May 30, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Gleaning Blueberries for the Homeless

My family needs a lot of practice when it comes to serving others. It is something we each love to do but it often times does not come naturally. So over the summer we look for intentional ways to have fun while helping others in our community. One of our favorite ways to do this is by gleaning fields for the homeless.

If you recall the Old Testament story of Ruth and Boaz you may be familiar with gleaning. The wealthy Boaz felt compassion for a widow named Ruth and allowed her to glean his fields after they had been harvested. This generosity still exists today.

There is a national organization called Society of St. Andrew (www.EndHunger.org) from which people of all faiths, civil organizations, and groups volunteer to help alleviate hunger through gleaning the fields of America. There are roughly 40 million Americans hungry and the USDA estimates that around 25% of American crops are never made available for people to eat. Much of that uneaten food is left in the fields after harvest.

Farms across America have been offering up these leftover crops for volunteer gleaners to come and pick. The crops are then given to the homeless and hungry. Our family has gleaned corn and citrus but today was all about blueberries!!! Gleaning blueberries for the Homeless

We rolled out of bed and had an impromptu desire to go gleaning. You can sign up here for an email listing of local gleaning opportunities in your area. There was a 2 day blueberry project about 30 minutes away with our name on it.

We picked, ate, and compared buckets.

(and yes, Palmer currently wears this hat at ALL times…and Campbell is in Year 4 of wearing his shirts backwards. Love it.)

Gleaning Blueberries for the Homeless - a fun way to serve with your kids this summer {the House of Hendrix}

We sprinkled each bucket with love, then dumped them into the sorter.

We removed the green and mushy blueberries and then filled ziplock baggies. Gleaning Blueberries for the Homeless - a fun way to serve with your kids this summer {the House of Hendrix}

At the farm today, our team of 20 gleaners picked 220 pounds of blueberries. Hurray! Gleaning Blueberries for the Homeless - a fun way to serve with your kids this summer {the House of Hendrix}

This is a fabulous opportunity for children to help others in their community that is so much fun! The website again is www.EndHunger.org

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May 30, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

The Interrupt Rule

The situation is all too familiar. Two adults are talking and a child needs to tell their mother something.

“Mom! Mom! ” the child says as their mother is mid-sentence with her friend. 5 minutes later it happens again. “Excuse me, Mom?”

Even with polite words, the parent is being interrupted. It can be hard to focus on either conversation AND be an effective listener when your thoughts are continuously interrupted.

There is a great opportunity here for a child to show respect and honor to their elders by properly knowing how to interrupt a conversation.

Several years ago I took a parenting class called Growing Kids God’s Way which taught a solution I have recently reintroduced to my children. It’s called The Interrupt Rule.

Here’s how it works: When two adults are talking and a child needs to interrupt, they simply put their hand on their parents arm or shoulder. The child waits patiently without speaking.

By maintaining contact, the parent knows the child has a need. The parent can touch their child’s hand to acknowledge its presence.

The parent can continue in their conversation until there is a natural pause or good moment to address the child. ” Thank you for waiting Palmer, what can I help you with?” The child’s needs have been met and were addressed with undivided attention at a moment determined by the parent.

The Interrupt Rule - How your child can show respect and honor to their elders through a simple rule.

I also have been known to hide in my closet when talking on the phone to avoid being interrupted; so I have implemented the Interrupt Rule when I am on the phone. My children don’t wait forever, but this gives me a few moments to finish up my conversation before shifting gears.

In addition to the obvious lesson in patience, the Interrupt Rule teaches children to honor and respect their elders and the conversations amongst them.

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May 25, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Lessons I learned when you turned 100

Journaling is an art that should never die. It provides your legacy with an honest glimpse into your soul.
Eating healthy and exercising do not dictate a long life, just as smoking and years of sunbathing do not mean it will be short.
Even when our minds have forgotten the faces of our loved ones, the site of a child still brings joy to our eyes.
A woman is never too old for nail polish.
I should have asked more questions.

Thelma,

When I met you, I misjudged you. I saw an elderly woman with a strong personality. I saw a woman who smoked and drove a car at 90 years old. I knew you loved cats and feeding peacocks, but I didn’t push beyond that. Maybe we, as a younger generation, are so consumed with ourselves, we have forgotten the legacy from which we came. I did not understand the courage and perseverance behind your choices…because I never really thought about your choices. I failed to see the woman who had lived an extraordinary life.

I just didn’t know until that day we found your boxes of journals, love letters, and newspaper clippings the passions of your heart. You traveled the world. You were a writer. A political activist. An artist. A lover. You were a passionate reader. You rocked a bikini. You were one of “The 3 Drips”, a name referring to your proclivity to being wet at the beach. I am sorry I didn’t know. You were beautiful. You are beautiful!

I wish you could have told me your stories while your mind could still remember. I would have ask you about the love letters and the pro baseball player in California. We would talk about being a delegate in the Nixon administration and visiting the troops in Europe when people didn’t just fly to Europe. Did you take a boat? I want to know what is was like being a single mother at a time when that was frowned upon. I would ask why you thought the church had repeatedly failed you. You walked boldly and your perspective is unique. You made tough choices and great sacrifices. Would you change any of it?

Your life took a major turn when you settled down to be a single mother. You became a librarian. You also smiled less in photographs. I don’t know why you lost your some of your sparkle but if it’s because you gave up a life of wanderlust and freedoms to raise your daughter, I appreciate that sacrifice.

You raised a daughter who knows how to love. I believe love is learned, modeled for us. You instilled this in her. She turned out great and I know this because I married her son. He knows how to love a woman, be a hands on father, and lead a family. Thank you Thelma for the choices you made. So when I asked you earlier if you would change any of it, I hope you say no.

Love from the girl who now paints your fingernails when she visits,

alli

(I wrote this last week, just before grandma passed on Saturday – in loving memory of her)