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Friday, December 16, 2011

I will NEVER forget you.

I Was Born Lucky


I am fortunate.  I'm not rich, but I'm
comfortable.  All that we have has come
from hard work and good sense.

But I'm also lucky ~ I had the good luck
to be born in the United States.  I was
guaranteed an education, we had a house,
we had food every night.

This year I had the great fortune to travel
around the world, with my children who
are just stepping into adulthood.  While
we had amazing experiences and tons of
fun, I hope for them they really saw the
plight of other children in this world.

I met the little girl in the photo in the
jungles of Cambodia in the ruins of the
Angkor Wat temples.  She was working.

All day in the intense Asian heat she approaches
tourists and tries to sell the items in her little
pink colander.  She had a few beaded bracelets
and woven bracelets and a couple of fun size
chocolate bars that were so melted from the
heat.  Of course we bought things from her.
Her income will probably help her family to eat.

There are times, when I'm alone, and I look
 at my photos of the kids I've met around the
world and I weep.  They have no food, they
have no shoes, they have no chance for an
education. 

So in this holiday season, I have no enthusiasm
for battling lines and traffic to buy more stuff.
I'm staying home and decorating and baking
and spending time with those I love.

It's not about the stuff ~ it's about love.

And on Christmas morning when presents
are being unwrapped I hope my kids
recognize the gift they have been given by
having their eyes opened to the world.

Let's not forget other children, some may
not be halfway around the world, but in our
own backyard, especially in a bad economy,
who may not have food, or shoes or a gift
to open on Christmas.

Peace on Earth




1 comment:

  1. I appreciate your words here......I felt those same sensations as this for other reasons and made a conscious decision to walk away from the trappings of a commercial Christmas to just focus on the people and things I care about.

    I told everyone to not give me a gift unless we could share it together, and use that time to be with the people and things they cared about instead. I was trying to give everyone "time". It worked miracles.

    I hope you have a terrific New Year all the way to Dec. 31.... and beyond

    ReplyDelete

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