I absolutely loved this book, as did everyone I know that has read it. I think it would be very hard to find someone who didn't just love this book. I would recommend to everyone, all year round! This is the absolute example of pay it forward or blessings that come from generosity! For those that have read it, I knew the ending would happen, but until that particular door of opportunity opened, I had not put the two together. Life is funny way, continually going in circles, in the good way...it truly is a small world! I would encourage some kind of Christmas Jar action. That may not mean an actual jar somewhere in your home that you then pass on to someone else in need. To me, it means sharing of yourself, using the talents you were blessed with, to bless the lives of all around, strangers, family and friends alike! This book came at a perfect time for me, as usual...see my last blog regarding 15 Nov. As I strive to follow the good examples of my life while leaving the bad things behind, I challenge all of us to look for the good in everyone, it really is there! The harder challenge then often becomes focusing on that good and letting go of the fear or nervousness you may have and just give. The act of giving does not have to include a financial cost. Just as in this book the act of giving the jars full of money was helpful to those receiving, I think the great gift received, for most of them, was the hope they needed and a restoration of faith in the goodness of mankind! Ok, there were a few quotes:
pg 55: "Genuinely batty? I concur." Those that know me, know how true this statement rings in my life!
pg 95: "...no one can rush the process of perfection." No matter what is being talked about, a thing or a person, this statement is a great reminder to us all!
pg 110: "I guess some people just need to learn how to give..." I think that speaks for itself and I challenge each of us to learn how to give, share of ourselves with others and I promise that we will each be the better for it!
pg 55: "Genuinely batty? I concur." Those that know me, know how true this statement rings in my life!
pg 95: "...no one can rush the process of perfection." No matter what is being talked about, a thing or a person, this statement is a great reminder to us all!
pg 110: "I guess some people just need to learn how to give..." I think that speaks for itself and I challenge each of us to learn how to give, share of ourselves with others and I promise that we will each be the better for it!
15 Nov 1934: Jose Toribio Gilberto Trujillo was born to Ignacio and Eliza Rebecca (yes, I am named after her) in Mora, Mora, New Mexico. This is a little farming community in the mountains above Taos, New Mexico. This is my dad; he lived only 61 years on this earth. I was always very close to my dad. We lost him over 12 years ago. I have my moments of grief just as most anyone would, but usually he is there in the back of my thoughts, just as he was my whole life with him. One of the fondest generous memories I could think of this morning was his love of cleaning the snow in our neighborhood. He loved to shovel snow, I am certain he was nuts...yes, I come by this naturally! One year, he finally got a snow blower, with this; he would do the entire neighborhood. He would do our driveway and sidewalk and work his way around the big 'half circle' that made up most of our neighborhood. He would get half way through one side and run out of gas. Then he would walk home and go down to the gas station, fill up his can and get back to working on the neighborhood. He would do this until he pretty much did what everyone else had missed along the way. I should note that he was forced into a medical retirement around the age of 50, so he had lots of time on his hands. My dad would never take money for doing this; he just loved to clear the snow. He often did receive cookies and other baked goods for his services and yes he did share these with us, of course. He was very generous, remember?! One of the many who would offer goodies was a group of 20something ladies that happened to share the house across the street. When he died in Feb 1996, a day or two after, it started snowing and it snowed pretty good. We fully believed that this snow was from Dad, punishing us for not EVER helping him in cleaning the snow! When we woke up in the morning, we were dreading the need to clean the snow, but when we got around to opening the blinds and such, we found that the girls from across the street were already out there getting it done. We were so grateful and even though the snow provided the opportunity for some in the neighborhood to return dads sweet favor in cleaning snow for us, some of us still like to think it was his way of paying us back. This is just one example of my dads’ great generosity...but I will move on....
15 Nov 2000: Leon John Myrup died from injuries he sustained in a fall a long while before this date. I only had the privilege of knowing this great and generous man for just over 4 years. He is my husbands' great grandfather, granddad, as he was called...This man was in his nineties, but you would never know it! He still mowed his lawn weekly and did his home teaching, faithfully, every month. He went to church every week and did give of himself and what he had to all he could. He took my husband in to live with him in 1988, shortly before losing his wife. Steve lived there and they took care of each other from that time on. When my husband and I got married, in 1997, I moved in with them. This was an easy choice for us and we lived there for 11 months. Moving was a hard choice for us, but Steve got a job in Magna and we wanted to shorten his commute from Orem to somewhere closer in Salt Lake County. I witnessed the kind generosity of this great man in so many ways. He always stood behind Steve in all he chose to do. They truly took care of each other and they were both the better for it! With all the great things that Granddad did for everyone who crossed his path, I am most personally grateful for all he did for Steve and even for myself! I look greatly on his example as one to learn from and follow in striving to be closer to our Savior!