Perception. We all have it. We all have had a perception of things and at times, people and their situations.

It’s a funny thing, perception.

On Thanksgiving Day, my daughter and I took part in the Feeding Farmville Community event to help deliver over 800 meals to people in need.

Now, at each of those stops we made, we came face to face with individuals we had never met, nor did we know their situations.

Perception could have caused us to form impressions of other people we know nothing about, nor was it our place to decide whether those individuals were deserving of the offerings we gave.

That did not matter. I did not care. My daughter did not care.

What we cared about was giving that individual what they needed at that time.

It is not up to me or you to decide whether a person is deserving of any kind of help. We all need a helping hand at times. That help comes in many different forms. Thanksgiving Day it came as a meal to someone, but tomorrow it could be handing a bottle of water to a homeless man or buying a cup of coffee for a veteran who may be sitting by himself in a fast food restaurant.

Feelings of compassion, humanity, and a sense of appreciation awakens when we give and help.

Deep down inside, we all want to feel that we contributed to something and had meaning and purpose in our lives. Giving to others helps us to feel that we’ve made that difference and helped to alleviate the crisis in somebody else’s life — no matter if we think they “need” it or not.

Remember, everyone you meet is dealing with something you know nothing about.

So, keep that judgment and perception in check and remember, you never know when you may be on the receiving end of someone’s offer of help.

CRYSTAL VANDEGRIFT is a staff reporter for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Crystal.Vandegrift@FarmvilleHerald.com.