Mommy mentor

The mentor I have chosen to help me through my 20% project is my mom, Angelique E. While we were sorting the clothes, some of them had stains, rips or were a bit worn. My mom told my sister and I to put them to the side because they were not good enough to give away, my sister asked my mom why, and my mom proceeded to share an experience she had when she was first married that profoundly affected her.

 One evening she and my dad went out to dinner with another couple to a famous restaurant in Los Angles called the Apple Pan. My mom was all dressed up in her pearls and Laura Ashley dress feeling very confident. She ordered dessert, but took it to go. When she was walking out of the restaurant, there on the side of the street, near the restaurant was a hungry homeless man. She approached the homeless man and gave him the apple pie thinking pridefully that she had done such a  good deed. The homeless man genuinely thanked her and then asked if she wouldn't mind going back into the restaurant to get him a cup of milk or water. She told the man no and walked away. Later that night when she was home she had a guilty feeling about the experience she had. She asked herself "Why couldn't I have simply gone back into the restaurant and got him a drink?" She wished she could go back and make things right. The experience humbled her and she realized she needed to treat the less fortunate with more compassion and dignity. She couldn't go back and change the past, but she could change her future actions. From that day on when she has served others she has wanted to make sure that she did it with an open heart, it is not about her, but about them. She wants us to feel the same way and I hope sharing this experience inspires others. My mom says "When it comes to serving others give THEM your best."

In my first blog post I forgot to discuss  the financial aspect of my project. We have decided to use our own washer and dyer to clean the clothes instead of going to a laundry mat . My mom, my sister and I are going to split the cost of laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and the bins that will hold the clothes. This will help us feel more invested in this service project. We will be doing lots of laundry this weekend. We hope to finish all the cleaning by Monday.