It All Began ...
In the third grade, my Brownie Leader told me there was no such thing as Santa Claus, Oddly enough; I never made the connection between Santa Claus and The Easter Bunny. When that bubble inevitably burst, I was thankful that at least The Tooth Fairy was alive and well. It took a long time for the truth to dawn on me. A slow learner, eh? But I was a believer.
Epiphany 1
About three years ago, I had an epiphany of sorts at Mt. Rainer in the state of Washington. It was the first time I realized one could stand in snow and still smell wildflowers. (Coming from the flats of eastern Long Island, I was totally unfamiliar with this phenomenon.) Nature is always my best teacher, and I suddenly “got” that I could be disappointed, maybe even hurt by people, and still see their beauty and feel their goodness. Still a slow learner!
Epiphany 2
Now at 63 years of age, I had yet another eye opening experience. My daughter is responsible for this one. She is presently in her third year medical school and has already earned an MBA from Wharton at University of Pennsylvania where she studied Global Health. I didn’t completely understand what her work would entail, and I didn’t know why she couldn’t just get her MD and open a practice here on Long Island. Soon I got a glimmer and then suddenly a bright dawn arrived.
Surgery Helps
Even now in the 21st century, people in developing and third world countries are suffering horrendously from lack of medical care. Children go blind because there are so many flies on their eyes, they can’t blink and their lower lashes curl into their eyes. When that happens, the constant abrasion causes blindness. A solution is to remove the lower lids, a surgical procedure that saves their eyesight. Tumors the size of basketballs makes life intolerable in areas where surgery is not available. Untreated burns create not only severe scarring, but often immobility due to misplaced skin adhesion. Untreated infections or fistulas can emit such a stench that people are isolated from their villages and left to fend for themselves. It was like when I found out there was no such thing as Santa and when I stood in snow in sandals. It felt sad and very cold. I looked for the wildflowers and I found them.
East End of Long Island
My beloved community of the East End of Long Island has a team of doctors and nurses who donate their time each year to provide surgical/medical relief to the poor and suffering throughout the world. I never even knew they were here! I decided to form my own group, Help Healing Happen, to raise money and awareness. If I didn’t understand the scale of suffering in the world, surely others don’t either. If I didn’t know about this nonprofit team, International Surgical Medical Support, surely many of my friends and neighbors don’t either. And, if I am willing to give up the cost of something I routinely buy but don’t need so that this team can help more people, surely everyone else will too.
East Enders Will Come Through
I know this to be true: None of my neighbors on the East End, even though times are hard right now for many of us, would be willing to just stand and sip a lemonade, or smoke a cigarette, or toss back a cold one, while a child was bleeding on the ground. But I don’t want to challenge them; I want to engage them. How can I find the way or the words to do this? I honestly don’t know. I just know I’m a believer.