While We Have Time, Let Us Do Good!

These are the words my father chose for the epitaph on his grave stone. It was the way he lived his life. Humble and wise, he served his country during WWII, often worked two jobs to provide for his family, fiercely loved my mother throughout 68 years of marriage, had an unbroken bond with his brothers and sisters, was loyal to his friends, faithful to his church, a community volunteer. One of six children, his mother died when he was 13. Years later my grandfather remarried, and my dad's stepmother was known as Aunt Cecilia. I remember the story my dad told of when Aunt Cecilia died. Once her debts and funeral expenses were paid there was an inheritance of $600 to be divided among the six. Like many families, they were all working paycheck to hopefully paycheck and $100 could have gone a long way. An overdue bill, groceries for a week, maybe even an extravagant night out. They looked at each other and someone said, "are any of us going to be changed by this $100?", and immediately to donated to the church.  

My family honors my father legacy and lives by his epitaph, giving back in many different ways. We are not unique; the world is full of kind, compassionate people who give of their time, talent, and treasure expecting nothing in return. At age 90 my mother volunteers at the nursing home. A sister has used vacation time and self funded her many mission trips to join a medical team providing new smiles to children with cleft lips and cleft palates. A sister-in-law founded a non-profit that promotes health and hope by providing free medical foot care for people experiencing homelessness and/or living in under-resourced conditions. A cousin and his wife founded a non-profit fund that assists cancer patients with everyday expenses while they undergo treatment. 100% of all donations go to the cause. To date they have raised and given away millions of dollars. A brother donates his incredible photography skills to an organization that trains and provides service animals to people with disabilities. He also works with an organization that brightens the lives of kids with cancer, capturing beautiful memories on film.

I will never be that person who starts and builds a non-profit impacting so many, or has the brilliance to give a child hope along with a new smile, but I can make a difference.   A friend recently reminded me of a Mother Teresa quote. "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." So with that in mind, and my desire to grow up and be just like my little brother, I've launched Portraits for a Purpose. It is a way for me to do what I love -- capture everyday special moments - and give back at the same time. You can find out more by clicking the button below.

So many wonderful organizations to choose from. Find you passion and use your time, talents and treasure to give back, one small act of kindness at a time.