Loveyoulongtime readers will know of my journey from London back to New Zealand. And back again. And that I project managed the renovation of my little house on a hill in Wellinton. And was utterly out of my depth. The last four weeks of the build were horrible. One snag after another delay after one more unforeseen issue. I spent most evenings in tears and due to the running out of funds and general impatience, moved into the house before it was done. Me and George camped out in the little island that was my finished bedroom. The Divine Ms G brought me foodie care packages.
The last straw was the floor guy, who had left it quite late to order floor boards and then there was a warfies strike and then he had another job that ran on. And of course quite a lot of things go on the floor. Like the kitchen for a start. I was facing another couple of weeks without the ability to prepare food. I was not coping.
And then I came home one day to find a letter from Surandhati, a Bangladeshi girl that I sponsor through World Vision. She was then 6 years old, and wrote me a little card to say that her family were celebrating as they had been given some sheets of iron to use as a roof, and so the rainy season wouldn’t be so hard that year.
I was thinking of Surandhati this morning as I drove into the office.
Comments
Kind of (and kind of not) related – I heard of a book recently entitled “Affluenza” (a socially transmitted condition), about our growing need for “stuff” and the stress that it causes (and let me tell you from experience, being a one-wage family aggravates it somewhat). What better remedy is there than to have regular reminders of how wealthy we really are – and not just in financial terms (health, opportunity, etc).
… and just to add to your ‘World Vision’ link, I heard a while ago about http://www.kiva.org but it’s just featured on the news here recently – it’s not so much ‘charity’ as it a loan. The recipient uses your money to set themselves up in business, and then pays you back (very Gandhian, I thought, using the philosophy that these people need organisation and opportunities, rather than charity).
Is it wrong that every time I see a world vision ad, I think of Starvin Marvin from South Park?
@J9 affluenza sounds very much like status anxiety by alain de botton. very interesting ideas about the myth of the american dream and the rise of affluence since the industrial revolution.
And yes kiva is brilliant! i know a few people who have loaned (and been repaid) using this.
Yes a good jolt to put things in perspective. In spite of life’s ups and downs, most of us are truly blessed.
Posts like these are why I love you so dearly, Sas. We, too, sponsor a little girl (from Cambodia), and each letter, drawing, postcard or hand-tracing we receive from her are precious gifts, and precious reminders of all the truly important things in life: family, food, shelter, education, good health and love. Hugs, dear one.
I think we could all do with a few more of those little reminders.
Another beautifully written post, sas.
Wow. What a jolt of reality. I think we all got to learn something from that. Thank you. :)
its nice to have some prepective soemtimes. I felt like that a few weeks ago but then a drawing from my sponsored cambodian child arrived and I felt incredibely selfish for getting upset over house renovatations when he lives in tiny shack and works all day in a field just to get a tiny bit of food.
As you say. It’s human nature to regard ourselves as never quite doing as well as we feel we deserve/should be, and how much better off everyone else seems to be: we need to keep reminding ourselves from time to time of how fortunate we are.