On Giving.

It’s mid March: the time of year when people start asking me what I’d like for my birthday. My go-to answer has typically been that I have enough ‘stuff,’ and what I really need is to somehow end up with less of it. After sharing an empathetic laugh, eventually I’ll come up some ideas for them.

This time around the sun my thoughts on the subject have refined somewhat. With all of the natural disasters in the last few months, particularly the ones in Japan last week, I’ve been feeling much more in tune with how many people there are in the world who legitimately do need things.

Instead of any gifts this year for my birthday, here is what would really mean the most to me: I would like any money that would have been spent on something for me to instead be donated to a relief effort to help people out who really do need aid right now.

Some organizations accepting donations to aid people in need are:

Today I saw a video and some satellite photographs of the destruction in Japan due to the recent earthquake and tsunami. While I knew that the devastation was bad, I had no idea just how vastly I’d underestimated it. Even if you have no idea who I am and just happened to wander onto my blog, I encourage you to contribute what you can to help these people out.

  • Ajmihara

    If my mom wasn’t glued to the TV for the majority of the day, I wouldn’t have known how bad it was either. Seeing the waters carry off cars and buildings like it was nothing sends a chill down the spine…

    So I will heed your request. If I give you anything this year for your day of birth it will be a hug and maybe something I’ve made myself. And I know I don’t represent Japan, but thank YOU for making this kind of contribution. I owe you an infinite number of *huggles*

  • Anonymous

    You are completely the best sweetheart! :*