…they’ll get this year is life.
This post is inspired by Rachael’s post “Do You Care?” and tonight’s final number on Glee.
Remember this from 1984? I was so inspired by it when I was 14. I still am.
I do what I can to help in small ways. Donate to the local food bank. Make donations to Plan Canada and other organizations. I raise money with Temiskaming Multiple Births to help families with multiples and we help families year round with necessities such as diapers and formula, and we buy gifts at Christmas for families in need. One Christmas, years ago, when it was just my Dad, Maddy and I in Vancouver, we took our extra Christmas dinner out on the streets for homeless people in our neighbourhood. It’s really not much.
I would like to do more though. I was talking to John about making a New Year’s resolution not to buy anything new this year. I’m thinking of putting aside money that I save doing that to help somewhere.
I’m also thinking of ways to keep consumerism at bay for me and for my kids. I’m already noticing an alarming trend of them wanting to buy something everywhere we go. Oy.
that picture is awesome in the true sense of the word. you can really see “first world problems” illustrated there. i think it’s time to whip it out and really show the girls how lucky they are.
that song always gives me chills…did last night, too.
I still love that song and video too… I really try to squash consumerism at our house – I don’t generally buy these kids a lot in the way of toys and things, and indeed, Santa brings slippers, socks and underwear… I hate to spend money on crappy plastic junk. Sometimes I feel the need to pass something up, simply because the packaging is so completely wasteful, I feel like I moron buying it. (I’m certainly not the “greenest” lady on the block, but I do try…)
I think even by paring down items in your home, and donating what you really don’t use is a good way to go… and by not bringing home every gadget available on the market helps too. We don’t all need to live like monks, but we don’t need to own everything we cast our eyes upon either.
So many have so little… it’s amazing to me how the chasm grows. We have to keep our eyes open. And our hearts.