I sat down and watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition for the first time in a long time. I rarely watch that show, however today I decided to check it out. The story was a bout a family living in a run down, soon to be condemned house in Raleigh, NC. The mother devotes much of her life to a local community center/private school for mostly underprivileged children. She has 3 kids, ages 6, 4, and 3, and a husband who is legally blind. The lady also has severe arthritits. Because of her devotion to bettering her community and young people throughout the area, her house had begun to literally decay. It became unsafe to raise a family in. They tried to make it livable but because they had little funding the could not do much.
So the Extreme Makeover team came in and did work. Obviously it was a dream come true for the woman. Her and her family were thrilled and suddenly filled with Hope. As Ty Pennington toured the dilapidated home, something the mother did absolutely shocked me. She told Ty that anything in the house that was still usable, she wanted to give away to people throughout the community who really needed it. I just thought it was so amazing. Here is this makeover team, ready to give this woman her dream home, and all she is thinking about is how to give to others. I find that absolutely amazing. Not once did she ever think of herself. It is truly a characteristic I wish i could constantly possess. Sometimes, yeah i do put others before me, but what if I was like this woman? What if we always put others before ourselves? I really believe the world may be a happier place. It reminds me of that commercial ( I forget what company it is) where one good deed is witnessed, which leads to another, and so on and so forth. That was this lady's attitude. She said she believed her showing love to others would inspire others to do the same, thusly making her community a better place.
It is so simple once you really think about it. That really works. Love and kindness is contagious. Nothing else to it. Towards the end of the episode, she said I do this for these kids. They are the future of our nation and doing this may help them change the world. I just thought that was so cool. Probably the best episode of that show I have ever seen. And by far, it was the best hour of my day today. I really thought it was cool they aired it during this season of Christmas. It is the season of giving, and this woman gave almost all she had to make other people around her happy.
