Food for Thought

Today I went for a long walk listening to my iPod.  There were many people out and about doing their Christmas shopping and the sidewalks and buses were packed with holiday shoppers.  I started thinking about all the money that is spent every holiday season and about past gifts I've received and those I have given.  I realized that I don't find it exciting to give and receive gifts anymore (unless it is for children!).  Dave and I rarely exchange gifts for Christmas, birthdays, Valentine's Day, etc.  I always say that our gifts to each other happen all year, such as an expensive dinner out every once in a while, a good bottle of wine, my rare splurges at Penelope T boutique, or other things bought on random days.  Certainly this journey to Spain is a gift for all of us, and a learning experience we will all grow from.

Last week, while waiting to cross the street to pick the girls up from school, I turned around to see an older man digging through the dumpster.  Here in Sevilla, residents walk their garbage to street level dumpsters located about every block.  I have gotten used to seeing various downtrodden individuals sifting through the garbage, but this day was different.  I actually saw this man eating food scraps directly from the ripped open trash bags just pulled from the dumpster.  He sifted through each bag, and fed himself anything that looked edible.  I watched him for a while and started imagining how the very first time must have felt.  The very first time he made the decision to eat other people’s garbage.  It is hard to imagine the humiliation and desperation one must feel making this choice, or perhaps there was no choice.

Spain is in economic crisis right now.  Unemployment is nearing 23%.  Here, if you foreclose on your house, the bank takes the house from you, AND you are still obligated to keep paying your mortgage.  Can you imagine if this was the case in the United States?  Many charities depend on holiday donations as the bulk of their fundraising.  Instead of spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on those around you who really don't need another sweater, necklace, or coffee maker, give to a special charity.  Pick one that speaks to your heart, one that you feel does good for those less fortunate, whether it is humans or animals, or the earth for that matter.  That man reminded me about how much we have to be thankful for and to be more compassionate in helping others.  I want to teach my girls to open their eyes and observe the world around them because it is these contrasts that help us understand and appreciate what we sometimes take for granted.

-Ali

Apparently I'm not getting a Christmas present.

-Dave