Home > Stories > True Holiday Miracles > TheBurqa 9/11/2001
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Not a Newsletter!
It has become a tradition in the Hatch household to publicly ventilate a remarkable event (Betty calls it "the miracle") that has occurred to us since our last missive. We have had several experiences that qualify, but what we have noticed most during the third trimester of 2001 are the cumulative little things -"the mini-miracles" -- that we too often take for granted.
For instance, Betty is not required to wear a burqa. She can if she wants, but she doesn't have any matching sandals. I, on the other hand, do not have to grow a beard. I can if I want or I can engage in the bizarre practice of daily face scraping with a sharp blade. I satisfy no one by shaving part of my visage and then trimming the rest. Tens of millions of people living in Asia do not have the luxury of making such decisions for themselves or even deciding to which God they want to pray, if any.
We have not been stoned, beaten or hungry for a long time now. Hundreds of millions of people all over the world cannot say the same. We live in a lovely house in an idyllic community in a nation based on laws. Billions of people all over the world do not. We have a refrigerator full of food, a supermarket down the street and the wherewithal to fill up our pantry at will. While our problem is figuring out ways to limit our caloric intake, several billion people in other countries spend much of their waking hours pondering the source of their next meal and agonizing over the survival of their children. They are unsafe both in and out of their own dwellings -- if they are lucky enough to have one.
Betty and I are relatively healthy in our sixties. If we feel puny, we have access to doctors, hospitals, and "miracle" drugs to keep our motors running. We have clean, running water available from several taps in our house. 1.3 billion of our planetary neighbors do not have access to safe drinking water. The result is chronic illness, disease and premature death.
We have received a good education. It probably could have been better if we had paid more attention. Millions of children worldwide are given no education, or are forced into what are euphemistically called "schools" to learn hate and intolerance. That is the limit of their education and they are given no choice in the matter.
Betty and I, between us, have visited over sixty countries. We never fail to be profoundly affected by the misery, poverty and disease that we have encountered in the many areas. Unfortunately, we are not entirely blameless as a nation. We are saddened by the terrible price some people and countries have had to pay to be "our friends" and to make possible our own way of life. Recently many of those disadvantaged people have been given a limited peek at how we live, through the distorted lens of television and widely distributed Hollywood movies.
We should not be surprised that there is envy in the world. September 11 taught us that civilization has not been embraced by every segment of the world's population. We are vulnerable because we don't want to lose what we have achieved or acquired. We simply have more to live for.
In this season, when so many people of the world honor peace, we give thanks for the little miracles that have made us who we are and located us where we are. It also makes us want to concentrate our energy and creativity on improving the lot of others not so fortunate. Not because we are forced to do so, but because we want to do so and it is the right thing to do. We suppose it could be called "spreading the miracles around a little". To that end, we are asking family and friends, whether or not you intended to buy us a present this Holiday Season, to join us in contributing to your favorite international charity, instead!
Betty and Stan
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