Christmas Miracle and Re-birthday
Donation protected
Today, December 9th, is my birthday. I am sitting in the corner of a public building utilizing the internet and gathering my thoughts. While I would love to be celebrating with family, friends, parties and cake, the symbolism of this day is not lost on me as I face the biggest re-birth of my life. It has been 7 full days since I have been home. I was forced to leave my home abruptly last Monday night, after a very long-standing domestic situation manifested into something that could no longer be swept under the rug. Going back is not an option.
I want to talk for just a moment about values. In my opinion, values are the driving force behind every choice we make in life. It is the core of our human spirit. The 5 main values most important to me, and the ones I have tried to teach my children are Community, Service, Connectedness, Compassion, and Love.
Every year during the holiday season, I have engaged my family in activities that can give my children a deeper understanding of Christmas beyond glitter, food and presents. They have participated in a variety of Christmas Miracles over the years. The most powerful being 3 years ago, we made the decision as a family to sacrifice many of our own gifts and traditions to provided Christmas for a young family in crisis. Watching my children thoughtfully pick out gifts, wrap them and drop them anonymously on the doorstep was one of the most rewarding experiences we have ever had. Never, in a million years did it ever cross my mind that we might one day be that family. I have worn many costumes over the years. “Homeless” was not one I ever thought I would own. This year, the Christmas Miracle my children and I are experiencing, while not consciously chosen by us, is one we are choosing to embrace. We are allowing it to bring the 3 of us closer together as we experience a new dimension of Community, Service, Connectedness, Compassion and Love.
This week has been one full of fear, heartbreak, tears, anger, humility, release, miracles, blessings, angels and Love. I am so grateful for the outreach of friends, family and strangers as the reality of this situation has come to fruition. People are good. People are Loving, and there are angels sitting next to us everyday just waiting to be called into action. They are ready to play their role in making this world a better place, they are just waiting for some direction. As soon as I looked up from my anger and pain, I realized that I was surrounded by Angels and Miracles. People were standing there, ready to help carry us, temporarily, to a more solid ground. All we had to do, was just look up and ask. You know who you are. Thank you for breathing life into my soul and carrying us to shore this week.
One of the most powerful lessons I have learned this week is how to graciously accept, and ask for help. Those of you who know me personally, know that I am a strong, independent and often stubborn person. Asking for help has never come easy, and somewhere along the way I told myself that asking for help equated to weakness or failure on my part. However, failure is not an option. I am grateful for the opportunity to evaluate that belief and practice something that feels extremely foreign and uncomfortable.
Many, many people have reached out asking how to help. We are in a new, unfamiliar state. Up until this point I have not calibrated enough to think beyond food and shelter. I have spent the majority of this week operating in crisis mode, gathering a little more strength and clarity with each passing day.
Because we have only lived here for a few short months, our social circle has been very small, and we have not utilized many local resources outside of the school system until now. What a great opportunity this has been to get to know our community.
I have spent the last week following a trail of local resources, beginning to build a sense of community, as well as continuing to work at my part time job. While I am pushing for a full time position and am in the process of utilizing the local resources, we still have a long way to go.
My number one priority through this storm has undoubtedly been the safety, well-being, and happiness of my kids, the two most important things in my life. I have had a lot of time to reflect on what my 2 beautiful children and I really NEED, vs. what we want.
Two weeks ago I was complaining about trading my iPhone for an android. I was Pinning crafts, Thanksgiving recipes and decorating tips.
I was also upset I couldn’t beat level 168 of Candy Crush.
******* PERSPECTIVE IS A BEAUTIFUL LENS ********
So, why Go Fund Me?.....
On this day of re-birth, my kids and I are standing on the doorstep of our new life. Today we begin to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. A sweet friend of mine, suggested I come here to tell our story and have a central place for herself and others to be able to donate.
My very first priority is to have a warm, safe place for my kids and I to call home so we can begin to heal and move forward. I want this transition to be as comfortable as possible for them, and I know that having a place that is our designated “home” will make the rest easier to address and rebuild.
Some other immediate expenses include being able to give them a simple, yet memorable, positive Christmas experience. This would include a few small decorations and gifts that they can open on Christmas morning.
Longer term, we will be needing to replace all the items in our home. Clothing, furniture, linens, food and household items as well as transportation expenses, insurance, etc. We are starting from scratch and while our basic needs are very modest, I am aware that the expense that will come with this climb will be more than we will be able to source independently for quite some time.
Anything helps. I never TRULY believed this until last Tuesday night when I found myself crying in a parking lot. I was homeless, hungry, no coat, no car, no phone, no money, and no immediate plan.... An angel handed me $6, a power bar, banana, and coat that was 2 sizes too small.
That was the exact moment that what appeared to be a tragedy shifted into a Christmas Miracle.
***** I realize that not everyone is in a place to help, however, if you might know someone looking for a way to make a significant difference this holiday season, please forward our story to them. Donations are also being accepted through paypal at [email redacted].
If you can not make a financial donation, but might have any additional resources, I can also be contacted at [email redacted] . *****
I want to talk for just a moment about values. In my opinion, values are the driving force behind every choice we make in life. It is the core of our human spirit. The 5 main values most important to me, and the ones I have tried to teach my children are Community, Service, Connectedness, Compassion, and Love.
Every year during the holiday season, I have engaged my family in activities that can give my children a deeper understanding of Christmas beyond glitter, food and presents. They have participated in a variety of Christmas Miracles over the years. The most powerful being 3 years ago, we made the decision as a family to sacrifice many of our own gifts and traditions to provided Christmas for a young family in crisis. Watching my children thoughtfully pick out gifts, wrap them and drop them anonymously on the doorstep was one of the most rewarding experiences we have ever had. Never, in a million years did it ever cross my mind that we might one day be that family. I have worn many costumes over the years. “Homeless” was not one I ever thought I would own. This year, the Christmas Miracle my children and I are experiencing, while not consciously chosen by us, is one we are choosing to embrace. We are allowing it to bring the 3 of us closer together as we experience a new dimension of Community, Service, Connectedness, Compassion and Love.
This week has been one full of fear, heartbreak, tears, anger, humility, release, miracles, blessings, angels and Love. I am so grateful for the outreach of friends, family and strangers as the reality of this situation has come to fruition. People are good. People are Loving, and there are angels sitting next to us everyday just waiting to be called into action. They are ready to play their role in making this world a better place, they are just waiting for some direction. As soon as I looked up from my anger and pain, I realized that I was surrounded by Angels and Miracles. People were standing there, ready to help carry us, temporarily, to a more solid ground. All we had to do, was just look up and ask. You know who you are. Thank you for breathing life into my soul and carrying us to shore this week.
One of the most powerful lessons I have learned this week is how to graciously accept, and ask for help. Those of you who know me personally, know that I am a strong, independent and often stubborn person. Asking for help has never come easy, and somewhere along the way I told myself that asking for help equated to weakness or failure on my part. However, failure is not an option. I am grateful for the opportunity to evaluate that belief and practice something that feels extremely foreign and uncomfortable.
Many, many people have reached out asking how to help. We are in a new, unfamiliar state. Up until this point I have not calibrated enough to think beyond food and shelter. I have spent the majority of this week operating in crisis mode, gathering a little more strength and clarity with each passing day.
Because we have only lived here for a few short months, our social circle has been very small, and we have not utilized many local resources outside of the school system until now. What a great opportunity this has been to get to know our community.
I have spent the last week following a trail of local resources, beginning to build a sense of community, as well as continuing to work at my part time job. While I am pushing for a full time position and am in the process of utilizing the local resources, we still have a long way to go.
My number one priority through this storm has undoubtedly been the safety, well-being, and happiness of my kids, the two most important things in my life. I have had a lot of time to reflect on what my 2 beautiful children and I really NEED, vs. what we want.
Two weeks ago I was complaining about trading my iPhone for an android. I was Pinning crafts, Thanksgiving recipes and decorating tips.
I was also upset I couldn’t beat level 168 of Candy Crush.
******* PERSPECTIVE IS A BEAUTIFUL LENS ********
So, why Go Fund Me?.....
On this day of re-birth, my kids and I are standing on the doorstep of our new life. Today we begin to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. A sweet friend of mine, suggested I come here to tell our story and have a central place for herself and others to be able to donate.
My very first priority is to have a warm, safe place for my kids and I to call home so we can begin to heal and move forward. I want this transition to be as comfortable as possible for them, and I know that having a place that is our designated “home” will make the rest easier to address and rebuild.
Some other immediate expenses include being able to give them a simple, yet memorable, positive Christmas experience. This would include a few small decorations and gifts that they can open on Christmas morning.
Longer term, we will be needing to replace all the items in our home. Clothing, furniture, linens, food and household items as well as transportation expenses, insurance, etc. We are starting from scratch and while our basic needs are very modest, I am aware that the expense that will come with this climb will be more than we will be able to source independently for quite some time.
Anything helps. I never TRULY believed this until last Tuesday night when I found myself crying in a parking lot. I was homeless, hungry, no coat, no car, no phone, no money, and no immediate plan.... An angel handed me $6, a power bar, banana, and coat that was 2 sizes too small.
That was the exact moment that what appeared to be a tragedy shifted into a Christmas Miracle.
***** I realize that not everyone is in a place to help, however, if you might know someone looking for a way to make a significant difference this holiday season, please forward our story to them. Donations are also being accepted through paypal at [email redacted].
If you can not make a financial donation, but might have any additional resources, I can also be contacted at [email redacted] . *****
Organizer
Jenn Moss Klimowicz
Organizer
Louisville, CO