My journey continues this week as the human cutting board and there has been a topic that has been bothering me over the last year.  I am sure most of you have heard of the system called GoFundMe which is a fast way to raise money for a variety of different reasons.  If you type “GoFundMe” in the search engine it says “Make a Difference Today” which definitely for a person like myself who sees a person I know in need they will be receiving money from me as I know the financial struggle all to well.

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When you first get diagnosed with something like Cancer or another awful disease there is so many things your mind starts to think about like the financial burden you are imposing on your family.  Of course, you are shoved from here to there medically because you want to live so you do what you are told with the financial piece coming last until you start to see the bills come in the mail.  When you start to see the bills pile up it becomes overwhelming so your next thought is to call the provider to see what can be done because no one just has thousands of dollars lying around.  I have never experienced such harassment in my life when it came to figuring out how much I could afford on a monthly basis.   This phone call was minutes before I needed to go and present in front of a group.  Once you get diagnosed you are told to fight but these type of roadblocks make you want to give up quite fast.

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I had some close friends and family reach out asking if we needed help financially.  My immediate response was “No, we will make it work.”  Asking for help has always been an issue for myself as I see the world for what it is and how many less fortunate individuals there are who don’t have homes, jobs, or health insurance.  I thought to myself many times “How could I even ask for help?”  Maybe because I saw my parents struggle who always seemed to make it work or because I have worked three jobs since college to make ends meet.  Are things easy financially, of course not.  Have there been times where the financial burdens wrap their hands around my neck to the point when I can’t breathe, yes.   I have been in many conversations about other individuals who have needed to use a resource such as GoFundMe and it isn’t always positive which makes it even harder to say “HELP!”

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I have heard some negativity around fundraising accounts where individuals in need receive funds for medical or other bills but then go on trips or buy a house.  I think it is an interesting situation and I have no judgement when it comes to what they do with the money that is raised.  Maybe an individual who has lost a love one paid all the bills and started college funds for the children but was able to use some of that money to go on a trip where as a couple they talked about going there one last time no matter what the situation?  What if a person is diagnosed with cancer and uses money from fundraising to pay off all medical bills and then since they survived they decide to take a vacation because of being alive?  There are fundraising accounts that are out there to provide funding to travel for sports or for other recreational uses which I am not sure I can judge either as they are trying to fulfill a dream.  It is unfortunate that some people abuse the system but that my friends is life and it was it is.   The point of the accounts are that you can choose where you want  your money to go and to give your money without any stipulations.  I am not sure why there is so much judgement and I was reminded that it is just the ego.  What if we just let those who need the money, receive the money without judgement on what they do with it?

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I have realized it is okay to ask for help when it is needed and this can be through funds or even just chatting with a good friend.  We all have a choice to help others and to support each other even when it gets hard.  No matter if I have $1 left in my pocket I will choose to give it to someone less fortunate.

My advice to you is maybe we all can do a little more to help each other out and serve our communities around us.

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I have heard some amazing music recently that I would like to share with you as some days music is what gets me through the darkness of this world:

The Thunder Rolls – All That Remains (Click Here)
Three thirty in the morning
Not a soul insight
The city’s lookin’ like a ghost town
On a moonless summer night
Raindrops on the windshield
There’s a storm moving in

Closer to Love – Matt Kearney (Click Here)
She got the call today
One out of the gray
And when the smoke cleared
It took her breath away
She said she didn’t believe
It could happen to me
I guess we’re all one phone call
From our knees
We’re gonna get there soon

Moonlight – Grace VanderWaal (Click Here)
She always has a smile
From morning to the night
The perfect poster child
That was once in my life

Now she lost her way
And she forgets to smile
Never gets a break
From this life in denial

Until Next Time…..