perspective perspective
Generosity Extraordinarily ordinary learning, being and doing
Longer, brighter days ahead
IA
young manlast approached me would in a parking did something evening that yesterday. havelot seemed crazy a month ago. I stopped “My family and we I are over by my parents’ house and satstaying down in there and if we could get five dollars we could their living room and chatted for an hour. We get a pizza. we could we could get hugged and If snacked andget justten enjoyed hanging two and that would cover us.” out together. They left this morning to go visit I had no idea whether his story was true. family in Nebraska. He looked as thoughordinariness he was living rough, The extraordinary struck us all though—gaunt, sunken cheeks, despairing eyes. as we fell back into once familiar territory talking Without hesitation, I pulled out my wallet about the people and all the little things in our lives. and Ihanded him ten I don’t in know why I did it.(later He wasn’t think about thebucks. line repeated Jonijust Mitchell’s song covered threatening. wasn’t imploring. He just seemed to really by Counting He Crows) Bigover Yellow Taxi. “Don’t it always seem to go need that a boost right then and interacting with him right there a couple of feet you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. They paved paradise and put away, I just felt it was a moment. a parking lot.” It’s not I’mbeen on atransformed mission to in give away allwe of probably our money. I walk Our livesthat have ways that don’t and drive by plenty of people who are asking for a little push. And I’m understand yet. We’ve all missed out on a lot—visits to and from friends not driven to help others by a sense of guilt or even a feeling of being and family, a sense of ordinariness about once-routine activities, school luckywork enough to have it and these others don’t and so therefore it’s my and schedules. social obligation do Ithe getpandemic a big senseis of satisfaction. have I don’t mean to to do talkit.asNor though over and we canI all a hard time pinpointing why I feel compelled to help out sometimes, just go back to our normal routines. There is no more normal, and we’re whether scooping a sidewalk neighbor or stopping push a car, not sure what the new normal for willa look like. Will we avoidtohandshakes? and other times not so much. Will we travel by air less? Will we keep Zooming with friends and Every fall,meetings? a neighbor of ours withlarge his air compressor family and for How long comes will weby avoid groups, indoor and blows out our sprinkler lines. He makes the rounds in our entertainment, eating in restaurants? corner of the neighborhood and getsout everyone ready for He I know that we’re not completely of the woods andwinter. that many doesn’t ask for anything. He just does it because he can. It is not a more will get sick, have long-term effects and any will die. And I don’t transactional offer in any way. want to minimize that. Theresa writes thisrunning month stories in her like Learn andNichols’ Live column It is nice,Baer though, to be Lynn story about teaching children to be generous and to volunteer. She also offers “Easing into the new normal, 5 ways to regain a healthy family balance” some ideas about where and how. The idea is to help children to be instead of stories about how to survive the long, dark COVID-19 winter. awaresooftoothers’ needs to understand that they,to themselves, And celebrate thatand thaw, we’re running stories help us all have get something to offer. outside and appreciate this spring, this season of life emerging once again goalasisitfor them, really all of us, to not just do generosity as an in theThe cycle, does. activity that we have to understand that we should We have a couplecome of stories to get you as outsomething into your backyard to do because we’re lucky enough to have something and those connect with the natural world. Lea Hanson has put together aother story for people aregardeners struggling. Where we’re really headedtowith for our first-time with the idea that it’s tough dive this into issomething children to see people who are just like they are, who just want toto be new without a little guidance. And Theresa Baer shares some ideas happy just as they do and who don’t want to feel bad just as they don’t liven up your yard with some creative bird feeders from repurposed want to. We want to get beyond the them and us feelings. We don’t just household items. dropIfmoney a canlike anda walk Wetrip, stop. We out talk Shelley and engage with you’re in feeling smallby. road check Widhalm’s people are just us. ideas forwho a nature daylike in Denver. Also, check out her story about Earth we want be generosity, not just generosity, though Day In andthe all end, the virtual andtoin-person activities that do support us as we learn the path to being generosity, it seems, lies through the path of doing about our green and blue planet. generosity. We need to keep our guard up and our masks on for a bit longer, but season,feel the days growing longer and brighter. I, for‘Tis one,the definitely Scott Thanks for reading, Scott
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| RMPARENT | RMPARENT
OCTOBER 2019 • Volume 24, Issue 6 APRIL 2021 • Volume 25, Issue 11
PUBLISHER Scott Titterington, (970)221-9210 PUBLISHER scott.rmpublishing@gmail.com Scott Titterington, (970)221-9210 EDITOR scott.rmpublishing@gmail.com Kristin Titterington, (970)221-9210 EDITOR kristin.rmpublishing@gmail.com Kristin Titterington, (970)221-9210 CREATIVE DIRECTOR kristin.rmpublishing@gmail.com Emily Zaynard CREATIVE DIRECTOR emily.rmpublishing@gmail.com Emily Zaynard ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR emily.rmpublishing@gmail.com Greg Hoffman, (970)689-6832 ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com Greg Hoffman, (970)689-6832 DISTRIBUTION MANAGER greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Susan Hartig ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE susan.rmpublishing@gmail.com Susan Harting COVER PHOTO susan.rmpublishing@gmail.com Cheri Schonfeld, Courtesy of COVER- skysopendesign.com PHOTO Sky’s Open Design istock.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Theresa Baer, Lea Hanson, Katie Harris, Theresa Baer, Lea Hanson, Lynn U. Nichols Lynn U. Nichols, Scott Titterington Tim Van Schmidt, Shelley Widhalm
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