A Mommy Story

It’s the time of year when people tend to think of their fellow human beings, and make efforts to help others. Oh sure, there’s the fact that it’s the end of the year, and a few more tax deductions are always nice, but I was actually referring to the holidays and the spirit of giving and helping others and all that.

If you haven’t heard about Her Bad Auction yet, you clearly don’t read my blogroll. Several bloggers put together this amazing online raffle auction to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Research in honor of Her Bad Mother’s nephew, Tanner, who is afflicted with the disease. Without major advances in MD research towards a cure, Tanner will most likely not experience the number of years many of us are privileged to have.

The auction features well over 40 donated items, small and large. All would make wonderful gifts if you’re still shopping for holiday gifts. Plus, tickets for items cost either $1 or $5. While it’s hard to sometimes pony up a donation for a charity that doesn’t look puny, a couple of $1 tickets won’t set you back too much, and hey, you might just win a cool prize in return!

I first heard about the plans for this auction right in the middle of our car crisis last week. While I immediately thought, “What an amazing idea!”, I also felt at the time like I couldn’t do anything to help, since I was stuck in my own minor issues that took up all my time and threatened to deal a financial death blow to us.

But now that the car has been replaced, cheaper than we thought it would be, and I can now focus on anything but the car, I see there are a number of ways to help this auction. (I even managed to find something to donate, which I didn’t think I’d be able to do.) First, spread the news. If you want to post about this on your own blog, please do. The more people who find the auction, the more money will be raised for such a worthy cause.

Second, even if you can only spare a dollar, think of the good that dollar will do. Instead of buying your grande mocha tomorrow morning, brew a cup of coffee at home and buy a few tickets in its place. As for me, I sold an item on eBay that went for more than I was expecting, so the extra will probably go to a few tickets, like that cool diaper bag I saw or maybe one of the blog redesign packages.

And finally, if you have no extra money to give, there’s still another way to help. Your children can send letters and drawings to Tanner. It’s already tough to be a kid, but dealing with being “different” makes it ten times harder.

So go forth and be a do-gooder. You have until Sunday night at midnight EST. Make a difference this holiday season.