Image via Wikipedia
Thanksgiving may have origins of thanks for a bountiful harvest, however, bounty is relative. As the song from the Zac Brown Band goes:
And its funny how it`s the little things in life that mean the most
Not where you live, what you drive or the price tag on your clothes
There`s no dollar sign on a piece of mind; this I`ve come to know
So if you agree have a drink with me
Raise your glasses for a toast
To a little bit of chicken fried
A roof over your head, family at the table, food within your reach, and someone who believes in you is something the kids Rupert Boneham helps via his Rupert’s Kids organization do not have access to before being transformed through mentorship. Last weekend I was glad to support the organization by attending the annual Tuxes and Tennies fund raiser. Before the live auction started for the night there was an interesting game in which someone would win a $250 credit to use in the auction. At first everyone in the room was allowed to buy into the game with $5 and simply call a coin toss. Those that got it right stayed in and those who did not sat down. It was fun and my focus was giving my son a $5 bill and seeing him work through the tosses. With a geometric reduction it does not take long to narrow the crowd down and, when maybe a couple of dozen people were still standing, you had a chance to buy in again but this time at $20. Being eliminated earlier my son went back in with a $20 bill and off they went again.
The thing is my heart was pulled to my right. It is one of those moments when you do not know why something happens and it is just a clue to follow. The third, and final, buy in was up and I handed the one Rupert’s Kid that was sitting at our table $50 and asked if he wanted to go up. He grabbed it and…
He won! He won the $250 credit. Which is great, but now I am thinking, okay, what the heck is he going to do with it? Buy a stay in a vacation home in Florida with it? As it turned out there was a new leather recliner donated from Costco that was a part of the live auction I had not even noticed. It was the only thing that was possibly useful for this young man and, yes, by God, he managed to win it with the credit he received for winning the coin toss game.
A new recliner to go into a new apartment he was just moving into after turning his life around with the help of Rupert’s Kids. That moment for me was probably the most significant event for the entire year and what it meant to him I cannot even imagine.
Gratitude is the foundation of all success and fulfillment in life. Follow your heart, help others, make it happen.
Related articles
- Cheat With Science: Win a Coin Toss (howto.wired.com)
- Exclusive Interview with ‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains’ Rupert Boneham (buddytv.com)
- Chatting with Clay Cook of the Zac Brown Band (the9513.com)
