I'm Grateful for...The Gallery

There are so many many things for which I am extremely grateful.  My amazing husband, my beautiful children, my home, my extended family, the luxury of being a SAHM, my friends (real life and virtual), my possessions and my health.  However, with all our attention drawn to the wonderful work of Save the Children and the #passiton project, this week my entry into The Gallery shows my gratitude at being born in the UK.  I am grateful to be a citizen of an economically developed country with all the privileges and benefits that that entails. 

My first photo was taken by my daughter Megan who visited South Africa to visit a school in Vukani that her school raised funds for.  They visited the townships, the orphanages and the AIDS projects in a life changing adventure that opened her eyes to how other people lived.  She witnessed such poverty and deprivation, but the thing that moved her most was the spirit and pride of the people.

The second photograph was taken yesterday.  I took my two youngest to the local Garden Centre for lunch and a play in the well equipped play area.  My children have never known hunger, poverty or need.  They are well fed, educated, healthy.  They have a Health Service that protects them. They have clean running water. They have a home made from bricks and mortar and all the material possessions that make their lives comfortable and easy.  They have a bright future.

The little boy in the photo and Freddy aren't so different...but are worlds apart.  

I am grateful for how lucky we are.

Save The Children

Heather from Stay At Home Mum Loving It has tagged me in this meme.  If you take part in any memes this year, make sure this is one you choose to do.  It can help save lives.  If you don't want to participate, please at least simply click the link below to sign the petition. 

PLEASE SIGN THE SAVE THE CHILDREN PETITION HERE

Back in January of this year Save The Children launched the 'Born To' campaign which raises awareness that no child should be born to die.  It's a startling statistic but 8 million children under the age of 5 die each year from treatable or preventable illness.

We have until 13th June in order to sign the petition which Save The Children will present to put pressure on world leaders at the global vaccine summit.

This week 3 bloggers/vloggers are going to Mozambique to follow the journey of a vaccine from the coldstore in the city right down to a rural community.  They will write, make videos and tweet all about their experiences, the children and the families they meet.


You can follow all the action in Mozambique on Twitter using the hashtag #PassItOn


This meme asks for us to post our child's self-portrait of them now or in the future.  I've chosen to do a little twist on the theme.  We have just sorted out our garage which contained boxes of my older children's artwork.  I found these two beauties...self-portraits from Ella, now 15, and Megan, now 19, drawn back in 2001.  It shows them doing things they loved to do.

Ella Horse Riding....aged 5

Megan Disco Dancing....aged 10

Nowadays Ella is more at home with a guitar in her hand, singing her own compositions.  Megan is a Marketing student who likes to party hard...but not dressed in the spangly outfit and platforms she coveted 10 years ago!


My children have a future...they are lucky being born into a country where they can drink clean water,  receive healthcare and enjoy the privileges that come with living in an economically developed country.  Now we have the opportunity to help others, simply by signing the petition and spreading the word! 






The rules of the meme:

1. Get your child to either draw or craft a self portrait of themselves now or in the future.
2. Sign the Save The Children Petition and then 'pass it on' to your friends.
3. Write a blog post about it as soon as possible, including info about Save The Children and the petition. We want as many people linked up and signed up to the petition by Sunday 29th May 2011.
4. Tag 8 fellow bloggers.
5. Come back and link up your posts at Red Ted Art.
6. If you have time, visit each others posts and say hello!