WHAT'S ON YOUR GIFT WISHLIST?

Which part of this world do you live in?  

Are you underfed or overfed?

Do you throw away more in a year
than a person in dire poverty will ever see in a lifetime?

Are you contributing to ecological devastation?

The truth is there are very few people worldwide who do not harm the environment in some way.   We consume to meet our needs, whether it be in a developed country or a developing country.  Many consume, just to be consuming, while others die of malnutrition and disease.   There is an unequal distribution throughout the world of many things necessary for a quality life.

We'll just assume that since you are looking at this website, you are among the more fortunate on this planet who have a computer available to them, and that you also have been fortunate enough to have received an education which allows you to read and use a computer.  Education is an opportunity that many children and adults worldwide will never have.  Many of them are too malnourished to even think properly.  And if you are scratching for food, sick with disease, or running from bombs, you can't worry about global warming and deforestation.

So, being among the more fortunate in the world, let's think about redistributing some of our blessings.  We can give of our resources and we can give of ourselves.  It is just and proper that we do so.  The returns on that kind of investment are not only self-worth and self-respect for having helped your fellow human beings - but, you will also have contributed to helping the environment by helping humanity in need.   Human beings must have their basic needs for survival and a quality life met before they can deal with their local environmental problems.   And local environmental problems affect the whole Earth, as we are finding out.

Rather than writing a gift wishlist for yourself, how about donations for
food, medicine, books, or seeds to plant to be given to credible organizations who help in poverty-stricken areas.

Instead of buying new  plastic battery-operated toys (which will, most likely find their way to a dumpsite in the near future) - how about some nutritious food for a child in an under-developed country?

Instead of buying a non-necessity luxury item for yourself, think about putting that money into helping someone who is suffering.  We can just look around our own communities and see families we can help.

Reach out in friendship - that is a great gift in itself.
Be a friend and you gain a friend.

Reading many of the news reports is very depressing, but lack of knowledge is a dangerous thing.  Reading the news offers us many opportunities for learning and for being prepared.  We learn about other cultures to better understand the world community.  We learn about helpful new discoveries in science, about people helping other people, and are able to feel involved in a kinship with others all over the world.  It brings us closer together.  It brings us closer to world peace.

The news of the world environment and humanity also allows us an opportunity to know where we can give something of ourselves to help others.  We shouldn't just read the news, feel helpless and forget it.  We should read with the thought in mind that we would like to do something to make the world a better place.  When we think in positive terms, we are able to be stronger of spirit and more able to contribute to our own lives and to the lives of others in a positive way.
 

To all of you who have given to help others in need -  
you are making the world a better place.