Pray for Somalia

Yesterday I saw yet another story about the famine going on in Somalia. A mother and father who have five sick children tried to make their way to a city where they thought they could find food and medicine. On the way, four of those children died in a 24 hour period of each other. All that is left, is one hungry little girl and her parents who are left to find some way to try and feed her. I read that to date, 29,000 children under the age of 5 have died as a result of famine. I realize these kinds of stories aren’t new but it was just another reminder at how small my problems are and how very unfair life really is. The pictures of starving babies, parents, and livestock, were horrendous and heart breaking.

I also realize that birth control is a huge issue all over the world. I always hear,“They should just stop having babies.” But to those of you who repeat that after hearing a story like this…I say to you that it doesn’t change the fact that the babies were born and that they are hungry right now. We can do all we can to help the problems of the future but there are children who are hungry now and who won’t be here tomorrow because of it. I used to get angry at those TV commercials that asked for my money and made me feel guilty by showing pictures of those children. But no matter who is asking for the money and for what reason...those are real pictures of real children who are really starving. And though I wouldn't advise you to send your money to just any old commercial add, you should just take a minute to soak in that imagery...to tell yourself that it's real. They are waiting for someone to help them and no one comes. Imagine if that were you. There is no excuse for this. As hard as I try to be positive, these stories remind me that the world is corrupt and that little to nothing will change. All I can do is find a way to contribute in my own way, pray, and thank God for the good people of the world who are trying.

I apologize for being so heavy and I'm aware that I can't let these kinds of things overly affect me or I will just be contributing to the misery of the world, but... I think there are some of us who don't think about these stories enough to apriciate the enormity of it...the urgency of it.

I leave you with a lyric from Adele. "Count your blessings to find what you look for."

Cough Cough Cough

Just so you know that I’m not ignoring my blog, I will write a short one to keep you updated. I am sick sick sick. Not really ill…but something has been wrong with my throat going on 3 weeks now. On top of that work is just nuts right now. I have tried cough drops, syrup, and throat spray. I keep them with me at all times incase I have another coughing fit. I have never had something like this for this long. What is the matter with me? It’s really stressful when you sound like a frog and have to communicate with people over the phone, or that any old thing can bring on a fit. When I get hot…I cough. When I get stressed out…I cough. When someone surprises me at my desk…I cough.

Do you know what it’s like to cough and not be able to stop? I must be driving my coworkers crazy. And they must think I’m spreading germs like crazy. But what can you do besides cover your mouth and wash your hands? I admit that I tried to ignore it for a long time. I didn’t want to go to the doctor if I didn’t have to. But I finally went and they gave me more syrup to help me sleep at night, and some kind of antihistamine. I think that the cough is maybe slowly getting better but I still woke up last night coughing like crazy. I hope it goes away soon.