365daystogive's Blog

In elementary school I can remember doing a math competition to raise money for St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital.  You would find people to sponsor you, most likely your family and family friends, on the day when packets were handed out and everyone would take this “fun” exam.  I was so excited that the fact that math was, and still is, my worst subject.  Yes, I can still be found counting on my fingers from time to time.  Yes, I abused my TI-89 and all of its storage functions.  But that minor fact didn’t let the enthusiasm run amok or bring my down when I didn’t win by getting the highest score in my classroom.  I don’t remember how I ranked but you can be sure that it was one of the lower ones.  Oh well, no harm there.

Recently I have been seeing more ads and commercials from St. Judes asking for donations.  It’s not as though there are more sick children who need our help.  It is just easier to ask for donations when you can see video image of the youngsters who have to spend their childhood inside the albeit colorful halls of the famous hospital.  And those images can be so sad despite a smile on the beleaguered child’s face.  Their freshly shaven pate is reminder enough of their sickness.

There isn’t really anything about today that made me think of St. Judes Hospital.  But I feel so much better setting up a monthly donation to their organization because I know that there will, unfortunately, always be sick children and I have only to look at the healthy faces of my nieces and nephews to realize how fortunate I and my family has been.  To all the children and their families at St. Judes, my thoughts go out to you today.