Round 9

Waking up at 5am is not something that I find encouraging.  I slept poorly because I kept waking up, afraid that I’d slept through my alarm, until I actually slept through the alarm.  🫢  The boys were up early too, and we were all in the hospital before the sun came up.  These are the days when the nights are gradually getting shorter, but it’s still late sunrises and early sunsets.  Jerry met the new neighbour today, and was being super charming.  She greeted him with, “So it’s you that I heard barking!” I felt dreadful, and apologized for him, then he spent most of the day growling and barking whenever he heard people walking up and down the fire escape stairs.  Don managed to nap after we got home, so he’s rested up in time for tonight’s sports games on TV.

It’s the time of year when my mailbox is stuffed with appeals from charities all wanting a share of my income.  There are so many hundreds, even thousands of charities, all of which allegedly do good works. I mean, consider the types of charities that exist… we start with the ones that address homelessness, food insecurity, caring for people who suffer abuse, caring for children, helping people who have been thrown out of their homes for being different.  Then we get to the ones for animals, rescue shelters, endangered animals, exotic ones, etc.  Followed by healthcare, which — in Canada, anyway, should be less than in other countries, but there are still a host of requests for money for medical research, to improve patient care, provide support for patient families.  Should I go on?  Or have I made the point that there are a huge variety of charities that all seek to improve the lives of those considered less fortunate.   I’d prefer a world in which these organizations were not necessary.  Ideally, everyone should be able to have shelter, and have access to fresh, nutritious food.  It would have been excellent if these problems either didn’t exist or were handled under existing social programmes.  But in reality, publicly funded projects are stretched thin in caring for the worst off in society, and then it’s up to individuals (via these charities) to help plug the gaps.  

My vision of life would have more access to resources, and charities would either not be needed or would just be for highly specific, narrow outcomes.  It’s sad to me to see so many needs that I can’t help address. In some ways, it’s overwhelming and I look around, thinking that I can’t do anything!  That’s when I have to remind myself of the lesson that I was taught as a child: “I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do all things, but I can do some things.  The things I can do I should do, and those I will do by the grace of God.”  In fact, even billionaires like Bill Gates, who have been working to eliminate some huge problems can’t fix everything even if they’re funding massive projects.  So I take a deep breath, remind myself that I’m limited in what I can do. Then I weed through the pile of requests and pick out a few that I’ll support this year.  

I’m tired, so I’m going to stop here, make myself a cup of tea, and then head off to bed.  My brain is foggy, after too many early mornings in a row!  Good night.