The change purse

Compassion:  a condition of the heart, innately instilled and easily accessible.  You either have it or you don't.  Is your purse Mary Poppins issue?

 

By Carolyn Roberson - Monday 12 Dec 2011

More than once in my life, my mother made mention of her Grandmother, Mary Lillian. Her compassion for the human condition was abundant, and I feel cheated not to have known her.

Over the course of 50 years, I have determined that compassion must be an innately instilled trait. Not all people possess the ability to care about the human condition, nor is it something that can be learned unless some catalyst precipitates a life changing event. Unlike Ebenezer Scrooge; however, not all people are visited by the Ghosts of Christmas.

The early 1940s was a rebound period from World War II, and the Great Depression in the United States. Recovery, at least for my great grandparents, was slow. Granny, and her husband were very impoverished due to a lack of education, and partly the result of assuming responsibility of raising two grandchildren. My grandmother was a single parent through no fault of her own.

Although Granny was poor, she was rich at heart. Granny could always be seen wearing a homemade, gingham-checked apron with a little pocket at the waist. In this pocket lived a little black change purse. And, within the little black change purse was an endless fountain of blessing for those in need.

These blessings were as simple as a needle and thread for a button, or a peppermint to soothe a cough. Yet, my mother was amazed at the change that flowed into and out of that simple little black change purse which could be accessed at any moment when something was desperately needed.

My dear mother was a compassionate person also. Her pocketbook was definitely Mary Poppins issue. Sometimes, I was completely taken aback by some of the things she could produce at a moment’s notice.

Although we were allowed access to everything she had, we were never allowed in her bag as she said it was the only thing deemed personal and private. After her death, my sister and I jokingly tussled over who would be the bearer of the magic tote. Opening the bag was like opening Pandora’s box. We had no clue what to expect or what profound consequences might occur because of our curiosity. A slight letdown feeling flooded us when we invaded her privacy only to find cough drops, make up, and waded Kleenex. There was no gold, no silver, no frankincense, no myrrh, or an envelope labeled blessings.

Where was all of the mystery it once held? Then we realized the blessings were the love we felt and memories we relived holding the bag, the smell of our lost mother, and, in her billfold, the little hand written notes on pictures, mementos, and scraps of paper that made us smile.

Hundreds of little stories she shared made an indelible impression on my spirit. And, proudly, I hold the banner for compassion in my family. Not pride, I insist, but true joy in humbling oneself to serve fellow man.

Is your nature one of selflessness or selfishness? Do you love your neighbor as yourself, and treat others the way you want to be treated? Or are you out for yourself, throwing others under the bus on your way?

Sure the economy at this time isn’t the greatest, but being a source of blessing doesn’t always require money. Be sensitive to opportunities that may pop up around you. However, be alert to scams, or the potential for personal harm. (Some people always find a way to ruin it for others.)

Ways to be a blessing to others

 

• Offer a smile to someone who is pushing your buttons instead of reacting negatively.
• Open the door for a stranger at a store.
• Hold the elevator instead of watching someone dash, and it closing right before they get there.
• Be a courteous driver, no road rage.
• Practice patience with your children.
• Offer encouragement instead of gossip.
• Lend an ear without breaking confidentiality.
• Volunteer at your favorite local charity.
• Check on an elderly neighbor.
• Thank your garbage collector by attaching a Christmas card to your garbage can.
• Baby-sit for a single parent so he/she can Christmas shop.
• Thank a soldier, and check on his/her family if he/she is away.
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When money permits

 

• Pick an Angel Tree child for Christmas.
• Provide a gift for Toys for Tots.
• Buy a coffee for your office mate.
• Send cookies to your Pastor and staff.
• Thank your hairdresser with a gift card.
• Share leftovers with or send a plate to an elderly neighbor.
• Buy a meal for a soldier or provide a meal for a military family.
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This holiday season is the greatest season of all: it is the season for giving. Take a few minutes to examine yourself and discover your level of compassion. Be a source of blessing. Real joy can be found through giving. Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!