This definitely counts as a "feel good" event and I'm so glad we were able to do this as a family. We got up this morning and rang the bell with Luke and one of his Sunrise Rotary buddies for the Salvation Army in downtown Chico. A beautiful, crisp, winter morning, warm jackets, coffee and lots of people out Christmas shopping were the perfect combination for our morning of bell ringing and handing out candy canes. The girls loved ringing the bell and Norah handed out candy canes to anybody that would take one. And, how you could pass a candy cane up from that little sweetheart, I don't know.
We saw people from all walks of life donate money - from a handful of change to ten dollars bills they donated their money to those that could use it. I was the most touched by the man who was dressed in dirty, wrinkled clothes, looked like he could have used a shower and a shave and walked up and donated some change. Now, I know that you can't judge a person by what they are wearing or how they look -- he very well could have been a successful businessman who was taking it easy on his weekend -- but he also could have been someone who needed every quarter he had and he still found a way to give. I will always try to have change to donate or to give to the girls to donate when we are out shopping and I hope ringing the bell will stay one of our Christmas traditions.
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| Luke rocking the red apron and Norah adding some coins to the pot. |
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| Our little bell ringer. |
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| Dancing, shaking, and smiling the whole time she rang the bell. |
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| Taking a little break from bell ringing and handing out candy canes. |
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill
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