Mama Salma Knows Breast

Actress and humanitarian Salma Hayek recently spent time in
Sierra Leone, Africa on a UNICEF mission to raise awareness for tetanus.

*One child dies every three minutes from Tetanus, a preventable disease.*

At a clinic, Salma Hayek was so moved at seeing the suffering of a starving baby who was born on the same day as her little girl, Valentina, that she picked up the baby and nursed him. Her action stunned, inspired and scandalized the world. Go to YouTube to see her nurse this sweet baby.

What are your reactions to this story? Would you have nursed the baby?

I know I would have. Not only because of the circumstances but because the thing I loved most about being blessed to conceive was the ability to nurse. I loved it and miss it!

Not Only in Africa

Yesterday marked World AIDS Day. I visited the Canadian Aids Society website and got a bit more educated.

Did you know?

• Every two hours, someone in Canada is infected with HIV.
• Since 2002, the number of people in Canada infected with HIV has increased by 16%.
• Of positive HIV tests reports, the largest number of new infections is that of 30 to 39 year olds for both men and women.
• Number of people in the world who die each day of AIDS: 7 950
• Number of people in the world infected by AIDS per day: 6 800

I took their free and anonymous HIV Risk Quiz. It got my brain thinking.

First I thought about the day I'll have to have the talk with my boys. Will I know when I'll need to have the talk? What words will I use? How about, "make love with the glove"? I think I'll be straight up with them. Avoiding some weird lingo and keeping it short and to the point. Ambiguity and ignorance never does pay.

Secondly, this quiz brought back memories of the time I got my tattoo. I got my tattoo fifteen years ago, and I can't remember how safe the place was. I remember it was "THE" place to get your tat done... so that itself made me and my girlfriends feel safe. Now looking back, that sounds stupid. Did she wear gloves? Can't remember. How about the use of needles? Clueless. I do remember was it was painful and I never did go back to do the final touch up. Pathetic, I know.

HIV and AIDS does exist in Canada. Lend your support: become better informed, minimize your risk, talk about AIDS with others, or support your local AIDS service organization, and go to take the quiz! You get the results immediately and the questions might make you think.

Note: See the new gadget on the top right side on my blog. Answer the question and I'll reveal the answer to you on Friday!

Act of courage

There is no guarantee that a speaker is actually good at it. And it's so annoying to listen to one who isn't. I, being raised catholic, have listened to priests who could make me fall asleep at the first sight of them walking to the podium to say their sermon. I had teachers who had the same power of me. I swear I slept through every grade 12 chemistry class.

And then there are those wanna-be-good speakers that try too hard. They are the Tony Robbins of the world. They use their hands, walk around, their voices go up and down trying to keep the listeners awake and entertained. This is when I need to use the restroom. I take the longest route and take another 15 minutes strolling around before I get back to my seat.

Last week Daddy and I attended a lecture given by Dr. James Orbinski. I had never heard of the guy. But reading an article in the paper about him I decided that we should attend. To ensure I didn't get disappointed I gave myself an internal talking to: "Even if he is a bad speaker focus on the words and the meaning of what he is saying. Don't focus on the delivery." I repeated this to myself like it was a mantra. All for nothing. Dr. Orbinski, was not flashy. He delivered his message with heart and possessed a soft compassion about him. I didn't even have try to focus; it came naturally to want to listen to him.

As the past president of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) Dr. Orbinski has seen disturbing stuff. I was honored to be in his presence. To meet someone who not only has seen the horrors in Rwanda, Sudan, Afghanistan, and many other locations but has taken an on hands role in tending to the thousands of people affected by these atrocities was humbling.

During the Q&A period someone asked, "What can we do?" Dr. Orbinski answered, "Donating, signing those online petitions are not enough. You have to join a group in your community, participate in something that you have a passion for. You need to do more. Refuse to accept the unacceptable."

I jotted down a few other things he said on my pink wrinkled little notepad that I carry in my purse for the boys to scribble on as entertainment...I knew it would come in handy for me one day.

• ...political responsibility....imperfect outcomes
• alternatives are possible if we choose to see it
• indifference...silence...forgetting

We purchased his book at this event and I was the first in line to have him sign it! He asked, "Who do I make it out to?" I said proudly, "To James, our son that we adopted from Liberia."

I'm taking a small step. I am completing a volunteer application for our local women's shelter. Though my true goal is be an aid worker in a third world country. This lecture sealed the deal in my heart that indeed I'll be doing that one day. When? I can't say for sure. But I will. You can bet on it.












For James - with great hope - James Orbinski

Just Shear Luck

This Thanksgiving, like most, I tell myself it was just out of shear luck I am placed in this peaceful country. Yet I don't feel that this feeling of luck is enough. After seeing the movie Body of Lies last night, I kept dreaming that I was in hiding to avoid being caught and tortured. I had a gun, it looked like an M16 gun, it was dark, I was hungry, scared and strong.

Maybe it's my mind trying to show me how darn lucky I really am. The thing is, I wish that my gratitude could erase even a small portion of sadness that engulfs so many of us. Now that would be beautiful.

Our new babysitter just recently moved here from England. Thanksgiving does not exist in her country. She asked me last night, "What does Thanksgiving mean?". This is when I should have answered something of value but this what I said, "It's a time to be thankful, eat turkey, pumpkin pie and you get a day off!"

I was lucky to have been raised in a small rural town not having any understanding of war or witnessing extreme poverty. My lack of political interest was because of this huge security that I felt living in this town, province and country.

Sure my political knowledge has increased since I was a kid but it is still weak. Like I don't think I could carry an intelligent conversation with Justin Trudeau or that new Palin chick!

I am lucky for the usual stuff: health, love, roof on my head, peaceful country, blah, blah, blah. But what I really want is to show my appreciation of living this life, so I'll try to be kinder, show less road range, and have a good time....

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

LOANS THAT CHANGE LIVES

A few months ago I joined KIVA* after reading Bill Clinton's book: GIVING: How Each of Us Can Change the World.

I made a small loan to Salmome Mwakipesile in Tanzania to open a beauty salon.
She is 29 years old and has 3 children.
To date 86% of her loan has been repaid.

I made a small loan to Boeung Sobin from Cambodia to buy pigs for her stand at the market.
She will breed the piglets.
To date 42% of her loan has been repaid.

The funds are credited to my Kiva account once the loan is repaid in full.
At that time, I can withdraw these funds from Kiva or re-lend these funds to a new entrepreneur.

I am inspired by these women and I am impressed that via the internet we can touch someone's life.

*An organization that lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in a developing country - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.

If the World Were a Village

I bought a children's book a couple of weeks ago, after telling myself, "No more buying books! The book shelf is full to the max."

We were browsing at the store "Ten Thousand Villages" and there it was, "If the World Were a Village", by David Smith. This book is about "world-mindedness," which to me is a never ending learning curve. It is the sense that our planet is actually a village (like Vonda, Saskatchewan!). I am amazed how much I can learn from these books written for kids! This one has helped me learn more about the Earth, its' population and where, why and how we can make the world a better place. I hope I can foster the attitude of world-mindedness in my boys.

Hope you get the chance to read this one!

Happy reading!