Do you have a Lemon Tree or a Christmas Tree?

And so this is Christmas, and what have we done?

It’s Christmas – well, 22 hours to Christmas – and most of us are sitting safe at home, wondering what’s in the boxes wrapped under the tree. What’s on your mind right now? (I realize that’s a stupid question since you’re reading this…)

Over 13 million children in the US and another million and a half children in Canada are wondering why they don’t even have a Christmas tree; or, if they do, they wonder if Santa will even come by… (Numbers from www.freethechildren.com and The National Center for Children in Poverty) To quote Billy, the lonely boy in The Polar Express – “Christmas just doesn’t work out (for some people)…”

For Nichole’s family, Christmas was not always as glamorous as what you and I might recall. To begin, Nichole’s mom relied on receiving a Welfare check on time to ensure that the children (3 of them) would get gifts. There was a Christmas tree, there were some decorations. The gifts usually consisted of clothing: jogging pants, sweatshirts – that’s what was needed. To create an appearance of “more gifts”, jogging suits and outfits were separated and each piece was wrapped separately. Christmas was one of only 2 times of the year when new clothes were a possibility; the other time being the beginning of the school year.

One year, Nichole’s mom even had to go to the County Welfare office to pick up a box of food… Food stamps only last so long; and you can be certain that providing a good Christmas meal for your family might just tap out the stamps!

What do you think about or wish for “When Christmas comes to town”?

Now, this post isn’t meant to make you sad, or make you feel guilty. You shouldn’t… I believe that you get what you get because you’ve worked hard for it. It’s not always everything you’ve ever wanted – but, we should be grateful. That’s what this post is for… to highlight that we are likely doing OK in the great scheme of things. And, if we’re not OK today, chances are we are blessed with the ability to hope that things will get better.

Enjoy your Christmas, your Hannukah - or whichever holiday you are celebrating. Appreciate every moment you have with friends and family. And, when you have a chance – share the joy. Magic happens when we Believe.

Lemons have families too...

I'd like to give you a little extra background on Nichole and her family:

Nichole’s mom graduated from high school – with honours; she was even enrolled in college (but never had a chance to graduate). She took care of her kids while her husband worked. It was the late 70s.

But papa was a rolling stone. He was in a rock band and drove race cars on the weekends. He thought he was one “hot tamale”! Then, the bottom fell out... He lost his job, lost the house and cheated on his wife. Little Nichole was only 2 when her dad left. A single mom with 3 kids and no income doesn’t make ends meet very well. And, Nichole’s dad was not into paying child support!

Oh, there goes gravity… (Eminem, Lose Yourself)

Nichole’s mom turned to county (State) support. A few food stamps and housing subsidies later, none of which provided a good life for a family of 4 in which 3 of the people were under the age of 18, Nichole’s mom gave into the vices that grip people who begin to feel hopeless. She started smoking and drinking heavily – and Lord knows what else – but, the point is that the pressures were too much!

Nichole’s mom – a grown woman – had to work for minimum wage at the local grocery store. She had a job which did not provide her with any family benefits so she remained a “client of welfare”; she did not get time off – she worked weekends, evenings, and sometimes nights. Nichole, her sister (4 years older), and her brother (8 years older) spent nights alone – fending for themselves. The kids would often wake themselves up and get themselves ready to go to school by themselves because their mom was too tired. Can you understand why, sometimes, the laundry didn’t get done?

The subsidies allowed the family to get a used car – sometimes the car started, sometimes it didn’t. Often, it didn’t start because they couldn't afford gas! (Would you believe that food stamps don’t buy gas, either?) When the car didn’t start, Nichole’s mom couldn’t get to work which meant she didn’t get paid. Oh yeah, I know what you’re thinking: call for a ride, take the bus. I thought that way too – but, let me enlighten you:

When you live in many small towns that are in the suburbs of small cities, there is no public transit! So, that option is out the window. And, when you live in areas where poverty is the norm, reliability is not a trait you find in others very easily. So, you just stay home. It doesn't happen over night; at first, you try. But, over time, when you are continuously met with this kind of challenge and obstacle, it's hard to find the strength to push through.

Shall we recap?
• From a life with hope, to hopeless and alone
• From regular meals to food stamps and housing subsidies
• From stay-at-home mom to minimum wage work with no benefits
• From a nice home to no stability
• From race cars to a car that might not start
• And, no reliable people or public transit

Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it? These were the realities that this family lived with… So, it’s no surprise when I tell you that there were often nights when splitting a baked potato for dinner was something you just had to do. Nichole recalls many nights where her mom actually gave up eating so that the kids could get a larger portion. Did I mention that her mom weighs about 90lbs all wet?

What’s the point of this story? The point is that poverty is a cycle. Somewhere, somehow, the cycle has to be broken. Here’s the big challenge: How do you break the cycle of poverty, create value for education, and mitigate the negative influences, without losing the fact that in the middle of it all, there exists a family?

The Lemon Seed

I think I would be remiss if I didn’t join in the world of endless information, endless communications and endless ideas. You see (for those who don’t know me), I’m one of those people who can take an 8-hour day and turn it into a thousand different ideas. Maybe some are good, maybe some are bad – but the melon is always thinking! And, it is always thinking about something in particular: the link between poverty and lack of education.

I’m hoping that by shining some light onto people’s stories: experiences, successes and fears; and by providing some insight into some ideas I’ve come to dream of, there may be someone out there who can help with making some of these ideas and hopes come to life.

First, let me give you some background on the “Once upon a Lemon Tree” concept. You’ve heard of the expression: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? Well – that’s where this idea was born. Fact is, in today’s climate, there are probably a lot of people who feel like they’ve been given the whole damn lemon tree!

Second, let me show you how the “lemon tree” has anything to do with the link between “poverty and lack of education”. Many of you might remember your first job setting up a lemonade stand on your street and selling a glass for 10¢ on a hot summer day. But, how did you make the lemonade? If your mom or dad hadn’t showed you and your friends how to make the stuff, you’d have had nothing but the lemons and sugar! So, you had to learn. That’s the point… if you learn something you can probably make some money off of it.

Third, let me demonstrate the missing link – and hence, some of the stories and ideas I will present in future posts. Just because you learned something doesn’t mean you can make money, but it is a mandatory pre-requisite. The missing link to the “lemon tree” is to find the opportunity. But, then again – I suppose you could learn to identify opportunities…