So the day started out pretty nice, the weather was
pretty and the air was a bit crisp- Which for Texas really means something. Our
group of Multicultural Ambassadors departed around mid-morning and arrived at
the Soup Kitchen fairly early. We began to work around noon and I had forgotten
to eat lunch, and breakfast. The thing that struck me was, after working with
my hands in that hall, I forgot I was hungry. In fact, I became extremely
motivated to work at something far more important than myself. Many of the
items donated to the soup kitchen had been in poor condition, some liquids had
spilled, many of the packages of toys had come open, and bugs- yes, even
roaches were prevalent. I didn't care a single bit, I didn't even wear gloves.
I did my best to wrap up the toys in their boxes, and contain any food that was
still in decent quality.
What really struck me were the toys though, and I
thought about my mother who also grew up by meager means. My mother grew up in
a family of 7 children and she was the youngest. She would receive all of the
hand-me-downs, this family's children would share a single piece of gum for
weeks because they didn't have anything else. Every toy I touched I thought
about my mother growing up in those conditions, and how happy she would of been
if she would of had something like this, or even anything to play with. I felt
so focused and determined to help families like that. I felt some strange
connection to people I have never met and never will meet, and I'm glad they
will never know I did something to help them. There's a certain innocence and
even modesty to helping others without them ever knowing you did it. It's as
though the deed was done from a place inside of heart that doesn't require
something to be given back, like a certain place in the heart that was only
meant to give. It's like stretching a muscle that needs to be stretched every
once in a while, or taking in that deep breath of air- first step outside on a
clear day. It felt good to work through hunger and sweat and even dirt to aid
others. It was a privilege to go.
~ Macklin, Multicultural Ambassador
We hope that you will stop by the office (TSC # 21). Also, look for us on social media. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TarletonDiversityInclusion and read along with our journeys here on the blog: http://tarletondiversityinclusion.blogspot.com/
You can also see our images on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarletondiversity/
Or follow us on Twitter: @DiversityTSU or email us directly at Diversity@Tarleton.edu
