What Goes Around Comes Around
If you were expecting to read a rant of disappointment and revenge, this is not it! This is a tale of amazing generosity and of how people come together when a friend is in need. Let the tale begin…
If you have ever found yourself in deep financial difficulty, you will understand just how debilitating it is, how it effects every aspect of your life including your self worth. Been there, done that, lost that t-shirt! Fortunately there have been friends and family around me (too many to mention) that have offered me support, encouragement and often just enough financial assistance to see me through.
And so it was when I saw a few posts by a friend that I was able to recognize the signs of desperation and the depths to which this was sinking. When you look at a post and you fear that person may well be at the end of their road, you have to do something!
The last year has been a harrowing one and I know of at least three people, personally who have taken their own lives, this was not happening on my watch!
What to do? How to help others when you yourself are not exactly flying at that moment. You ask for help! I often wondered why someone who took their own life, did not reach out to anyone before they did. Perhaps they thought they did and felt nobody was listening or perhaps they didn’t because they thought nobody would care. Perhaps it reaches a depth where you feel that no amount of support or help can make a difference, I am sorry I don’t have the answer to that haunting question.
I know this man well, a real mensch, someone who would do anything or give anything to anyone who he felt would need it. A man of courage and a man of strong beliefs and more than that a man who would refuse the help if he felt he was going to be even the slightest burden on those around him. So I knew I had to do this without his knowledge.
Step one, send a message on Facebook to all our mutual friends (fortunately we have about 150) DONE
Step one and a half, Facebook thinks this is spam and stops me after the first 80 or so are sent.
Step two, find a way to get the money in and get it into his hand. DONE
Step three, pray it reaches the right people
Within a few minutes the messages and the money started to roll in… WOW!
Then I discover that the message has landed in the inbox of a person who has also been witness and a recipient of my friends incredible generosity and willingness to help others and he takes it upon himself to start an appeal.
Three days later, with Shabbos about to start, we have surpassed any expectations we may have had, we have started to pay over the money and are already making a big difference, there are people helping to secure employment, there have been offers of all sorts of assistance and amazing letters of support from those who themselves are in financial difficulty.
To each and every person who took the trouble to read the message, to those who responded with messages of hope and advice, to the ones who where able to contribute financially of which there are so many from every corner of the globe, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I know he does too.
It has been a very conscious decision NOT to tell him who contributed or how much, so please accept my great thanks and I am certain his too.
Finally I would like to conclude with a message to my friend
Your friendship, your generosity, your humor, your commitment to your family, your friends, to animals, those less fortunate than yourself, to the state of Israel, to fellow Jews, to all those around you no matter their colour, religion or background and particularly those who have been struggling is noticed, acknowledged and appreciated by everyone around you. What goes around, comes around and I am honored to call you my friend. I am certain there is light at the end of this tunnel and it is starting to break through. Be strong and when it gets a little rough, just shout, message, call or post, there are so many people who care and are willing to help.
