So as I've been experiencing this cabin journey, I've been realizing more and more that the cabin is like my very own Giving Tree. One of my favorite books, Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree (for those of you who haven't read this), is about this beautiful tree who keeps giving to its little boy until it has nothing but a stump left to give. I don't see the cabin as something that's going to give until it has nothing left, but I do see it as something that is giving more than just a serene roof over my head on a lake. The cabin has given me experiences, memories, and opportunities I would have never thought possible. It's given me the faith in the act of taking a leap of faith and just opening myself up to the possibility of possibility. Additionally, this experience has opened my eyes to ways that I can give back and in some small way, hopefully, make a difference.
One of the main resources that has made my cabin build a possibility is Habitat for Humanity. I have volunteered with this organization that gives great hands-on insight to how to build along with having the Re-Store, which is a place to find and donate building materials, essentially the Good Will of building supplies (you can search to find a Re-Store near you). I want to make others aware of this great organization and how they (YOU) can get involved!
www.habitat.org
Re-Store
Additionally, another powerful organization is Pencils of Promise. An amazing organization that builds schools in third-world countries and relies on communities to build these schools. This isn't a direct correlation to building cabins, but it's about building a community and a difference, and to me, that's what my cabin-building experience is all about.
www.PencilsofPromise.org
So visit my new Giving Tree page to learn how I'm trying to give back to those that have given to me and are rooted in making a difference. Maybe together, we can empower others and even ourselves.