My friends, as I sat in my den last night, filled with despair at the state of the world and our country, worried about the safety of my fellow citizens here and abroad, the environment, animals, and civil rights (I could go on and on) I wrote a post on Instagram. Some of you follow me there, so you most likely have read it already, but many of you don’t do IG, so I would like to share it here and maybe add a bit more, as it’s much easier to write on this blog than to peck out a long text on Instagram. I’m most likely preaching to the choir, but it’s all from my heart.
“It’s the Christmas season and I’m profoundly aware of how fortunate I am. We don’t have a lot of money. We freelance in the Arts, so you can do the math. There have been years where all we had was $20 to spend on a gift for each other. There have been years where we could splurge. But, through it all, even in the toughest of times, we have had a roof over our heads and food on the table. We’ve had heat. We’ve had clothing. We’ve never had to wonder if we would be deported. We’ve never had to deal with being seen as ‘other’ or wonder if we’d ever feel safe and accepted again. We’ve never been discriminated against because of the color of our skin. We’ve never had to fall asleep to the sound of gunfire all around us, or beg for help from someone, anyone, who might be listening, who might save us.
There is a lot going on in our world right now – here and abroad. There is injustice, fear, war – and the innocents are the victims. In this world of corporate greed and power-hungry-driven wars, where animals are going extinct because of Climate Change, where money and oil and power are often the bargaining chips used by politicians and where cries for help are ignored because we aren’t there and those cries come from people who live far away and have a different skin color or a different faith or they’re from animals who have no one to save them – please consider giving to those less fortunate, to organizations who are there to help, to causes you believe in.
I’ve been doing that this year. I confess I haven’t always done that because I didn’t think about it or was worried about money or was simply in my own little bubble at the time.
Do it. You’ll be doing so much good. You’ll feel better about yourself. You’ll expand and grow and you’ll be reaching out to your brothers and your sisters, human and animal. I just gave to an organization providing aid and food and shelter to those who have had to flee Aleppo. I’ve also given to other organizations and I plan to give to even more. We are all one. And I include animals in that statement.
This is without a doubt the longest Instagram caption I have ever written. But, then again, it’s the most important.”
I don’t need to add anything else. Give. Give to those charities and organizations you believe in. Give to protect civil rights, to protect your fellow man, to protect the environment, to protect animals, to protect those who are in the midst of wars not of their choosing, to those who are literally caught in the crossfire, to those selfless advocates for the homeless, the needy, the disenfranchised, the sick, the lonely, those in need of food and shelter – I could go on and on.
That’s the true meaning of Christmas. Whether you’re a Christian or practice another faith, are an agnostic or an atheist, surely the examples set by Jesus, Mother Theresa, Buddha, Jane Goodall, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Harriet Tubman, Oskar Schindler, Abraham Lincoln – anyone and everyone who has worked selflessly for the greater good – are what should guide us this holiday season.
Much love and Happy Thursday,
You have touched my heart this morning and for that I thank you. I’ve spent the last month with a heavy heart and not knowing what to do about it. I too have been blessed with a wonderful life. A husband who adores me and vice versa, a lovely home to live in, food on the table, clothes on my back, health, freedom…..I could go on and on with this list.
Sometimes I loose sight of what really matters in this world. This Christmas season I want to make a difference and I too will be giving to organizations/people/animals in need. The future of our country and our world is so uncertain right now in my eyes. So many people are hurting in so many different ways. So many animals are suffering at the hand of human beings. May we all band together giving from our hearts and doing all that we can for human beings, animals and our planet.
My prayer for this Christmas season and the year to come is that more people will realize that they are capable of making a difference. And may they have the courage to step out and do just that.
Thank you for this post. Thank you for being who you are and sharing that with all of us. May you be blessed Claudia.
Thank you, Belinda. I feel so powerless lately and I’ve realized that I need to contribute, to do something.
Beautiful words and I agree with you. My heart is so heavy and sad at what is happening. Like you I have chosen to support and give to those who seek to save and maintain what is good in the world.
Take Care,
Kaye
Good for you, Kaye. Thank you!
This is a beautiful post and sentiment, Claudia, and you are so right. We do get overwhelmed in our own “little bubble” at times, and forget how much we have. This season of giving should inspire us to do more…to do whatever we can for those who can’t—for whatever reason— do for themselves. I know I can do more than I do. I’ll work on that.
I’m working on it, too, Shanna. Thank you.
Beautifully written and from your heart with genuine concern for mankind and all living creatures. It helps all of us when words such as yours are spoken out loud or in print. Despair and fear can overwhelm us and we need the sharing of others with similar feelings to sustain us and help us to go forward. I was in a state of devastating shock and terror as the election wound down, but then anger set in, I don’t think any of us who oppose everything the Orange Man stands for should consider leaving this country or giving in or giving up. I think we need to be on his case, in his face, and shining a bright spotlight on his every move. My worry comes from life experience wherein ignorance and greed are almost always self-perpetuating. Being stubborn, I am more determined than ever. Once again thank you for your post……..Dianne
I agree. We can’t give up. We can’t ‘normalize’ anything he is doing. Don and I consider ourselves part of The Resistance.
You’re welcome, Dianne!
What a timely post straight from your heart. We’ve made charitable giving a part of our Christmas for the last several years. Some years more than others…you know the drill. And thanks, for the suggestion to give to the charities dealing with refugees…they need our help so much this year. Hope you are all set to go tomorrow! ;)
Oh, not tomorrow, Donnamae! Sunday. If it was tomorrow, I’d be in trouble!
Lol! Well…as long as you know when you have to be there! ;)
I do!
I do give. Every year, multiple times a year. To charities I think can benefit those less fortunate. It’s a core belief of mine that we must give back. Thanks for your post today – well said.
Good for you, Karen. Thank you!
Powerfully and beautifully written, Claudia. I try to give throughout the year. Even if it is just to the local food shelf. At Christmastime I pick a charity local or otherwise and devote myself to it.
This year I have learned of a woman my age (61) going blind from cataracts. There isn’t any insurance. There is a go find me page set up. That is where my donation is going right now.
I think for 2017, I will research and choose one charity. It feels like my donation off and on during the year to one place will do more than the same amount spread over several. That’s just me.
Trudy, that is a lovely thing to do. Bless your heart!
Don loved his gift, by the way! I’m going to show it on the blog tomorrow. xoxo
“Accept help when you need it (very difficult for me) – give help when you can.” That has always been my basic tenet. Doesn’t always have to be money – I volunteer a lot of my very limited free time.
Good point. Time is welcome as well, Barbara. (Help isn’t easy for me to accept either!)
Beautifully said, Claudia! I have asked that my children make a donation to American CivilLibertiesUnion, Southern Poverty Law Center or Planned Parenthood this Christmas rather than give me anything else.
Peace
Good for you. I’ve already given to Planned Parenthood (In Mike Pence’s name.) Next on my list is the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center as well as the ASPCA and the Humane Society.
We have given to our local (no-kill) shelter, and to Planned Parenthood as well as the Dem party. Also to our local “Arts” center in town. We know there will be no money again, in the foreseeable future, for the arts. I still cry every single day. Still can’t watch the news. I hear bits and pieces about the nominations being made, and I cry all over again. We are a joke in the rest of the world. I am so ashamed of those who allowed this to happen. I think Les Miserable has taken on an entirely new meaning for me. “Do you hear the people sing…. singing the song of angry men.”
I am horrified and just when I think it can’t get worse, it does. Yes, we are a joke. And to those who put us here, it’s all on them, but the problem is we’re all going to have to pay. I work in the Arts. What will this do to all of my fellow artists?
When my children were little we always took two ‘Angels’ from the tree and bought them gifts. I wanted my children to grow up knowing not everyone had as much as they had (and honestly we were pretty poor money wise but very rich in other ways.) I will say that both of my children are givers now. Sara tries to teach her children the same things about giving and Ashleigh has a huge heart for charitable giving. This year I’ve picked a few charities and organizations to support, but this tragedy in Aleppo has me wanting to add one more to my list. I too am so blessed. Thank you dear Claudia for saying so often what we need to hear. Hugs!
Good for you, Linda. You raised your children well!
Thank you for another thoughtful post, Claudia. I give throughout the year, monthly automatically taken out of my accounts, not just at holiday time. The non-profits then have a better feel of their budget when they know they’ll get regular contributions. My daughter has asked for no gifts this year, but instead, a contribution to an organization in her name for what I would have spent for her. She said she has too much stuff, and many people don’t have enough necessities.
I give throughout the year, when I can. That is the best way to do it.
Your daughter sounds very wise. She was clearly raised by two wonderful parents. xo
A wonderful post, Claudia. And timely too. A little nudge is often needed to help people break out of the cocoons of their own lives & to remember that there are others out there who need help, who have not been as fortunate as we have. “There but for the grace of God go I” was one of my mother’s perennials, and I still think it now. Often. My parents also encouraged each of us kids to choose something that we felt strongly about and to support it financially so when I got out of college, I decided that animal and veterans’ causes would be MY issues. That’s what I’ve been trying to do for coming-up-in 40 years. I can’t save the world single-handedly, but I can help. And a little help from a LOT of people – is a LOT of help. 💛
Yes, even a small amount of money, added into other donations, can make a huge difference, Janet!
As always, a beautifully written post about just what we need to do this season, especially this year. We give to certain charities every year but this year especially as to balance out the hate out there. I feel helpless about where we are headed and the only way to remedy that is if we can’t stop it, we can at least try to make the good side stronger than the bad. Even Petey has joined in by donating to the rescue organization from which we adopted him by donating the adoption fees earmarked for someone who wants to rescue but cannot afford those fees. I return always to one of your best posts, “Kindness Matters,” from which I borrowed the title for Petey’s Facebook page. Kindness, and grace, do matter.
Yes, due to the current climate, I am feeling more and more compelled to give to those organizations that will be in need during the coming administration. Yay for Petey!
Update: I had planned to give Noble a Microsoft pro but we decided to give to charity instead and I would get it for him next year. At the office Christmas party now and they announced me as the winner of the Grand prize . . . A Microsoft surface pro tablet! KARMA WINS!
Yay!
A VERY GOOD POST!
Thank you, Elizabeth!
Remember, the energy we “put out there” is what comes back to us, so when we feel ourselves slipping into despair and powerlessness… DO something. Be the change you want to see in the world. Giving or serving puts out better energy than feeling helpless and DOING something gives us power over our own emotions/energy/karma, and that good energy comes back in many ways. Great post, Claudia!
It feels so much better to take action, in the face of so much that can feel overwhelming. Thank you, Kathy.
Thank you for the beautiful post, Claudia. Hearing the news and seeing the photos coming out of Aleppo breaks my heart to pieces. Makes me feel guilty for having gifts under our tree, when they have less than nothing.
We give what we can, always picking our local no kill shelter, then a people charity, which varies. There’s so much need out there…I wish I could do more!
Me too. There are so many worthwhile causes out there – I wish I could give to them all.
I give when I can and hope to do better when I can’t…I remember my son when he was younger asking me “Why do you put money in those little boxes Mom?” I thought for a moment and said “Because it’s the right thing to do Matt.” It is a simple as that to me…it’s the right thing to do…Whether you can give dollars or pennies…it will mean something to someone out there…and besides that, doing the right thing just feels good…
You’re so right, Nancy. Thank you!
Perhaps if you quit watching tv programs that inspire you to be fearful and learn more about the actual truth you would feel better. Many news programs don’t report the truth and are causing people to be fearful. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”. History repeats itself when people don’t study history. Hope you have a nice Christmas.
Not sure why you’re making an assumption that the source of my news is television. That seems like a rather big leap to me. It isn’t. I don’t watch tv news anymore. I do like facts, however, and my information comes from legitimate news sources.
Merry Christmas to you as well.
Your posting touched my heart. As my husband and I watched the news and saw the orphans in Aleppo our hearts broke for the children terrified for their lives. We listen to what is going on in our country, people without heat, a winter coat and we realize how blessed we are. We are not rich by any means but we try to do what we can for people who are struggling. We give to senior citizen food banks, charities for children and people we come across that are struggling. It isn’t tons of money but we just want to do what we can. Thank you Claudia for reminding us of others. I wish you and your dear husband a blessed Christmas!
I wish the same for you and yours, Betsy.
Each time I light a fire I feel so fortunate. Each time I cook soup on the stove I feel fortunate. Each day I go to bed I feel fortunate. Each time I go to work (which is not always fun) I feel fortunate. And even my heart breaks because my son is sick, I feel fortunate because there are a a fully functional medical care system, doctors and nurses who help him. I couldn’t agree more with you. Regula
Thank you, Regula.