thinking about haiti

Beautiful, healthy children. Good food to eat. Medical care when we need it. Clean water in abundance. Today I am hit with gratitude and wonder at all of the simple gifts we enjoy and so often take for granted. I am also filled with deep sadness for the people in a country so plagued by the kind of poverty I can hardly comprehend who are now faced with a massive disaster.

Before Tuesday, Haiti had many orphans. Now they will have so many more. Since Andrew's trip to Lithuania last summer and the death of my cousin's husband, a young dad, my heart has ached for children who have lost parents. There is the desire to "do something" mixed with the feeling that no real significance could be made by me. And so it goes with Haiti. The country is so far away, the devastation so great, the losses so huge. What can I possibly do?

And yet, if my children were in urgent need, I would move heaven and earth to help them. I long to do the same for these children - these sons and daughters - in Haiti. My husband showed me just hours after news of the quake hit that there is something we can do. He took the money out of his Paypal account (which really wasn't "much"), put it into our bank account, and donated it to World Vision.

It's true: We can forego the music purchases, skip the dinner out, wait on the new carpet, knit with the yarn we already have, and dig into our pockets a little deeper. Because there is just no tiptoeing around the fact that Haiti needs our money more right now.

If you are looking for places to give where your money will be put to use well - and quickly - these are the places we are giving:

:: World Vision - This Christian humanitarian agency has been in Haiti for 30 years and is well mobilized to make an impact with relief immediately.

:: Giving Children Hope - Four-star rated on Charity Navigator, this organization is on the ground in Haiti helping with relief and caring for children. I was so moved by the news report from Mission Viejo Christian Church on this page.

There are other good ones, too, like World Relief and Hope International. (If you know of others, feel free to share them here.)

Whether you are in a position to give monetarily or not, we can all pray, pray, pray, (specifically, we are praying for Grace Children's Hospital in Port-au-Prince, which is a major part of missions at our church and who we have not heard news about yet). And we can all give by living more thoughtfully. Not to get up on a soapbox here, but I know that I can be more generous with my resources, more grateful for my resources, and more careful about how I use my resources. It doesn't have to take a disaster to wake people up to the dire needs of others and the responsibility we have to help. But sometimes it does.

a little gift for a big giver

The coffee cozy (free tutorial at House on Hill Road) has been my go-to gift lately. It's quick to make, plus it's cute, practical, and environmentally friendly. And who doesn't love a grande latte every once in a while?

This particular cozy is going in a care package to my dear friend Lauren who donated her kidney to a co-worker yesterday. Lauren didn't think it was a big deal. But that's kind of how she is. If someone needs something you have, you just give it to them. Now that's the way to live. Someone get that girl a cup of coffee.

writing to Aron

Since college I have sponsored kids in other countries through Compassion International. And, although I have seen three of these kids through to secondary school graduation, I don't feel like I have much to brag about. Yes, the bit of money came out of my bank account every month all these years, but - here's the confession - I was never a good letter writer. I thought of the kids whenever I saw their pictures on the fridge, but as for putting a hello on paper, I definitely fell short.

Recently, a girl I sponsored for many years in Peru graduated from high school and aged out of the sponsorship program. I was faced with the option of putting my monthly donation elsewhere or sponsoring a new child. After thinking for a bit, I decided to see if there was a boy Liam's age that we could help. Compassion quickly located a boy in Tanzania his exact age. Aron Daud Magese is now our guy.

Already we are doing things differently. We pray for Aron every night, are reading about his country and way of life, and are writing him letters.

Yesterday Liam traced and colored his hands to send to Aron along with his school picture. Then he dictated a letter to me. Here is verbatim (seriously) how Liam began his letter:

Dear Aron,
Sometimes my mom and dad talk rough to me. I am buying a dog. Do you have a lot of LEGOs?

Maybe I am naive, but as obvious as it seems in writing, I don't think Liam was trying to send his mother a message - i.e., that she needs to work on her tone, that her son wants a dog, that possibly we still don't have enough LEGOs. I just think that kid writes what's on his mind. Possibly this is why I was not such a good letter writer. Way too much editing.

And, still, we edited the letter to Aron. After all, this was a letter of introduction. Maybe a few years from now, when they are regular pen pals writing their own letters they can discuss the way their parents talk to them. Hopefully they'll have much more interesting things to share than that.

the kind of thing that makes me cry

There's nothing that means more to me than a handmade gift. For my last birthday, my neighbor Heather sewed this beautiful, one-of-a-kind scarf for me. My friend Sabine knit me a cute, stylish slouchy hat. My neighbor Nancy made me a scrapbook (totally amazing). And my friend Ann, stitched this fabulous table runner that makes me smile every time I walk into the dining room. A gift of any kind, at any time is appreciated, but something that took someone time and effort and creative energy is special indeed.

This is why when people hand make gifts for strangers, I get really choked up. Which is exactly what happened when I read about the Red Scarf program on Craft Hope last night. In a nutshell, the Orphan Foundation collects hand knit or crocheted scarves - all in red - to send to teens who have aged out of foster care and are starting college or a trade school. It is a simple, caring gesture that says, someone you don't even know is rooting for you.

One quote I read said this: "I received my red scarf and cannot describe how I felt that entire day wearing it. It made me smile because although no one knew it was handmade for me, I knew that it was and that made it special." I am a sap. But, really, this is the kind of thing that should make anyone tear up. At least a little.

The great thing about this project is that even a beginning knitter can participate. Craft Hope is collecting red scarves for this project until Valentine's Day. And they can be sent with a note of encouragement, and even a gift card if you like. What an amazing way to tell someone who's had a tough time that they matter and make the world a tiny bit better.

I was planning to cast on for my first sweater soon, but first I think I'll be knitting in red for a while instead. Check out the Craft Hope page to learn more, and if you knit, get some red yarn and join me!

we're doomed

Meet Liam's (future/wished-for) dog Gus. A few weeks ago we never heard a peep about a pet, then suddenly the boy is obsessed. Tuesday morning the dog frenzy reached fever pitch when Liam and I went to walk my friend Sabine's husky Buddy. Liam was giggling and skipping, and it was 10 degrees out. He was nearly as disappointed as Buddy when the walk was over, and concerned that we hadn't needed the poop bag. I couldn't wait to thaw out my fingers and toes on the drive home.

After school on Tuesday we went to the library and pulled from the stacks nearly every book on dogs. For 30 minutes Liam skimmed through the books and picked a pile to bring home. It was the first library visit in months that he didn't even look for a Star Wars book.

The moment when I knew we were in real trouble, though, was when we were walking home from the library and Liam told me he didn't think he wanted to use his long-saved $73 on a LEGO set anymore.

"I think I have enough LEGOs," he said. The he flashed a crazy-big grin and punched the air, "I'm going to use that money to buy a dog instead."

one small change

Recently I came across this post from a mindful mama, challenging others in the blogging world to make one small change a month over the next five months that could contribute to creating a greener world. I like to think of it as more conscious stewardship. And, in this year of "simplify," a conscious step toward more simple living. Needless to say, I have decided to participate.

Last night I mentioned the challenge to Andrew and he suggested I staunch the flow of paper into our house. Cancel the Sunday paper. Call stores to stop the catalogs. Figure out how to get off junk mailing lists.

I was hoping for something easier, like compost more regularly or only use cloth napkins (which we pretty much do already). But my husband is right. Paper is our biggest challenge. It clutters our counters, demands our attention, makes us long for things we don't need and can't afford, and creates way too much unnecessary waste.

We are just one little family, but if we can cut out a couple bins of paper waste every year, that would be a very big small change - for the world and for our sanity. We're going for it.

simplify

My intention for 2009 was breathe. This year I didn't even have to think twice. It's simplify. And it's long overdue. I am planning to attack one room/area per month, and I do mean attack. These little "love letters" will give you a peek at the extent of chaos we are dealing with here. I am jittery with excitement to get this started. Let's hope that feeling lasts beyond Wednesday because this job is going to take some serious effort. It won't hurt if it's a least a little bit fun.

Dear Kitchen,
You spew papers, shoes, bills, crayons, dirty dishes, LEGOs and bags, endless bags. Let's clean up your act and get back to cooking.

Dear Office,
I plan to see your floor again. Really, I do.

Dear Bank Account,
You need a budget. End of story.

Dear Closet Under the Stairs,
I am going to find out what's in you and probably neither of us is going to like it much.

Dear CD Collection,
Get ready to be sold, donated or tossed. I know I used to love you, but now you're just weighing me down.

Dear Inbox,
Oh, yes, 8,280 emails is at least 8,270 too many.

Dear Giant Pile of Books Next to My Bed,
I admit it. I can't read you all. I just can't. Most of you will have to go back on the shelf.

Dear Ugly, Scary, Dirty Part of the Basement,
I am embarrassed of what you've become. I don't even know if I can help you. But I think I'm finally willing to try.

Dear Yarn, Paper and Fabric,
I can't wait to get my hands on you. Once I find you.

Dear Quiet Time with No Cluttered, Complicated Distractions,
Do you remember me? I can't wait to see you again.

Dear Family,
Less nagging. More smiling. How's that for simple?

Dear Readers,
So now you know. We've got some work to do. Thanks for hanging around. I can't wait to share the progress.

What big (or little) intentions do you have for the new year?