A New Week, Alive and Well in Atlanta

Frankly, this past week was a bit on the challenging side.

Thankfully, the Sunday before last I'd seen In Darfur at Horizon Theatre and was deeply moved by this play by Winter Miller. The theater gave out these wristbands, and after signing letters to legislators and picking up material, I was more than compelled to take a band and wear it.

Which was very timely, because as I went on to live out the rest of the week, when things weren't seemingly going my way, all I had to do was take a look at the green reminder on my right wrist.

Instantly I'd think, "OK, this isn't terrific, but, I'm not a woman living in Darfur, grieving a husband and son that have been murdered by the heartless madmen of the Janjaweed, or holding on for dear life after I and my daughter have been ambushed and gang-raped by said militia men while searching for firewood at night, or starving for just a bite to eat or a little water to take the taste of dry dirt out of my mouth after my whole village has been burned and reduced to nothing and all I have left are the tattered clothes on my broken body...

I know, not the most pleasant things to read about or consider on a Monday, but these are what many are dealing with today, right this moment. Bet they wish they didn't have to consider them either, but sadly, they do.

So last week, before I'd go to chugging straight from my big ol' bottle of "whine", I'd stop, look at my wrist, and instead say a prayer for the women in Darfur.

I got through, and though I really couldn't bring myself to blogging about it, I was able to count and think on those little things I do have that I sometimes take for granted.

And now, today, I have a promise of a new week. Last week, in retrospect, seems not so bad. Time heals. Mine were merely surface wounds of the flesh. For those in Darfur, they are more deeply of the spirit. To say it's going to take a little longer for them is an understatement.

So perhaps you'll join me in saying a prayer for them too, or learning a little more about their plight and doing something, anything, just to say, "I hear, and I want to help." Or, if you get the opportunity, go see In Darfur.

Who knows, maybe my experience of a not-so-fabulous last week was meant for me to have my say here now, so someone can be helped elsewhere later.

The reminder that sometimes, it's not all about me, has just been added to The Thanks Ranks.