Good News

Sometimes I feel as though I'm sitting on the edge of impersonating the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. The Grinch, that grumpy, snarly and conniving fiend who tries to put a damper on things. Then something happens, just like all the Who's down in Whoville who begin to sing, that shifts my perspective toward a place of realizing that there is good in the world.

My journey along this years fundraising path has proven that point repeatedly. During this past week, with the flood of nasty and divisive political ads; the news of Malala Yousufzai, the 14-year old Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for seeking an education; and disagreement with my personal bank, I began to feel as though life was looking a bit dire and overly challenging. At times I found myself feeling overwhelmed that I want to help create a positive shift in our planet's consciousness but there are moments that it just seems too hard.

Then something happened that renewed my belief that good can happen in this world.

This past Wednesday my 13th fundraising event was held. This came about not through anything that I did, but through something I said. Over the summer, I was speaking with Shannon Sinsheimer, a local naturopathic doctor at the Optimal Health Center. We ran into each other at the health food store and were catching up with what we'd been up to over our summer. I mentioned the Global Seva Challenge and raising awareness around the prickly issue of sex trafficking in India. Whatever I said, lit a spark within Shannon who immediately replied, "I want to do something to support you. This issue is so important and needs to be given attention."

And when I arrived at the Optimal Health Center for the event which was a night of services, everything was already buzzing. All of the staff volunteered their time and skills to the night. The massage therapists were booked solid for almost 2 1/2 hours. The chiropractor was doing assessments, the nutritionist offering advice and Shannon was giving B 12 injections. Delicious vegan fare was being sold by Pea Shoots Cafe who donated 100% of the proceeds to the evening and I had a table set up selling wristbands, tees and tanks.

People kept arriving for the two hours of the event, asking questions and taking an interest in a good cause. This all happened through emails being sent out to patients and posts on Facebook. Not only did we raise close to $1200 that night, but what it did was much more.

It helped me to remember all the good that is within peoples hearts. It helped me to remember that even in the dark times, light is always present. It helped to remember that just helping ONE girl out of the sex trade and into a better life is worth it. In fact, my husband found the following quote which pretty well sums it up:

Making A Difference

An old man walked up a shored littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. "Why do you bother?" the old man scoffed. "You're not saving enough to make a difference." The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. "Made a difference to that one," he said.

You make a difference every day.