http://www.memorycake.co.uk/
Not what you typically expect to see with the words,
"It's the most wonderful time of the year."
To be honest, I hoped you would notice the contrast.
Click.
And read.
Okay.
Maybe it is a rather manipulative approach.
Or is it...?
It's the most wonderful time of year...
For some of us.
But for many in the world that's not the case.
Difficult.
Painful.
Lonely.
Afraid.
Rejected.
Hungry.
Homeless.
Abused.
Sick.
Living without.
Living without.
No access to clean water.
This is a horrendous reality.
It's just wrong.
None of us would accept it.
We would fight for our right.
Demand it.
Because we can.
But what if you could literally do nothing to change your reality.
Whose responsibility is it then?
In the land of plenty (yes that is where you and I find ourselves)
We take this time of year to give and bless...and receive.
What if we changed the way we gave & received this Christmas season.
And so I share this thought with you because I hope we can be a people to recognise that the reality we have, isn't the reality of the rest of the world.
That we could be moved to make a difference, because we can.
I love giving gifts, showing someone kindness and love.
Equally, I hate the idea that a gift is a gesture to show kindness & love, but is of no use to the person receiving it.
Wasted because of abundance.
What if the gesture took a different shape.
That generosity was still apart of our lives.
But of a more useful, beneficial and meaningful expression,
for someone who doesn't have the ability to access basic human needs.
But of a more useful, beneficial and meaningful expression,
for someone who doesn't have the ability to access basic human needs.
That our gesture truly could mean life or death, hope and a future for someone.
As you prepare your Christmas wish list, could you look at it with different eyes?
Instead of all the things you want, could you change it to a few things you need and then ask those buying for you to put it towards an NGO, charity, or people in your own community etc?
What about giving towards something, as a gift for a family member or friend?
Could you choose to support fair trade products & ethically made items for those things you need?
Here are some practical ideas
Shoes
TOMS - One for One.
You buy their shoes and they give a pair to someone in need.
Check out their ethos on their website
(TOMS have donated a significant amount to APA , have a look under the News Section!)
My friend Kelly wrote a beautiful blog post using her photos from her trip to Ethiopia where APA is operational, about a beautiful young girl who received treatment. Click Here to read the story.
Coffee & Chocolate
Look for Fair Trade certified products
It's worth noting to make sure to do your research before you give and support to anything.
To feel confident that their mission statement & ethos is something you can trust and partner with.
To whom much is given much is required.
I assure you, I am asking myself the same questions, because I write as if writing to myself.
Asking the questions, how can I make a difference with what I have been given, both in my thinking and my actions, as they need to partner together.
Because the greater question is...
Whose responsibility is it?
Whose responsibility is it?
YES! Thank you Sheena xx
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