We let June get away from us before we completed our 12 months of Kindness commitment - so the kids and I made up for it in July. We made a donation of goods to the local Humane Society and stopped to visit with the puppies & kitties there too. If you are interested in making donations to your local humane society (or other local animal shelters) make sure to check their website (or call them) for their wish/need list before making your donation purchases. When I checked the website for our center - we used their list to help guide my next grocery run.
After a quick run to the grocery store to pick up some of the items on their wish list, the kids and I headed up with donations in hand. Grey was proud to carry in the paper towels (almost as big as him, hah!) We brought two bags of kitten food since they said that was an urgent need. The staff at the front desk were so happy to receive our donations and even more delighted to get them from my two little angel-faced munchkins.
..and when they said the kitten food was urgent - they were not kidding. There must have been 20-25 kittens waiting to be adopted - not including the other fully grown cats. We have 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 4 fish and I was almost half tempted into just adopting one (or some!) of those sweet baby kittens.
We've rescued 3 of our 4 mammal pets, so it is important to us to give back to organizations that take care of animals that would otherwise be in a bad way. Visiting the humane society only further cements my belief that a neuter/spay law should be in place nationwide. Our family does our part in making sure all our animals are neutered/spayed... because there is nothing sadder than seeing unwanted kitties/puppies reaching their paws out of cages. (actually, the only thing sadder than that is seeing them hungry and homeless). [steps down from my soapbox.]
On the way home from our drop off, Grey and I talked about why the puppies and kitties live there (at the Humane Society). I told him they live there because 'they don't have mummas and daddies yet, but they are waiting for them to come pick them up.' That we gave them 'some surprises to help them while they wait for their families.' He seemed to understand that in his little 2 year old brain. Then he said, "Bully and Tricky-Icky have families. We are family." yep, they are.
This month, since the kids weren't only able to be involved in the picking up and delivering of our kindness - but it was something little kids like (animals), it was a really good reminder to me why we commit to our 12 months of kindness. We want giving to be how our kids; how our family, grows up. We want our kids to think that making donations of time or goods, or sometimes money alone is the 'normal' thing.
We want our family to not only know, but live the phrase, 'Because I have been given much, I too must give.'
(quotation from Grace Noll Crowell's poem 'Because of Thy Great Bounty')
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