How to Lend-a-Hand in times of Covid?

[Eikyo]

I am aware of the guidance to do good deeds and then post LAH in the footer of our message - however it's not clear what actually counts as LAH.

I give a charitable donation every month but that is standard, nothing over and above what I'd normally do, I call my parents regularly and check in with them but that is not LAH, that is just me acting in alignment with my beliefs they deserve love and attention.

Apart from in my immediate home life with my partner, opportunities for Covid time human interaction are scant - so tell me your secrets, how the h - e - double hockey sticks are you managing to still lend a hand when we are all hardly seeing anyone?

Gassho,
Dee
SatToday (that is all)

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[Kyoshin]

Lots of little ways. For example, I wake up 30 minutes before my wife each morning, so that she has hot coffee ready and waiting when she gets up. To LAH outside the home, I donate money here and there as I'm able; many feel like donating is too "easy" but the secret of non-profits is that many/most of them need your 10 dollars more than ten hours of your volunteer labor.
Gassho
Kyōshin
Satlah

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[Risho]

Lending a hand doesn’t have to be heroic; sounds like you are doing a lot already so give yourself some credit I try to stay calm and listen more, wear a mask and not add to any chaos or anxiety - easier said than done lol

gassho

risho
-stlah

[Kyoshin]

Lending a hand doesn’t have to be heroic; sounds like you are doing a lot already so give yourself some credit I try to stay calm and listen more, wear a mask and not add to any chaos or anxiety - easier said than done lol

gassho

risho
-stlah

I agree. Sounds like you're going out of your way to find reasons to discount the good you already do.

Gassho
Kyōshin
Satlah

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[Jakuden]

I find that giving myself "credit" for even the small things, like Risho said--wearing a mask, taking care to be extra courteous in traffic, etc--helps keep me in the mindset so that I don't miss the bigger opportunities when they do come along. I am lucky to be deemed an essential worker, so I have been able to continue to LAH right on through, though. I have sent some things in the mail to and run errands for folks who I heard were struggling.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

[Eikyo]

I was raised Catholic, which is to say that discounting the good I do and always feeling not enough is part of my DNA!! [emoji6]

Sounds like you all have a much more gentle (and realistic) approach to LAH.
I thought I had to do something heroic (ie unachievable) so thank you for the small examples of everyday heroism.

Gassho,
Dee
SatToday

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[Doshin]

I live in the mountains and only see people when I go to town every 2 to 3 weeks for supplies, but when there I smile a lot (though a mask hides that), say kind things and thank folks for being there for me. My wife worked remotely to get a food delivery going for older folks and I added my support. Donate money to help, text and message friends around the country checking in on them so they don’t feel aLone...always looking for more ideas so good to read your views.

Be Safe Stay Well
Doshin
St

[Seikan]

I'm finding this thread very helpful as I have struggled to incorporate LAH into my posts for similar reasons. I'm certainly not saying that I'm some sort of uber-selfless being already (far from it), but I simply haven't felt that I've had any opportunities to go above and beyond what I normally do each day to justify adding LAH to my posts. Maybe I'm overthinking this practice—looking forward to reading other responses here for guidance.

Gassho,
Rob

-st- (may have "lah" too...)





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[Kyoshin]

I was raised Catholic, which is to say that discounting the good I do and always feeling not enough is part of my DNA!! [emoji6]

Sounds like you all have a much more gentle (and realistic) approach to LAH.
I thought I had to do something heroic (ie unachievable) so thank you for the small examples of everyday heroism.

Gassho,
Dee
SatToday

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Same. And Catholic school for grades 1-6. [emoji33]
I definitely understand the guilt and self-loathing.

Gassho
Kyōshin
Satlah

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[Jundo]

LAH can be big or small, from an extra smile and "thank you" to a shop clerk or bus driver on the bus you ride, to picking up something from the store for an elderly neighbor who cannot shop so easily, to picking up a bit of trash on the street when one might just walk by ... all the way to rescuing a drowning man or finding a cure for cancer!

Anything in between, and it is part of practice to just be looking for some opportunity each day. It can be anonymous or so ordinary that it is barely noticed, or you might get the Key to the City or the Nobel Prize in Medicine for it, or in between ... but you still try to do it with a heart of humility and modesty, taking little credit and donating the "merit" to the world, very simple.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Seikan]

LAH can be big or small, from an extra smile and "thank you" to a shop clerk or bus driver on the bus you ride, to picking up something from the store for an elderly neighbor who cannot shop so easily, to picking up a bit of trash on the street when one might just walk by ... all the way to rescuing a drowning man or finding a cure for cancer!

Anything in between, and it is part of practice to just be looking for some opportunity each day. It can be anonymous or so ordinary that it is barely noticed, or you might get the Key to the City or the Nobel Prize in Medicine for it, or in between ... but you still try to do it with a heart of humility and modesty, taking little credit and donating the "merit" to the world, very simple.

Gassho, J

STLah

Jundo,

Thank you for the clarification. As usual, I was overthinking the instructions.

Going forward, I'm all in!

Gassho,
Rob

-stlah-


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[Meian]

Living with chronic illness in the time of pandemic has forced much of my life to be online.

My "lah" is online also. Most recently, other than the tutoring work I do, I have been researching ways to help refugees online through advocacy. Also locally (again, virtually) in advocacy and support for our essential workers (which also helps my family).

I spend some of my "lah" efforts in advocacy and education, sharing resources, networking. It's not giving out direct food or money (occasionally a few $ here or there), but I also find that many people don't know what's happening with lots of situations, and somehow I end up being connected to people and organizations that are involved in these crises, so I share what I know or have. Also, my family tries to support local family businesses whenever possible.

It's mostly virtual, but that's what I can do.

gassho, meian st lh

[Shinshi]

I am aware of the guidance to do good deeds and then post LAH in the footer of our message - however it's not clear what actually counts as LAH.

I give a charitable donation every month but that is standard, nothing over and above what I'd normally do, I call my parents regularly and check in with them but that is not LAH, that is just me acting in alignment with my beliefs they deserve love and attention.

Apart from in my immediate home life with my partner, opportunities for Covid time human interaction are scant - so tell me your secrets, how the h - e - double hockey sticks are you managing to still lend a hand when we are all hardly seeing anyone?

Gassho,
Dee
SatToday (that is all)

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If you boil it down, this world seems crazy different now, but it really isn't any different. Just be open to the opportunities that come up where you might make the world a bit of a better place. Pick up a piece of trash, smile at a stranger, say an encouraging word, think a good thought about a person you don't agree with, engage with the person in front of you. Just explore the idea in bits and pieces.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Jundo]

Living with chronic illness in the time of pandemic has forced much of my life to be online.

My "lah" is online also. Most recently, other than the tutoring work I do, I have been researching ways to help refugees online through advocacy. Also locally (again, virtually) in advocacy and support for our essential workers (which also helps my family).

I spend some of my "lah" efforts in advocacy and education, sharing resources, networking. It's not giving out direct food or money (occasionally a few $ here or there), but I also find that many people don't know what's happening with lots of situations, and somehow I end up being connected to people and organizations that are involved in these crises, so I share what I know or have. Also, my family tries to support local family businesses whenever possible.

It's mostly virtual, but that's what I can do.

gassho, meian st lh

LAH online is wonderful, especially for those with mobility issues, even a kind and supportive email to a friend, or a helpful comment or posting in a Forum or someone's Facebook page, etc.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Shonin Risa Bear]

You can LAH by admiringly commenting on artwork and babies and gardens and even hikes on fb or tw, or here by telling Jishin his photos are stunning, which they are.

I'm into disaster resilience, so I spend time forwarding information about horse evacuation sites and community fire meetings.

I was snapping up LAHs by being the litter patrol in my neighborhood, but I'm not out so much now.

gassho
shonin sat/lah