A fond childhood memory is the Jerry Lewis Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I could not wait for the telethon to start. I loved watching the show, the many acts, even the cut-aways to Julius LaRosa. Some are expecting me to say the pinnacle was watching Jerry Lewis as MC topped off with his emotional rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone. But the real high point for me was the running captions along the bottom of the TV screen. Seeing people’s name with their respective contributions made my heart race. I could not wait to add my name to that wonderful list. I challenged myself to how much I could really give, and somehow I committed to $10, and then sat in front of the screen mesmerized waiting for my name to appear.
I was caught up in being a part of something so wonderful as curing Muscular Dystrophy. And I believed my money made a difference. I still do. There is so much good to be done and we can be a part of it.
We are blessed in so many ways that we often take it all for granted. So I am asking that this Labor Day we take the opportunity to remember to count our blessings and share some of what we have with those less fortunate. Giving to something you believe in can make Labor Day even better than the wonderful extended weekend that it is. Take a moment to think of the thing that you want to make better, regardless of what it may be. The only requirement is that you care. Be grateful for all that you have and then give something to another. Write a check or go online and make a donation to something you believe in. When you get that confirmation in your inbox, it will make you feel really good this Labor Day. Take it from the little boy inside.