Aftermath

Baby is finally better – thank you for all your well wishes! That was decidedly awful. But out of it came a good thing, making me more aware of the plight of other mothers around the world. As I was dealing with baby’s illness, I realized how very fortunate we are to be living in America – with all of its modern medicine, conveniences and freedom. I thought about poor mothers in places in the world where there is little they can do to combat pneumonia in their child, be it because the medicine isn’t available or they are in some war-torn location. I can’t even imagine how hard it must be for these mothers to watch their child struggle and not be able to do much to help. I know when baby got stomach cramps and started crying, no roaring in pain, I was feeling horrible. At that moment, all I wanted was some ability for me to absorb her pain (wish I could have that superpower to take baby’s pain, so she could be pain free).

I want to do more to help these mothers – did you know that in Kabul, Afghanistan over 20 children have died this winter alone, freezing to death?! That is unacceptable. I have begun donating money to charities that assist in these situations, like Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders, but what else can I do? Any suggestions?? I wish I could mail sweaters and blankets. I hate that idea that a child dies from freezing to death. Sometimes when I think about it, I bundle up the baby even more.

Its interesting that as a single person I would hear these stories of children suffering and it would bother me but now I get VERY distressed. I have had to turn off the radio or television sometimes because it is so too upsetting. I want to work to make this world a place where I never have to hear such stories!