My very best friend, Tina, and her husband, Gary, have had a tough few years. Medically, Gary has struggled the past 2 years, but has survived. With a week until Christmas and 8 days until Tina's birthday, another detour has hit their lives. 

     Sunday morning Gary went out to start the car, hide a few dollars and get ready to bring his wife to work. Gary has not only struggled medically, he has also changed his life through sobriety and with that under his belt he's been working as hard as he can each day. Saving money, squirreling it away, with all intent of spoiling the people he is surviving with. However, when Gary ran into the house and someone drove their car out of the driveway he didn't lose just a car. He lost all his Christmas money. All the tools he has accumulated in order to work. Personal belongings, some tht are irreplaceable.  What did the thieves ultimately take? A sense of security and safety.

     I can't rebuild that feeling for them.

     I can't spoil his wife, his best friend and his nephew for Christmas. 

     I can't replace all the items he needs for work.

     However, I've known both Tina and Gary most of my life, and I can extend th means for people to help. Maybe make Christmas more full. Maybe make her birthday less empty. Tina is the person that sat next to Gary in the hospital each day, never missing work because "well, bills" . At the same time, she thought nothing about helping a coworker that had lost his wife. Sending out help and love to a friend who had surgery.  Door dashing 15 dollar Tylenol just so I didn't have to take the kid out. She genuinely does things to help others in ways some people don't even recognize. Can't we help her?

     It took 41 years for her to buy her first car. 41 years to make a "large purchase".

     It took 30 seconds for her to lose that, along with so much more. 

     We all know life isn't fair. But if maybe we try to help others lives become more fair, then maybe our own would be more fair.