This year I'm making Thanksgiving about giving thanks.
I was very nervous when the stocks started to plummet. And as the founder of a start-up, I watched in horror as what I had diligently put away started to dwindle. Then I was inspired by some incredible stories of endurance, persistence and the prevailing force of human willpower.
Last December I met Watire at Maji Mazuri Children’s Center ( www.majimazuri.org). He was 6 and a true miracle. Both his parents had been diagnosed with AIDs and died. His older brother, a quiet, smart, studious boy with a penetrating gaze and astute insight, was also HIV positive. Watire was not.
From the moment I met him, he stole my heart... he was fascinated by the camera hanging from my wrist. All he wanted was to have a picture taken. He wasn’t even certain he was ever going to see the photo. He was confident, witty, charming... and as he leaned into my shoulder so we could pose for the picture, he leaned into my heart, and won me over... I wanted to give this little boy who had so little everything I had... and more.
Through Maji Mazuri, Watire has a home, nutritious meals and an education. I know he is going places, and by supporting the organization, I do not just feed him for a day or give him a fancy camera (which I really wanted to do). I am making sure he is supported well into the future.
Watire stuck with me, but I met so many other incredible kids at Maji Mazuri who had been through so much. Their stories were a reminder that even as we brace ourselves for the harsh turmoil of the economic nose dive, there are others who have it harder yet push past their obstacles everyday and endure.
In reality, only 6 % of the population of the world enjoys some of the economic privileges we often feel entitled to. Tough times force us to recreate ourselves and seek new solutions. So even in the face of uncertainty and fear, I'm learning to take time to be grateful - for good health, the wealth of good friends and the spirit of hope and optimism that is in us.
(names have been changed to protect identity)
