Okay Okay Okay

Today is Christmas. And even though Mom-to-Be is working and won’t be home until around 9 pm due to all the snow and attendant chaos that has caused, it’s still a nice day.

We opened our presents last night after she got home – a gift for her from Peach, one from me and two from my parents. I got a gift from her (with 3 separate items inside!) and from my parents as well. It was a very cosy and somewhat sappy little time together. Both of us were very pleased with our gifts and Peach seemed happy as well – judging from the kicks and pops coming from inside.

We had agreed on limiting our spending to $30 or less each this year. These rules were broken by both of us but not excessively. To atone for my overspending I made a donation to the Canadian branch of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders. This group (I worked overseas for them several years ago) provides health-based emergency aid and humanitarian relief around the world, bringing a measure of comfort and hope to those who are unable to help themselves. They are independent, neutral and not affliliated with any religious group. They work voluntarily in some of the harshest and most dangerous places in the world in order to bring relief and fight for justice for some of the poorest and most oppressed people in the world. I encourage others to support them. You can also read about their just-published list of Top Ten Humanitarian Crises of 2008.

So during this time of celebration and happiness please try to remember those less fortunate than ourselves. I often said that I never wanted to bring a child into a world that can be this cruel – but here I am expecting a baby in just a few weeks. I hope that during Peach’s lifetime perhaps some of these cruelties will be conquered.