The Gift of Giving
It’s the brown, soft baby carrier that I tucked my son into. The one that gave him comfort and gave my hands freedom. Just seeing it floods me with memories of that time. I’m reminded of when he was small enough to fit inside and all that happened during that era. A whole boat load of life changing shit. So much shit. I’m tempted to clutch onto it, keep it around so I can be flooded with these memories often. It was such a defining time.
But, instead I tuck necessities into it’s little pocket. Band-aids, hand sanitizer, a tiny bear hat and a pair of mittens. Things that for a moment may become a life-line for the family that this carrier is being sent to across the seas and the nights, all the way to Greece. A family that will find it awaiting them when they step off the raft after fleeing from home, after fleeing from Syria.
The act of filling this pocket has brought me more joy than the memories from seeing and feeling this soft brown carrier. Those memories actually sting, but the filling and the sharing and the possibility of that one second of peace for a family in despair, that gives me hope.
I think I could literally go to the bank on the hope that I feel in this small act. The hope that they will know how much my family, across all of these miles and cultures and circumstances, thinks of them and reaches our hearts out desperately to them in solace, in solidarity.
What are you holding onto? Might giving it away feel even better than holding on? Is it some blame, some judgement? Is it some item that might enhance the life of someone else while taking nothing from you? Is it your heart, held back for fear, when giving away your love feels so so good?
I’ve read many times that the act of helping others is a balm to the hardest of days. It’s true what I’ve read.
If you want to share your baby carrier, you can mail it to the amazing folks at:
c/o Carry The Future
121 W. Lexington Dr.
Suite 106 D
Glendale, CA 91203
And if you want to share your thoughts, leave them below.
With love,
Lexi