How Fortunate We Are
All morning, I moved quickly to get myself and my sweet baby boy ready for the day, all the while wishing I hadn't stayed up late watching Netflix. I prepared his bottle and bag. Eventually, I successfully got him settled in his baby carrier as we headed out for our day. Today, he'll experience new things, have his milk, and enjoy the gentle warmth of cuddles and giggles. This is all because he was born into a world filled with love and care. He's never known anything but comfort and safety. While many people around the world face hardships, I simply cherish the moments we share together, knowing how fortunate we are to have each other.
Contemplating the Conflict in Gaza
Right now parents, who love their children as I love mine, had sleepless nights trying to console their children and wondering how on Earth they will meet the needs of their family in the following days.
Water is cut off. Power is cut off. Gas is cut off. Food supplies are cut off. Gaza’s occupancy is 50% children. Hospitals are not equipped to handle the needs of the population at this time. Families have lost all of their belongings and homes. Many of them do not know where to turn. The trauma of these children will be felt for generations to come.
Villages Demolished in Afghanistan
On October 7th a powerful 6.3 earthquake rocked Northern Afghanistan. As the already beleaguered country tries to recover they were hit again on Wednesday with yet another massive earthquake. The death toll and displacement of people is increasing rapidly. In a country where the healthcare system was heavily reliant on foreign aid to operate, it has been nearly crippled in the last two years, after aid was halted. Many homes in the area were too fragile to sustain the earthquakes. Now thousands will find themselves homeless as the frigid winter makes its way to the region. Meanwhile, my son will likely be wearing his flannel Spiderman pajamas while sleeping under his favorite wool blanket while other children around his age will have to huddle together for warmth to make it through the night.
Survivors’ Guilt
Survivors' guilt is best described as the emotional response when someone else experienced loss while you did not. Usually, we think this guilt applies to people who escaped death but it can define how we feel when we see the atrocities in conflict-stricken countries or the people suffering due to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods.
We should not wallow in despair, feeling so weak to change anything. First and foremost, we should be grateful for not being in those situations. We must continue to recognize the humanity of those affected. People everywhere want to live freely, raise their children, own a house, and retire one day. Let this feeling propel you to do something for someone that is impactful and significant.
Donate what you can because many of these people do not have governments to help. It is the support from people like us, those living comfortably thousands of miles away, whose combined charity makes the biggest difference. LIFE has an emergency relief fund to help with these major crises worldwide. Let’s try to live life with gratitude and always give what we can to those suffering.
