I don't know if you were watching Good Morning America this morning, but they kicked off a national campaign to collect donated coats for homeless people today. Ben Affleck was there donating some gently used coats of his daughter's and Burlington Coat Factory brought 300 new coats to donate. Burlington Coat Factory is also allowing their stores to be drop off zones for the coats. All of that is fine and good, but to tell you the truth, I almost turned the channel away. Almost, until I saw the montage of the people they are hoping to help.
Most of you probably know that Raylen was homeless for the first year and a half of her life. She was actually one of "those people" that we feel so disconnected from living in a homeless shelter in our prosperous country. It is very difficult for me as her mother to imagine that my little girl was in that position ever. We have a puffy green coat that is getting a little small for Raylen now, but still it hangs in her closet and will forever as far as I am concerned. Raylen got the coat her first Thanksgiving, I believe. Her Aunt Ro and Uncle Mike went to visit her in the Ft. Worth homeless shelter where she lived with her birth mother. Ro was so sad and moved to see that Raylen didn't have a coat in the cold weather. She went right out and bought that puffy green one and took it straight back to her in the shelter. Suprisingly, through the many ups and downs in Raylen's little life, that coat managed to stay with her right to her permanent home with us.
Today, when I saw the pictures of those children and families in the shelters, I was moved too thinking about my little girl having been one of those kids. I am so thankful for the kindness of Ro and Mike for making sure that she had that coat when I could not.
So, thank you Ro and Mike and here is a picture to document the coat that Raylen and I have given this year in your honor to someone else who's waiting for their miracle.
1 comment:
I am so proud of you guys. I think it's perfect that Raylen is being taught that kindness to those less fortunate is very important, especially because of her start in life.
Yes, she was one of "those people" for a short time and it broke my heart to think that she was out in the cold at night with just a thin jacket. The puffy green (because of her birthstone) coat that Mike and I bought her was the only thing we thought we could do to try and make her life a little better at the time.
When I look back at the events of her young life, I am amazed. There has always been a path for this angel. Maybe it's to make all of us better people.
Our boys always donate their coats that they've grown out of to the children in our community. I can only pray that the children that receive these coats find just a touch of the warmth Raylen now has in her life!!!!
Thank you Jenn and Jason for being wonderful parent's to my great-niece.
Aunt Ro
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