Doris Buffet, 1928-2020

Warren Buffet’s sister. 
Know her name?
Doris.
Buffet, perhaps reclaimed after her many divorces.
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I’ve added her to my personal saint lexicon, 
But not for the reason you would think.
Not for her philanthropy.
She gave away her entire fortune: $200 million
and some of her brother’s fortune.
Must be fun to have so much money to give away.
 
They called it retail philanthropy.
I would call it human connection. 
Direct small grants to people who need help
because sometimes a check really does make a difference.
Being poor is awful.
Her checks averaged $5,000 
and were always accompanied by a letter
some included tough love and advice.
Imagine how many checks she wrote?
200 million divided by 5k = 40,000
Did she write that many checks with letters to accompany them?

“The plan is for my last check to bounce”

As a child she was subjected to a daily torrent of emotional abuse.
Her mother most likely struggled with an undiagnosed mental health condition.

“I decided if there was no fairy godmother for me, maybe I could be one for others.”

Some are destroyed by life’s pain and some survive.
I don’t know why.
I hold no judgment. No advice.
I have simply observed long enough as a pastor that this is the truth.
Some call it resilience.
Others luck.
If only we knew the formula that turned the cross into an empty tomb.
Doris’ emotional abuse turned into check after check, letter after letter--
a chance for the nameless of the world
who perhaps weren’t resilient
short on luck
no rich brother in the wings.
Fairy Godmother.
Or saint.
I hope she bounced her last check.

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