When you just say no...

   I'm the type of person who will do whatever I can to help another person in need, always have and always will. Complete strangers, nieghbors, friends and family can count on me to be there for them. My earliest memory of helping a complete stranger was when I was about 7 or 8yrs old. My dad and I went to Wal-Mart on a particulary hot day in the middle of summer. We parked close by a rusted, beat up truck with a family of four sitting in the bed. A father, a mother, and two twin babies. They looked exhausted, hot and dirty. I noticed a sign laying flat in the bed of the truck close to where the family was sitting. It read "Homeless and Hungry. Please help". I felt my emotions tugging at me and immediatly went to work on my dad to convince him to help. (I didn't have any money my self being so young) It took a lot of pleading and me taking nothing under a $5.00 bill, but he eventually handed over a $10. I walked over to the family quickly, said hello and handed them the money. Before they could speak, I was running back to where my dad was standing. As I was running, I heard the mother say "Thank you and bless you"
   I guess you can say I'm what they call a humanitirian. I see someone suffering and at once... their suffering becomes mine. I feel the heaviness on my heart the same way they feel it in theirs. I can't always help financially, but I can help emotionally and physically.  Occasionally though, I will meet someone who realizes this characteristic in me and will take advantage of it. That's when you have to just say no... no matter how much it bothers you to do so. If I don't walk away the instant I realize I'm being taken advantage of... I will become overwhelmed and bombarded with requests. Nothing I do will ever be enough. My neighbor is one of these people. She has recently fallen on hard times (most of it is her significant others doing) and has to move. I told her Aaron and I will do what we can to help. Since then, she has become super needy and asks for our help with the simplest things. Changing lightbulbs, switching her clothes from the washer to dryer, getting gas for her from the gas station. We let her use our trash barrel because we have the room to spare and she can't afford to pay trash. We've cut her grass, taken care of her dog, and picked up boxes to help her move. We've gathered newspapers when we could and I even spent a few hours helping her pack one day (I did the majority of the work). We've done all these things withen the last couple months and yet she asks for more. Now, I need to explain that she does have a few physical limitations due to a horrible car accident she was in about a year ago, but I have to say that she is physically able to do all the things we have done  for her. Her latest request is for me to pack her whole entire house by myself. What the hell?!! Not only does she want me to pack her whole entire house, she wants us to get more boxes and buy newspapers to pack with! When she sprang this request on me... I decided it was time to walk away.
  As I mentioned before, I would do anything in my power to help someone in need. My emotions take over and it's hard for me to say no. When I do have to walk away... I feel guilt knowing I was all they had. Life goes on and so do I. These certain people will not stop me from helping others, they will not effect the way I see people in need. You never know... I could be the one in need and I would certainly wish for someone like me to be around.

Dana

* The lady mentioned above doesn't read my blog, so I felt free to write this.