What A Difference A Day Makes

"What a difference a year makes." I know the power of this statement - at least three times over. Three times in my life I would have never dreamed that circumstances would turn out as they did.

The first is my marriage. What a surprise, so pleasant, never expected, and the best thing that has ever happened to me.

The second is my first son's arrival, Michael, into our lives.

The third is Michael's sickness. Maybe there are others too, but none as significant and earth moving as those three. I thank God I do not know His ultimate plan for my life - the smallness of my humanity could not endure the shock of Truth, nor would I then ever learn to walk by faith.

At the same time I am thankful there is a God that I believe is in control, because I believe that that nothing we endure or suffer is ever in vain. All adversity is part of "fighting the Good fight and running the race to completion". We cannot be the judge of what is "success and pleasure or failure and pain" - as what the world considers to be a failure or pain may ultimately be the best thing that ever happens to you.

I know that through all struggles and pain, good can come - like the phoenix from the ashes.

I am infinitely thankful today for my adversity. Today is Earth Day, but to me it is Michael's Surgery Day. I will always recall this date with a tightening in my heart that causes pain - but that pain can also be recognized as growing pains for wisdom and love.

On Michael's Surgery Day, forever ingrained in my soul is the memory of handing Michael over to the surgical team and watching one of the team carry him away, our tiny son draped over her shoulder in his hospital gown, the gown too big for his tiny body, Michael hugging her, a stranger, and clutching his Snoopy and little blanket. My heart ached to take his place. My heart's seams were being stretched in a way I did not know was possible.

On Michael's Surgery Day, my heart grew and expanded as I traveled to a place I had never been before. Through His suffering, my heart expanded and increased my ability to know compassion and to love greater - everyone who suffers, especially the little children.

On Michael's Surgery Day, my heart's memory will always recall the Waiting. As my husband and I stood on the pediatric floor (we could not possibly sit down in the waiting room during those 5 hours) I happened to gaze out the window at about the fifth hour. Michael's tiny hospital bed, surrounded by the surgical team, was there - being wheeled by as I by chance happened to look out that window, across a courtyard and through a bank of windows that opened onto a hallway. His bed and he were completely draped and connected to every line possible. When I happened to look out that window and caught that 1 second glimpse, those seams of my heart tore and broke open. My heart bled freely and my legs gave way, but in that moment I lifted my head and gave thanks. That glimpse meant Michael was coming back to us.

On Michael's Surgery Day, that 1 second glimpse was followed by the horrendous wait before we finally saw him. We were choking inside as we treaded down that pediatric ICU hallway, until we finally saw him in his bed, his Snoopy laying beside him as witness to his life saving surgery, while we stood in his ICU room - breath stolen from our lungs as we watched him laying there, a ventilator breathing for him, a chest tube draining blood and fluid from his heart and chest, and every arterial and vein line possible connected to his tiny 28 month old body.

On Michael's Surgery Day, Earth Day, I struggle to find the connection between the two - and the only words I can find to even speak say this: I am thankful for both of God's gifts to me.

Michael is my firstborn son, infinitely and immeasurably dear to me, while this planet Earth is God's firstborn child and gift to us. We should be treating this planet like we care for our own child. When my son hurts, when he was so sick - and when our planet hurts and now is so sick - our hearts should tighten and we should gasp for breath. We should move to act out of compassion and love to fix it, to nurture it, to help it grow. Like the pain of our children becomes our pain - the pain of this earth should be ours too. Our hearts should burst at the seams - and yearn to love greater. Our ability to love and feel love should grow when we collectively experience pain and suffering because our Earth is suffering. Earth is suffering just like the children on this Earth are suffering and will suffer needlessly if we do not act to embrace, love, and nurture this gift of planet Earth that God has granted us.

If we love our children we must love planet earth. If we do not protect planet Earth as our precious child, then we do not love our children. So when you recycle, you are loving your children, even if you have no biological children. When you reduce and reuse and repurpose, you are demonstrating love. Earth is our only home and if we destroy it, we are heartlessly destroying our childrens' future.

There is a Divine connection between Michael's Surgery Day and
Earth Day. This Day for me will always remind me to Love. Love my
children. Love the Earth. It should also do the same for you. Because 1 year, just 1 day - can make a world of difference.

*photo, april 23, 2008 Michael and Ginger awaiting transfer from pediatric ICU

A voice from the frontline

*photograph & identity of the young woman has been removed from site for her safety

Everyone, please meet a dear friend and courageous young woman from Afghanistan. I am proudly publishing a poem she has written, a true testament to the many brave and strong women of Afghanistan, in her honor and with her gracious permission. Her message is loud and clear, to all women who have been or are oppressed.

She* writes,

Sister, Don't Be Discouraged
(Afghanistan)
April 6th, 2009

Afghan woman, don’t be discouraged, desperate. You are a champion
Even though they have kept you far from knowledge
Be a fighter, try to seek knowledge
So that you may be wise, knowing good from bad and friends from enemies
Life is worthless if there is no knowledge and skills
In reality all living beings are meant to learn
Even the Islamic faith has obligated learning for men and women
So that no one is left without knowledge of the world

Afghan maiden! Why be deprived of literacy? And why be hopeless your whole life?
You are no less in skills and intelligence than others
Learn from Malalais who are your kind
Their names shine eternally like the name of our country and land shines
Be determined, fear no difficulty, find your path!While the destination is far, you will reach the caravan
In the chosen path if you fall a hundred times, stand up again
Hopelessness and defeat are not the traits of a champion
(I) am your companion in this battle
Dusk is not eternal, dawn draws nearer

It means that time is passing, and after the end of each darkness there is light.
Do not give up trying. At the end you will be more knowledgeable and reach your purpose.

To see the poem in Arabic, go to http://www.24sahat.com/content/view/410/21/.

My hope is that we as Americans, would be involved with helping, not hurting; building up, not tearing down; loving, not fighting. We can make a difference, each as one, just like this strong woman with a voice in Afghanistan.

Reach out and make a difference. Volunteer for an organization you believe in. Support humanitarian and mission efforts to enable and empower those in need to care for themselves and their children. Don't let another day pass without making a difference in this world.

One action can be heard for eternity. The time to act is now.

Consider volunteering time or giving donations to these organizations that I support:

www.ieaw.org - The Initiative to Educate Afghan Women
www.nrdc.org - National Resources Defense Council
www.heifer.org - Heifer International
www.savethechildren.org - Save The Children
Haiti Initiative Mission & Stop Hunger Now - Local effort to provide self sustaining means of living to Haitians through clean water projects, solar ovens, newborn and child aid, medical missions, and school revitalization and support

What makes survivors resilient?

Recently I was asked this question. Here is my response (*name changed for privacy):

What a great question, Kate!*

I believe that survivors are resilient because they exercise choice (either knowingly or unknowingly). By choice, they overcome. And, each time they undergo adversity (and survive), they become stronger and draw on faith from past experience, as well as from being supported by others who have suffered similarly, that they will again, survive.

In many cases, belief in a Higher power is where people derive that core "faith", because they believe there is a cloud of witnesses who have gone before them who have survived similar ordeals - and are surrounding them with support. Those people also draw on faith because they believe nothing is left to "chance", and that everything happens for a reason and can work for the good of all.

However, our life experiences, our "surviving", is never in vain. We can always use our situations of survival to aid and assist others. Ultimately, our pain can be our best teacher. We can further harness lessons, and be of help to ourselves, by helping others through their similar pain and suffering - by sharing the in human condition. Someone else's pain becomes our pain. Someone else's joy then, becomes our joy. Like John Donne' said, "no man in an island...do not think for whom the bell tolls, the bell tolls for thee." Further, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "we are all interconnected...I cannot become what I am supposed to become until you become what you are supposed to become...." This writing, by the way, Rev. King penned from an Alabama jail.

Learning this lesson of using pain as our teacher to help ourselves and others, can ultimately be what empowers us (and others) to also choose to survive, and overcome.

Peace,
Ginger

**photograph of me in Westminster Abbey, circa 2004

Thinking globally and acting locally WORKS!

PROJECT SUPPORT AFGHAN WOMEN'S HEALTH

Recently, I started a campaign called "PROJECT SUPPORT AFGHAN WOMEN'S HEALTH", for The Initiative to Educate Afghan Women. A volunteer for IEAW, it came to my attention that the girls at IEAW were suffering from nutritional and vitamin deficiencies. I decided to act.

I set out to stamp out this problem through no small task. I was going to raise enough money, with a small, local effort, to try and effect global change, ultimately for the country of Afghanistan. I decided to start with trying to secure enough funds to provide vitamins for these girls through the summer. My next goal was to raise enough funds to purchase, package, and ship an annual supply of multivitamins (organic, whole food, probiotic vitamins) to each girl.

I got several hundred dollars into fundraising, when I decided to send out a proposal to one of the country's largest organic vitamin manufacturers, New Chapter. Less than 2 weeks later, New Chapter answered my plea!

New Chapter has donated over $11,000 in multivitamins to the Afghan girls of IEAW for the 2009-10 school year. My small, local effort has now gleaned national attention, for which I am deeply grateful and humbled. Now each of the 46 Afghan girls attending school because of IEAW will be able to better focus on their studies!

So people - get out there and ACT! Thinking globally and acting locally DOES WORK!
Learn more at www.ieaw.org