I wish I could take care of them all.
The tree of giving is up again in the lobby where I work. It’s hard to just pick one (or three or four). You look at a card and try to decide from a few words which will have the most meaning. I want to pick one, but then I think about the others I could help. Who needs it most? Who would benefit the most?
A 5 year old boy wants a gift certificate to get cloths.
A 70 year old woman is taking care of two grandchildren and wants a gift certificate for a grocery store.
An 89 year old man wants a cane.
A 13 year old girl wants a coat.
Parents want a noise making toy for their baby.
An 80 year old woman wants a gift certificate to sears to buy a couple towels.
A 9 year old girl wants a barbie doll.
The list goes on. Above is just a small portion of the 100+ cards hanging from this tree.
There are a few with things I know they don’t really need. Things like a gift certificate to the Gap or GameStop. But the majority really are needed items.
How do you decide who needs it more when there are so many that need or want help?