Tears and The Power of Giving
and Receiving
On August 17th, I had the upper left lobe of my lung removed due to a cancer diagnosis. This is an undeniably serious surgery and a very long recovery. But I am doing well and my prognosis is great. During my recovery, I had to learn something new. . . I had to learn to receive love and support from others. An organization named “Mother’s Grace” is a group of women whose mission is to “Heal the World, One Woman at a Time”. This amazing group of generous, loving women brought meals to my family and me three days a week. At first, I was uncomfortable, thinking that there are others that need the help much more than I do. In fact, I almost felt ashamed to be supported by women I had never met before. In a conversation with Michelle Moore, the group’s founder, I gently mentioned that perhaps someone else could use the help. She simply stated, “this is what we do”.
We are taught that it is better to give than to receive. We are taught that it is selfish to receive. The experience given to me by Mother’s Grace is more than just meals. Much more. It taught me a life lesson. And that lesson is to remember that there are two people in the equation – the giver and the receiver. I learned to be vulnerable and to allow the giver to support me and to be grateful for what I have been given.
My first venture out after my surgery was for groceries. In the self-checkout line, I met a man who could not speak English. He was struggling to read the checkout screen. I offered my help – we scanned his groceries and bagged them, but when I went to help him run his card, it was declined. Without thinking twice, I took out my card and paid for his groceries. He thanked me with a sincere look in his eyes, almost tears, he took his bags and left. As I watched him leave, I cried. He gave me much more than I gave him.
In much the same way that my eyes welled up in tears when I consider how lucky I have been to be a recipient of the love and support of Mother’s Grace, I also consider that the tears I shed for that man in the grocery store were tears of love and of gratitude. I felt grateful for being in that spot in line at that time. I felt grateful that I was given the opportunity to touch someone so deeply. So it is true that in giving that we receive. Not material goods, but with love - love that binds us together. It is our tears that connect us, and it is in that connection that we become whole persons.
October 10th is World Mental Health Day and our 2nd annual fundraiser. In preparing for this event, my staff and I have taken pause at the many lives that have been touched by the hope and positive energy radiated from EricsHouse. Bound together by our tears, we receive love and support. We give love and support to people who desperately need help.
Today, I’m reaching out to ask you to consider supporting our mission. Going into next year, we will face a number of new challenges. With the increased number of deaths by suicide and addiction, we know that our services are needed more than ever.
To meet these challenges, we are asking you to consider a gift during our upcoming EricsHouse World Health Day event - October 10th.
With Love,
Marianne
