Monthly Archives: November 2016

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The introverted thinker walks away

We go to our first parent teacher conference for our daughter. Kindergarten.

“Your daughter is unusual.” says the teacher.

“Mmmm.” I say.

“She is unusual on the playground. At recess. She will play with the other girls. But not if they are mean to someone. Not if they start ganging up. And it doesn’t matter who it is. She will walk away and play by herself.”

“Good.” I say.

“The other kids are realizing that she won’t tolerate any mean talk or ganging up.”

We make appropriate appreciative parental noises.

“She is influencing them. She doesn’t argue, she doesn’t say anything, she just walks away.”

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ShelterBox

ShelterBox is a disaster relief organization that delivers a box with a family size tent, solar lights, water storage and purification equipment, thermal blankets and cooking utensils, and some things for children. The goal is immediate shelter and to help start the process of creating a home. The boxes are delivered to people world wide that have been hit by a disaster, man made or natural. They prepare and adjust them for local conditions.

ShelterBox started in 2000 in Helston, Cornwall, UK. That year, the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard adopted it as its millennium project. The first shipment of 143 boxes went to was sent to victims of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. ShelterBox ramped up during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. ShelterBox provided shelter for 28,000 families after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti in 2010, about 25% of the tents sent by charities.

In the US, a ShelterBox costs $1000.00 to sponsor. Our small Sunrise Rotary Club buys at least one each year. We are notified that our box from last year went to Syrian refugees. I am so glad to be part of an organization that is doing something that is specific and positive in the world. Also, we are in a serious earthquake and tsunami zone: I hope someone sends us ShelterBoxes when we get hit. I prepare, but I keep wondering where to store things. If the house falls down, it seems unlikely that I could get to my stores….

ShelterBox gets a very high rating from Charity Navigator. Rotary International chose ShelterBox as their first Project Partner in 2012 and has renewed the partnership with ShelterBox in 2016 for another three year term.

ShelterBox: https://www.shelterbox.org/
Rotary and ShelterBox: http://www.shelterboxusa.org/about.php?page=16
wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShelterBox
Charity Navigator: https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?keyword_list=ShelterBox&Submit2=Search&bay=search.results
Music: Would you harbor me?
http://ptsunriserotary.org/

I was going to work at clinic one day last week and I was feeling down and tired. I saw this rainbow and stopped in a parking lot to photograph it. And the brighter one is leading directly to my clinic and my work.

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Light leaves

I took a long walk yesterday and tried to walk very slowly. I was trying to do an outdoor version of walking meditation. Once I slowed down enough, feelings caught up with me. Mostly grief. I wanted to hurry and walk fast again, but then I thought, no, I can go slowly and let these feelings rise. Overwhelming, like grief risen to engulf me.

I wonder if that is why our culture is so hurried and so full of angst and so worried about performing and being the best.

And yet there is beauty, even in grief.