What Really Matters (Lisa Morell, @MorellKelly)
We are all so busy with the Christmas season approaching it is a great time to step back from our endeavours and take some time to think about what really matters. At Morell Kelly Personal Injury Law we are very busy assisting people who have been injured in motor vehicle collisions. As I have mentioned in previous articles being in a car accident is an extremely stressful experience. I am sure that many would agree that this is the case even if one has been fortunate enough not to have been injured.
Our clients who have been injured in accidents face so many stresses in addition to pain and suffering. From the outset they are faced with an onslaught of forms to be filled out to initiate their entitlements. This is the beginning of a long process where the next step is not always clear, and the client will inevitably face delays in accessing treatment and income interruption.
This is a good time to think about how hard life can be and the many challenges, car accidents aside that individuals may have to face during their lives. So many circumstances can cause hardship and financial difficulties and inevitably the hardest hit will be individuals who have to care for dependents or who are dependent themselves on others for care. Leaving complexities aside there are so many in our communities are who are struggling daily to access the bare necessities for themselves and their children. Recent studies have shown that individuals who are facing day to day challenges in terms of maintaining the basic daily necessities of living face more health issues and are less able to concentrate and focus. This type of stress on an ongoing basis can detrimentally effect someone’s brain function not to mention their emotional health.
That being said the flipside is that our communities are filled with individuals and organizations who are caring and compassionate and do everything they can to respond to the needs of the less fortunate. Their support can be demonstrated through countless volunteer hours or through generous donations of cash or other commodities. However though with the economic downturn and changes in the structure of government and community supports the need always seems to be increasing which results in ever increasing demands.
While community spirit drives charity work the impact of charity work on the individual beneficiaries can be incredible. This is the case whether the donors are individuals or organizations. My 13 year old told me a touching story recently about a man who we know as a scrapper, and he is not one of the scrappers who is doing it for a business i.e. he does not have a pick up truck or a trailer but only a bicycle with a small wagon he pulls behind it for bottles and scrap metal he collects. He saw him talking to another man in the neighbourhood who had given this man a $20.00 bill and this made him so happy he was actually crying. While my son was coming from the store he had $4.00 change and so he followed the example of our neighbour who said he was just helping him a bit and gave him the $4, and the man responded by giving my son a big hug and saying “You are in the nicest kid in the neighbourhood”.
This is the time of year where everyone should be thinking about the things that they can do either as part of a community organization or on an individual level to make the community a better place over the holiday season for the less fortunate. We like to support Food Bank initiatives such as the Basket Program if we can by providing a donation to assist them with their good work. While every little bit helps and there are many opportunities to make a food donation in the community, we like to give cash as we know that with cash the Food Bank programs can take advantage of added buying power opportunities.
At this time we would remind everyone to be careful out there, but more importantly know that Christmas is and always will be about giving, and no kindness of generosity will be unappreciated by the less fortunate in our community. Christmas is a wonderful time to teach our children about giving, and the importance of giving in our own communities.
Seasons Greetings and all the Best in 2014!
Lisa Morell Kelly
Morell Kelly Personal Injury Law
515 Park Road North
Brantford, Ontario N3R 7K8 (519) 720-0110