When Jim and I were young, and pregnant with our second child, they came to visit. They said they wanted to see the home of our dreams. We took them to see our dream house, and they thought it would be a wonderful place to raise our children. They proposed to give us the down payment. Jim objected, and they answered, "We will die some day and you will get the money anyway. Why not let us enjoy watching you use what we give?" The house was bought, and they weren't home two days when my grandmother called and said, "I sent a box to you with living room drapes. I measured when we were there so I know they will fit."
My parents were the same way. When our first foster child came, they came to meet her. She took my mother's hands and said, "Oh Grandma, you are so beautiful!" Grandma went home and made a wardrobe of clothes for her. They never treated the foster children differently than our birth children. When they took our children to Hawaii, the foster children went also.
One time we were on a plane with my parents. My dad was a large man, and my mother custom made all his shirts and ties to fit. A large man came down the isle and stopped, shook my dad's hand, and said, "Where in the world do you shop? I can never find a tie that fits right." My dad simply took the tie off and handed it to the man and said, "You can have it, my wife will make another, no problem." (and she did!)
We have always felt so full of love and benevolence that we easily gave to others. We never felt, "Not enough," but always felt we had all we needed and more. We were able to give to the children because we always felt that so much had been given to us. Everything for us was multiplied for us because we felt we had so much; the power of patience, laughter, love, sharing, giving, doing, attention - all a gift from God that we gladly gave away.
Our children also have lived a benevolent life. They shared their entire beings with our foster children. Their parents and grandparents, their aunts, uncles and cousins, their home and even their rooms, their toys, vacations, pets, indeed, their everything. Their never ending spirit of benevolence really blessed me. Once Jim and I went on a business trip and were gone for two weeks. We came home, packed again and left again for another week. After we got home, our daughter wanted to talk. She explained that she and her brother were worried while we were gone, and asked, "What will happen if something happens to you and daddy - I mean to the kids?" I talked to her about our will, and who would help, but he stopped me. "No", she said, "Not that stuff, I mean will they let us keep the kids. I know they are foster kids, but they are our kids and we want you to make a will that will let us keep them."
No matter what happens in this election, in the rest of the world, you know things will be just fine as long as there are benevolent people in your life.