A few weeks ago I sorted through the girls' books and set aside some to donate. I put them in a Bruegger's Bagels bag because it was big and sturdy and had big sturdy handles. Naturally, the bag has been sitting in our hallway ever since.
Phoebe noticed it last Saturday. "Mommy, why is there a Wubbzy book in this bag?" she asked.
"Because those are books I'm going to donate," I said.
"To the poor?" she asked.
"Yes."
"I don't think that's a good idea," she said.
I was about to launch into a lecture about how she had too much and other children had too little and she hadn't read any of those books for ages and --
But then she added, "Because if the poor children see this bagel bag, it's just going to make them hungry."
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Twenty-five people were laid off from my office yesterday. Luckily I was not one of them, although there were a few tense moments when I thought I might be. I feel bad for feeling happy that I'm still employed, when so many of these people -- including some friends of mine -- are now not. And, although of course I never want to lose my job, knock wood, wish on a star, cross your heart and so forth -- Chris and I have a pretty good safety net. I'm fairly confident that we would never end up without a home to live in or food to eat. I'm afraid that a few of the people who were let go yesterday don't have that kind of assurance, and it just makes me feel terrible. And although I understand the reasons they were let go now instead of a few weeks from now (because if they kept their jobs into 2012 they'd be able to claim there 2012 vacation hours) -- it's still particularly awful that this happened right before Christmas. I think the powers that be deserve a few lumps of coal for that one.
Phoebe noticed it last Saturday. "Mommy, why is there a Wubbzy book in this bag?" she asked.
"Because those are books I'm going to donate," I said.
"To the poor?" she asked.
"Yes."
"I don't think that's a good idea," she said.
I was about to launch into a lecture about how she had too much and other children had too little and she hadn't read any of those books for ages and --
But then she added, "Because if the poor children see this bagel bag, it's just going to make them hungry."
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Twenty-five people were laid off from my office yesterday. Luckily I was not one of them, although there were a few tense moments when I thought I might be. I feel bad for feeling happy that I'm still employed, when so many of these people -- including some friends of mine -- are now not. And, although of course I never want to lose my job, knock wood, wish on a star, cross your heart and so forth -- Chris and I have a pretty good safety net. I'm fairly confident that we would never end up without a home to live in or food to eat. I'm afraid that a few of the people who were let go yesterday don't have that kind of assurance, and it just makes me feel terrible. And although I understand the reasons they were let go now instead of a few weeks from now (because if they kept their jobs into 2012 they'd be able to claim there 2012 vacation hours) -- it's still particularly awful that this happened right before Christmas. I think the powers that be deserve a few lumps of coal for that one.
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