. It’s not bad. I can do them with my eyes closed so I score 50% of the time as sleep.
When I get up, I stagger to the windows and pull back the curtains. “Arg!” The sun is bright! But then on a shelf of the bookcase to the left of the window is a little basket I’ve designated for charity and old plastic tubes that once held pills and now hold quarters. I take four, consider each as five nickels, and place them in the charity basket keeping in mind the members of my immediate family, close friends, others with special needs, and finally some coins for recent mourners and those for friends who have passed.
In this way, I revisit these friends and keep their memory alive. And since all the charity, except the first nickel which is my offering, I make on behalf of these people, they earn the merit for giving charity. It’s like a double dip of ice cream.
When the basket is full, I do a tally, round up, and then write checks to various charities. The coins, since they’ve been redeemed by the checks, go back into the pill tubes and make their journey day after day back into the basket. Memories are preserved and people are helped.
All of this is short and sweet. It takes little effort for me but ensures I start the day thinking of others. It also puts my pain in perspective.
Bottom line, giving to charity is a good thing and works for me. It’s a random act of kindness since I don’t know who the ultimate beneficiary may be (besides me). Try it for a few days, a week, a month. The point is in doing this daily, not writing out a large check to a charity at the end of the year – though that’s good too. Don’t get bent out of shape if you forget a day, you can double up the next.
Please let me know what you feel when you’ve been doing this for a month. Thanks.
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Ken was a Professor of Mathematics, a ceramicist, a welder, and an IBMer until downsized in 2000. He taught yoga until COVID-19 decided otherwise. He continues writing, living with his wife and beagle in Shorewood, Wisconsin. He enjoys chamber music and mysteries. He’s a homebrewer and runs whitewater rivers. Ken is a writer and his literary works can be found at https://www.kmkbooks.com/
He welcomes feedback on his articles and can be reached at havokjournal@havokmedia.com.
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