Humbled

Tonight, we left Gage in the capable hands of my mom and dad (they were in charge of putting him to bed, and he did great. He's never gone to bed without me before, so I was happy that he was comfortable.) We went to the Sox Place fundraiser at the Comedy Works South in the Denver Tech Center.

I have to be honest here. In my head, the fundraiser became an opportunity to get out of the house, to dress up, to enjoy an evening away from home. I did not realize that I would have the wind knocked out of me, or that I would leave the Comedy Works totally humbled, feeling blessed beyond belief, and with a semi-broken heart.

Maybe you don't give a lot of thought to homelessness. I haven't, really. And we're somewhat closely acquainted with Sox Place - we donate clothes, I'm donating a lot of time writing, etc. But we don't frequently see the impact. The real people who have had their lives changed forever because of what Sox Place does.

Three street connected youth stood up in front of a room full of people to tell about how Sox Place has affected their short lives. I won't give you all of the details, but suffice it to say, their stories were heartbreaking. And while each talked, all I could think was that this was ALL they knew. These stories that humbled me and broke my heart were simply all they knew, what they had grown up with, the pasts they live with every day. Broken homes doesn't even begin to describe these kids' backgrounds. Living hell is closer to the truth. It blows my mind to think of innocent little children being put through what these kids have been through.

Sometimes I feel down on my life, I wish we had more money or newer cars, or all the things that Americans want. But to hear stories of the people touched by Sox Place, I think we are so much more fortunate than so many. We have a roof over our head, a safe place to live, warm food, electricity, beds to sleep in, working vehicles, Lord, I could go on and on. The blessings my family enjoy are ENDLESS. Not because we have an abundance of wealth but because we have what we need.

If you feel like you have a little extra money this holiday season, and want to share with a charity that makes a very real, very obvious difference in the lives of young people, please consider Sox Place. If you can even afford $52.80 a month, it is a huge help. Maybe it doesn't seem like too much money, but it makes a huge difference to the street youth of the Mile High City.

Visit Sox Place online to find out more info, or to donate. Even if you can't donate, please just keep these kids and the staff of Sox Place in your thoughts and prayers.