Blossom & Vine gives back

it's Thursday night and i just climbed into bed with my laptop. my sweet girls are all tucked in and sleeping soundly, bellies full. i have the heater going and extra blankets ready because it's finally fall here in San Diego, which means it may drop to 40 degrees or so. call me a wimp, but i don't know any different.

i look around at the laundry and the little toys scattered across my floor. there's a sink full of dishes downstairs and several messes that still need to be picked up. i know i'll have to deal with it in the morning but i'm tired now. we had a full day and i'll be up at 3am with the baby i'm sure.

i'm sitting here thinking about this: there are people - regular old American people just like you and me - who just happen to live on the east coast. and right now they would do anything to be experiencing everything i just described above. just to return to some kind of normalcy and familiarity. but they can't. the hurricane of the century swept through and ravaged their lives, leaving them homeless and hungry, taking all their earthly possessions, and even snatching children from their arms.

people are suffering. the storm has passed but the wreckage, both figuratively and literally, remains. and it's devastating. for some, there's no logical end in sight. no timeframe for when they can return home, if home still stands. for others, their children and loved ones are gone. life will never be the same. some are freezing and some are hungry and some need formula for their babies. there is still much need.

it's hard to imagine, isn't it? makes you a little bit sick to your stomach, knowing there's no reason it couldn't have been you or me.

sometimes i get so overwhelmed with something that i just want to help. i sincerely wish that i could write a check for five thousand dollars and make a solid contribution, but i don't have five thousand dollars. sometimes i get really discouraged by what little i have to offer. i tell myself if i can't do something substantial, i should just do nothing. but then i remember that if each one of us gives some, it multiplies into much. it's not glamorous or mind-blowing, it's just simple math. if lots of us do a little bit, big things can happen and communities can rebuild and people can feel loved and cared for.

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one."

- Mother Teresa

i know i told you this last week, but for my little part, i'll be donating 25% of all sales from my shop for November and December to the relief efforts.

oh, and just to persuade just a little bit more, from now through Thanksgiving 

you'll receive this lovely piece in 5x7 tucked into your order for free:

Blossom & Vine Blog . Blossom & Vine Shop

Thank you Aly for giving back!

Be sure to check out all the other shops giving back through Handmade with Purpose.