Crushing Sadness

I know there is poverty.  I know cruelty exists.  I believe injustice happens far more often than justice does; and I also know I can't solve the problems of seven billion people personally. 

I don't watch the news and I don't read the paper because while I know all these terrible things are going on, I don't believe wallowing in them makes me a better person if I fall into hopeless despair and can't function and take care of my children.  The phrase, "pick your battles" comes to mind.

But I do become overwhelmed with the sadness of our overall global situation at times.  Recently, I heard thirty percent of the students in our county were on meal-assist plans for the public schools.  Can it really be that almost one third of our local population may go hungry without assistance from the government?   How terribly sad.

I remember being at the hospital with my first child.  They were lavishing me with gifts of, "here, you can take the blanket and the pacifier and here are some packets of formula."  I wanted to shout, to yell, "save them for the people who need them, I can afford formula," but I accepted some to be polite.  Not too much though.

That thought, the thought of mothers terrified of not being able to feed their newly born infants, was the single thought that could have pushed me into post-partum depression.  I was fine, my child was fine, and I could afford to feed him. 

I know the world isn't a perfect place.  I know I can't solve it all personally.   But I hope I can make some difference in some lives just because I have the capability to.

The Big Boy Update:  Neither my son or my daughter suffers from separation anxiety.  Last night were were planning on leaving to go to a birthday party.  One of their favorite sitters, Tristan, had come over.  We told them we had to leave in five minutes and they needed to get their clothes on after their bath so we could go.  My son said, "daddy, you go to work.  Mommy, bye bye."  And that was that.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter is both independent and in need of help.  When working on the iPad she will commonly tell you, "I need help."  We usually tell her if she can't figure it out she needs to pick another app.  This morning my son thought she needed help.  We hear her complaining from the other room to him, "I can do it!"