Depending on one’s social circle, it is pretty easy to forget about the less fortunate.
A full belly, a relatively new car with some gas in it, and a bit of cash go along way toward contentment. Throw in a colour TV and enough money for some munchies and life can be pretty good. Or so we think.
For many living on the streets or now shacking up with friends until they get back on their feet, there was likely a time that they enjoyed those creature comforts too. In a recent article written elsewhere by an activist who works with the homeless, it’s noted somewhere in the range of 75% of street people once had it all. Then tragedy struck. Without short-term disability or a salary of consequence, things we all take for granted were swept away overnight.
Politicians will say there are a plethora of programs to help people. Certainly if a person happens to get in the right line at the right office there are top-ups, but we question if that is enough. When all priority items are added up, such as rent, utilities, and groceries, it is easy to see how tight living can be for some. All it takes is a bit of bad luck and things can turn sour quickly. There is, however, something we can do about this problem. Food banks and shelters appreciate donations of many kinds.
While observing Easter this weekend, it is our hope that a few brief minutes can be spent by families appreciating their bounty and good fortune. And with some luck the revelation will strike home that our individual struggles to get ahead and make a better life has to include empathy for others.
Without some consideration for the plight of the working poor, we are destined to have even greater problems and ever more souls in need of help. Perhaps Easter and its true meaning will strike a chord this season and give Canadians pause to recognize how blessed most of us are.
