Last night I lay awake thinking about the “immigrant crisis” and how, for human beings the strongest instinct we possess is SURVIVAL. I began thinking this may be more of an affliction than an asset..the drive to keep on going. I began to think that maybe it would be better were we not to carry this innate desire to continue struggling on in this cruel and corrupt world, but then I remembered the
reasons behind the drive to survive, the things that make us human, the thing that aside from all the evil s**t that manifests from a very small and powerful group of people on this earth, that makes us an incredible, beautiful and unique species; our consciousness and emotional intelligence. On the one hand this is what makes life so hard for us…we feel, on the other hand, it makes the terrible bits worth fighting through. To survive is not to just physically continue for the sake of our bodies carrying on breathing, it’s to continue experiencing, feeling, remembering, loving….. My own family were “immigrants”, and I don't know hardly anything about many of my ancestors because they similarly, were persecuted and oppressed, disregarded and displaced. I don’t know what it was like for them but it still hurts and it makes me angry. I cannot change what is past but I can help to change what is present and what is future. Everyday I work with those that struggle most in our society, and it can feel hopeless and it can make me feel so sad, but I also get to see how, my caring and persistence and coming together with others who are trying to also help ease the struggle of those who CANNOT do this by themselves, DOES WORK. Sometimes it is in the smallest way, but at times in ways that is life changing. For the last few weeks I have been watching and listening, feeling so upset and getting angry seeing the horrors taking place and aghast at the people with the power to make immediate change, actively doing NOTHING in a bid to deter people…no more hot meals offered, it's enticing more to come. No dick heads, they’re coming because, by not, means loss of loved ones, no more feeling, no more experiencing, CERTAIN DEATH!!!! I've been thinking..I need to do something! But I haven’t been doing anything, except sharing posts, expressing my concern, crying into my second takeaway of the week.. I can’t bare it any longer, knowing what is happening literally just across the sea from where I live and just THINKING about how bad it is. So for this reason, I have decided to start collecting things for these deserving human beings in Calais and get my arse over there. Ben and I are going to forsake our holiday at the end of the month, where we were to spend some long awaited time with my family, to go and volunteer. I cannot go to France on holiday knowing all those people are there, trapped, starving, freezing and desperate. My family are safe and well and I can see them again, others don’t have that privilege. As a social worker, a daughter, a sister, a partner, a HUMAN BEING, it is my honour to do anything I can. I don’t say any of this for facebook likes or to make new "friends", or to make anyone feel guilty (well maybe that a little)…but in hope that my friends and their friends and anyone who reads this, ACTS, and takes the opportunity to also honour these deserving human beings in any way they can. So, I ask if you can PLEASE DONATE any of the spare things you have (we all know what's needed..winter is coming!), or put your hands in your pockets to DONATE MONEY, for us to either buy necessary things or to give to the organisations in Calais who know exactly what is needed and have suppliers they can buy from. Ben and I intend to go to Calais on 26th September and again, as many times is needed….PLEASE SHARE THIS, PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN, PLEASE DON’T THINK THAT THIS IS JUST SOMEONE ELSE’S PROBLEM!!!!
