Good Morning - Would you Like Some Sour Milk?

Since I'm not food shopping this month, I've been rationing myself on some of the essentials -- because I need for them to last. One of those things is milk. My container of milk, which I bought on March 31, listed the sell by date as April 13. You have to figure that if the sell by date is April 13, the milk will be good at least until April 16th or 17th.

Today, I decided to have Cheerios for breakfast. I put them in a bowl, sliced up a kiwi my mom gave me a few days ago on top and opened the refrigerator to take out the milk.

When I opened the milk, it was clearly sour. There was no way I could smell it let alone put it on my cereal and eat it.

How many families who are living paycheck to paycheck save their milk, hoping to make it last until the next payday -- or close to it -- only to discover that not only is it gone, they could have enjoyed it only a day or two earlier?

I was talking to a friend of mine and I told her that if this were not an experiment, if I were literally living hand to mouth every month, I would save an emergency fund for the most basics like milk, bread, eggs -- things I knew I would need to get by. But she made a good point, where do you draw the line on the basics? Sure, milk, bread and eggs are basics, but what about rent? Is that a basic? What about electricity? For that matter, what about money for new shoes for a child who needs them to walk to the bus stop?

Many Americans have no idea what it means to experience total uncertainty about where the next meal will come from. But sadly, many do. Many families live hand to mouth every day.

Of course there are those who abuse the system. Sadly, there are parents who buy cigarettes instead of milk for their children, or who invest in a big screen TV instead of decent clothes or shoes for their kids. And there are those who just charge everything, hoping that things won't catch up to them "this month" or "next month." There are those who abuse the system, and that is wrong and there needs to be harsh consequences for that. But for those who are just honestly and legitimately trying to get by, is there not more we can do to help?

Can we spare a few dollars or a few cans of food to a charity that is working to help those most in need?

Today is Good Friday, a solemn time of reflection for Christians around the world. As we reflect on all we have to be thankful for, shouldn’t we also reflect on what we can do to make the world a little better for those living on the edge?