It was so great to say yes. We can. Not sorry bud, I wish I could. His smile priceless. My goal: say yes as often as possible. Not to things but to requests. To doing things together. To his wants and needs.
As we watched guardians of the galaxy movie today, I thought of Hayden. Hayden is a guardian of people. He tries to make the world a better place.
Hayden's dilemma this week....how to help more people and how to do it all.
He is involved and runs Hayden's toy drive, collecting new and unused toys for Phoenix Children's hospital, an organization that he dreamed up and started at just four years old.
Over the years, he has organized a shoe drive for kids in need. He has collected canned food for the food bank. He has collected toys for tOys for Tots. He has wanted to organize a blood drive for those kids at the hospital in need. He is constantly seeing needs and trying to figure out how he can help to fill them.
This past week, with Suzi and Katie being on a service mission in Ghana, Hayden is seeing the need of the children there and trying to figure out how he can help. What he can do to make a difference for these children that have so much need.
Katie wrote home about a problem facing the students in Ghana. They go to school, from 8 am to 5pm daily. At the beginning of the term, the parents are supposed to send 20 pounds of corn meal to the school so they can eat porridge at lunch. If your parents don't send in corn meal, you go hungry. Regardless, they always run out of food no the kids literally are starving.
Hayden heard of their plight. He said let's raise money to send them food. We discussed the principle of "give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime."
We discussed options. Options that Katie and Suzi had thought of. They were going to meet with the school and tribe leaders to see about purchasing chickens and having the students raise them. Then selling the eggs for corn meal and rice. We were discussing it taking about 2-3 chickens per student and raising them, should create a cycle. They sell eggs and garden. The money goes to buying corn meal and they grow the rest. Katie was thinking the cost would be about $6 per chicken. So a total of $500-$800 would need to be raised in order to make a huge impact on these students lives.
When hearing this, Hayden went and looked. He said, "well, I know where the first $60 is coming from. They can have all of my money. They need it way more than anything I could possible want or need." He then started making a list of those he could call and get them to buy 3-4 chickens each. He figured that if each person he called would donate between $25 and $50, we could raise money quickly and get the funds to Suzi and Katie before they leave. It would leave a lasting impact and the children would soon have full bellies and a future of hope.
I looked at my son. He is twelve years old. He truly cares about the plight of others. He looked distraught. I asked him why. He said, "I'm just thinking, Mom. Our problems here are not as big as being starving. I thought by doing the toy drive, I was helping and making a difference. But, a toy seems so unimportant when other children don't have food to eat or shoes to wear. We really have so so much. Our problems don't seem nearly as big as theirs."
We talked of toy drives and how a toy DOES make a difference when a child is sick or struggling. We talked of food and how it DOES make a difference to a child or adult that is hungry. We talked of shoes and the gift that a pair of shoes brings for one who doesn't have any.
I asked my son what all these had in common.
Hope. Caring. Joy. Concern. Love.
In the end, yes, food is critical to survival. But each of these gifts, done in the right spirit gives so much that is the same. A toy for a scared and sick child bring hope. Shoes for a child without brings peace knowing someone cares. For one who is hungry, a bowl of corn porridge is a gift of love and hope and gratitude. Regardless of how we help, I reminded him of one of my very favorite scriptures. "And verily if ye have done it u to the least or these, ye have done it unto me." Whether we give shoes or toys, money or chickens, food or clothing, when we serve our brothers and sisters here, we have served our Savior. We have thought beyond our wants and needs. We have given and loved and served our Savior.
I'm grateful for my own Guardian of the Galaxy. For a son who constantly looks beyond his own needs to those of others. He has a gift. A gift to see need and have the kind heart and generous spirit to follow his instincts and find a way to help. He never says it's too much or I possible or I'm only a child. He finds a way to make a difference and jumps in with both feet and makes a difference.
Because of Hayden, this world will be a better place. Because of his love and service, he will leave this world a better place than he found it. He will make a positive mark on the world. He will do good and influence others to do good.
I'm proud of my boy. He has a heart of gold. Oh Hayden, I am so proud of you. Your selfless heart and caring ways not only bring joy to my heart, but to our Savior's. Your joy in the next life will be great because here, you have learned to love and serve and give of your self. You have given hope to the hopeless and joy to the sad. You have lifted the arms that hang down and strengthened feeble knees. You are a wonderful disciple of Christ. A true son of God. And a very precious Guardian of the Galaxy. Keep serving. Keep protecting. Keep loving. And this world WILL be a better place because of you!
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