14 March 2011

owlets to the rescue!

cape

I'm here nursing a sore tummy and big owlet has been unwell this long weekend too and I've been lamenting the loss of a beautiful long weekend. There aren't many more weekends before the weather turns cold and the Tasmanian winter grabs hold. It may be the last bunch of warm sunny days where Huz is home for a while. I'm also a bit peeved that we can't afford a real proper holiday again this year, although we will no doubt be craving one before winter's end... but then I glance at a news article and it's just too shocking for words. This year has already been plagued by so many natural disasters, each seemingly with increasing intensity and destruction. It's almost easy to become complacent about it... maybe think of that 30 Rock episode about Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning and the media beat-up. Or feel helpless, like there's nothing one individual can do... But it's real. The people are real. They have lost communities, families, friends, everything they knew and loved. And here I am tucked up in bed with a snoozing baby and a wheat pack, looking at it all and feeling so grateful...

cape 3

But I'm painfully aware that feeling grateful isn't enough. We need to do what we can to help. We need to try and make a difference. Last week I was in town with the owlets and we walked past a building ledge where someone had dropped a crushed can. It was at little owlet's eye level. Both girls commented on it and I asked them what they thought. "Well I guess it makes me sad that the street looks messy..." So I suggested we pick it up. The owlets were surprised because we usually tell them not to touch rubbish on the ground (a hangover from toddler days), but I put the can in the bin and we were all pleased that that square metre of street was clean. It wasn't much, but it helped. And the owlets were inspired to pick up more rubbish as we walked and made a tiny difference to their world.

cape 2

So, I'm going to attempt to make a tiny difference, owlet style. Here's where you come in... Maybe we can be superheroes together? The red silk satin cape in the first picture above is for sale in my owlet shop. I'm donating all proceeds from the sale to the Save the Children Fund who have pledged to provide:

"- psychosocial support to help children overcome the shock and stress.
- set up child-friendly spaces to provide a protective environment where children can spend time with other children and trained teachers, which also would allow parents much-needed time to find food, work, accommodation and other friends and family."



Other ways you can help :

Buy Luisa's beautiful Dragonfly Bunting with all profits raised to be donated.
Download Huz's album before Friday with all proceeds going to the Save the Children Fund.
Donate to the Red Cross, or any of the other charities who are doing brilliant work...

Ways you can help out in your local community:

Pick up some rubbish! Clean-up Australia Day may have passed, but there's always more to clean up, unfortunately.
If you're a breastfeeding mama, like me, you might consider donating any surplus. Human Milk for Human Babies is an organisation assisting families to access breastmilk for their babies if they need it. A simple and valuable gift indeed.
Consider making an extra meal up for a friend or acquaintance who may be having a bad week, or just hold their hand, make a cuppa or lend an ear.

xx

1 comment:

  1. You're a good person, Lauren. Your children are learning compassion and consideration from a master. x

    ReplyDelete

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