I have had a gorgeous weekend, largely spent celebrating and then recovering from belated 30th birthday celebrations.
We had lots of friends over to stay, lunch at the farm shop, an unplanned game of quick cricket in the park during a (very) short break from the rain, then an Indian banquet cooked by my lovely husband for everyone in the evening. The wine flowed but it was more the 2am bedtime that has been the killer today (how old does that sound!)
I also received lots of lovely gifts including from G Kisby this beautiful ceramic tile (http://www.leepagehanson.com/) completely unexpected and very much appreciated.
We had a fab time despite it not being quite the day we had planned. The original plan was to do a big picnic in the park with family / friends / a cake baking competition / games etc. However, rain stopped play, which made me grumble.
Which brings me on to the second part of my post. I grumbled about the rain ruining my birthday plans. I was then brought to tears reading about the droughts in Somalia - the irony wasn't lost on me.
I donated tonight, after meaning to do so since it started but being distracted by other things. I didn't read my book as normal whilst feeding Mabel her supper, I couldn't stop thinking about how unbelievably lucky I was to have food, warmth, a safe place to put her to sleep.
I guess we all donate to charities based on what we relate to personally and I find it incredibly hard (on a whole new level from before) to hear of children suffering. There were two stories which I couldn't stop thinking about. The first was of a new mum unable to feed her new baby who then wouldn't stop screaming from hunger, painfully unimaginable. Then tonight I heard of a woman who walked for 5 days to a refugee camp only for her baby to die on the day she arrived. I just can't contemplate it, the thought of the desperation you would feel as a parent, it is just too devastatingly sad. Oh God the tears are starting again now even writing about it.
I'm embarrassed to say that I normally find myself shutting my ears to such stories, I don't know whether it is because I just find them too hard to hear or that I would rather just carry on oblivious in my rich western world, worrying about my far more fickle problems. I hope its the former but either way I'm not 100% sure its right?
I really struggle to comprehend why in todays modern world we still have people dying from a lack of food or water. I know it is probably more complicated but still. And I struggle to know what I should / could / would do about it. How much is enough to give?
Sorry this is a bit of a contemplative post. I started by talking about all my lovely gifts and I really hope that the second part doesn't therefore look distasteful. I thought about doing two separate posts but then thought better of it - it pretty much sums up the paradoxical world we live in!
If you, like me, meant to donate something but hadn't got round to it I've popped the link to Unicef below...
http://www.unicef.org.uk/landing-pages/hornofafricaweb/
good post. Can't share the 2 stories that reduced me likewise - as they are too too sad. had a chat with mum about it and remarked that if we thought our neighbours, who we hardy know, were starving what wouldn't we do to help....so how can we all get on with our lives knowing this is happening?
ReplyDeleteSometimes we all need a reminder.
On a shallow note...liking the tile (do you think we keep lee in business?). Did have a small panic that I hadn't bought you a gift - then remembered it wasn't actually your birthday!
Fee x
(love you)
I was making stuffed peaches for my children's pudding this morning, listening to a programme on radio 4 about the World Food Programme's work in the Horn of Africa - like you, I was reduced to a snivelling wreck thinking of the irony of cooking such amazing luxuries for my own children, while at that very moment people were facing the reality of having children too hungry and ill to even cry. (I'm off again) How does this still happen? Can any of us really appreciate how lucky we are? Truly, truly awful.
ReplyDeleteThis too is a comment of two halves - so glad you had a lovely day; and I've passed an award on to you at my blog
Emily x
I'm glad you had a lovely weekend! At least you all still had a lot of fun, even with the rain..! My birthday is in november, so I'm pretty much guaranteed rain on the day!
ReplyDeleteWhat sad sad storied about the draughts in Somalia and those two mothers. I think as soon as you have a baby yourself, it's a lot easier to relate in some way. You find yourself thinking 'What if it was My baby?!'. Sometimes I find myself feeling guilty for worrying about such small insignificant everyday things, when others people are going through so much suffering right now..
Ashley xxx