The little Iraqi boy who is being treated for severe burns is in surgery again today. The chances are good that within a few weeks he will look more like his old self, and be able to eat more comfortably.

The full story is at CNN. Previous posts I made about Youssif were:

• Death and Destruction
• Update on Death and Destruction
• Another Update: Death and Destruction

Terrible things DO happen to people. They seem to happen to innocent people as frequently as they do to people who do mean and horrible things. There is no rhyme nor reason to acts like this.

And good things also can happen.

When I feel badly about the state of the world, I ask myself: What can I do today — right now, even — to make the world a little better?

I don’t have to solve all the problems of the world. But each time we consciously choose to do the right thing — to be kind, to help, to support — we do make a difference.

I challenge everyone who reads this (yes, all three of you), to do just one small thing extra. Hug your kids one more time before they go to school, bring your office mates a small treat (fruit or veggie tray?), even just smile at the parking lot attendant on your way in or out. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money or planning. It just takes you.

It is with a whole lot of pride, and not inconsiderable relief… that I announce I did it! I have completed the NaNoWriMo challenge.

I wrote over 50,000 words (official count 50, 210) between Nov 1 and Nov 30. I finished today (Nov 28). I did NOT write anything at all on six days, so I really wrote all of that in only 22 days. No wonder I feel tired!

Finishing early seems impressive, but I readily admit that this particular story of mine is not likely to ever be read by another human being. Why?

Because I was really focused on writing volume, not making sure it all hangs together. There are many errors — factual as well as places where things just don’t quite gel — where the ideas are weak, the characters just won’t behave or the story is completely unbelievable.

I think I managed to come up with some good expressions, some nice sentences and constructions. There were some interesting plot twists, some ideas that are useful… so perhaps I will recycle this one at a later date, using the good bits and dumping the not-yet-ready-for-B-movie bits…

I liked these quotes particularly, written early on, before I was desperate to just get words down on the paper:

I moved to sit near him and handed him his piece of chocolate, holding mine out too. He looked at his, then took it quietly and nibbled. I looked at the piece left in my hand; in the other days I would have rejected chocolate like this: stale and ghosted from its time on the shelf. Not today. Today I worshiped the chocolate, studying it like a piece of art, resisting the moment I put it in my mouth. I turned it over, looking at the HER- embossed on it, the last remnant of civilization, the last sweet confection I would have.
…

Mom came racing into the room drunkenly and grabbed me as she lunged for the doorway. We held on together, while the books on the shelves inched closer to the edge and the plants in the house waved their branches like some sort of cheerleaders. Mom’s face was white, and her eyes were very big, and she sheltered me in her arms.

Tomorrow, I return to the BabbleStory that is both fun to write and fun to read. See you there!

It’s that time of year again!

Our friends in Canada (hi everyone!) had their official Thanksgiving day last month. Now, it’s our turn.

Once again, I draw your attention to the Gratefulness.org website. This is a website devoted to reminding us about the things in life that are good, while recognizing that there are still things out there that aren’t so good.

I like the phrase “attitude of gratitude” — I have been using it for years, and honestly don’t know if it’s my invention or if I heard/read it somewhere else. But it neatly encapsulates how I try to approach life.

Honesty time, recap: I suffer (have for at least three decades) from several types of depression and anxiety: Seasonal depression in the gray, short days of winter; I had long-term post-partum depression after each pregnancy (not all resulted in children); I fight sporadic depression that is just depression… which is probably the result of the extreme generalized anxiety and social anxiety (hard to stay upbeat when everything scares you); I get panic attacks and I also have PTSD (post traumatic stress) from some incidents when I was younger that come back to bite me. Medications sometimes help, and living a quiet life definitely helps, but these things are pretty much always there in the background. I have some physical challenges as well that sometimes keep me house-bound if not bedridden.

Still, I manage to have a lot of friends (many were initially online friends who have since become very real friends), a relatively pleasant home life, a wonderful husband, and some very interesting projects. I consider my life to be extremely good!

I encourage everyone to honestly acknowledge the things that are not perfect in their lives, but not to dwell on them unless they require work at that moment. This for me can be a struggle, but when I can — then I focus on the truly good things, my happy and healthy kids, my thousands of books, my ability to stay warm in the winter, my many patient, enduring friends. These are simple, but for me profound sources of happiness.

And I am pretty much always trying to find something new, to learn or give back to the world, to improve myself in some way. This year, I am doing the NaNoWriMo challenge (so far keeping up with the word count), helping my mother in her classroom, and staying in touch with my kids’ teachers. These keep me growing, and interested in life. I hope they also make me interesting!

I love my garden (when I can work in it), I really love to do art; and this year I am very much enjoying working in three different schools with kids of various ages –first grade to high school. It’s volunteer work, but I am making a difference, and it feels good.

What are you grateful for? What are the things you can improve? Count your blessings, and then pass them on, in ways large and small.

You will be glad you did.

Happy Thanksgiving!