CHAPTER 1
Our Why
You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference. And you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.
-- Jane Goodall
Hailey Gail, age fifteen
Chaos: a simple word to describe a frenzy of activity and emotions. The market streets of Udaipur, India are not something to enter without preparation. They present themselves like a game in which you need to keep a level head to avoid falling for the ripoff prices given to ignorant tourists, pickpocketing, and the feeling of exposure as you walk, surrounded by a unique culture. While walking the narrow sidewalks, you are overwhelmed with cars and men on motorbikes speeding by, only inches from where you walk. You are forced to dodge cows lounging in the streets and watch your feet carefully to avoid falling into man-sized potholes. Men and women, who aren't shouting at you to buy their wares, gape and pull out their phones to take pictures of the white people in funny clothes.
The dull colours of the worn cement streets, littered with garbage contrast with the vibrant saris of every colour, shining with glittering beads. Women draped in this exotic attire trudge their way through, carrying stacks of materials on the tops of their heads, their backs poised from years of practice. It is impossible to fully see and take in everything as you walk past stores with bizarre trinkets and clothing while avoiding the dangers of the street. Hand-painted postcards, depicting the Indian god Ganesh in gold paint, with intricate detail in each stroke, hang on stands outside the stores.
Heading in and out of shops, you realize there are never moments of silence, as the busy streets outside demand to be heard. Locals shout as they barter, and donkeys led through with sacks on their backs cry out to participate, as well. Cars and motorbikes honk their horns as a way of communication, which is something unusual to those from North America. Honking can say "I'm passing" or that you are coming around a corner. Some drivers seem to honk simply to add to the excitement of driving through the busy streets of urban India.
The pathway crumbles, creating uneven footing, and you feel every crack and break in the rock beneath your feet. Scarves and harem pants hang from the ceilings of stores, allowing you to brush your hands through them as you walk underneath. The materials feel thin and silky within your hands, and trying them on, they drape lightly over the curves on your body, leaving a slight breezy feeling on your legs. Sweat pours down your face, as the blistering heat and humidity engulf you in a bone-cracking hug. Clothing sticks awkwardly to your skin, and anything above your knees needs to be covered to be culturally appropriate.
The hot food stands only contribute more to the heat and wafts of the greasy local cuisine appeal strongly to your appetite. Platters stacked high with samosas and other fried foods attract customers with their strong smells of Indian spices that dance through the market. A strange mustiness accompanies this scent, almost buried behind the aroma of tasty treats, but is certainly still there. The food tastes as spicy as it smells, burning your lips. You notice that everything in the market is full of spices that leave a sharp sting on your tongue, as the flavours erupt in your mouth with each bite.
The overwhelming spices of the local food only complement the rest of the excitement that is a part of the Indian market. Your initial impression of it all is chaotic, as everything moves in every direction, but it is chaos within a system. It is all part of an everyday routine that has always been natural to the locals living there. The market streets of Udaipur, India are full of excitement, sights, smells, and feelings that create a strong sense of beautiful chaos.
Our Why:
There was never one specific moment in our lives when we realized our need to help others; it was more a series of events that compiled over time, drawing our attention to the issues plaguing the world. These moments, so small, and yet so significant, brought us to where we are today. Moments like Samantha, at the age of eight, learning that our young friend living in another country had no juice to drink to help her emotionally recover from a life-threatening surgery, while our fridge at home was stocked with multiple different flavours. Or Hailey, at age thirteen, coming home from a charity event, devastated that children her age were not able to attend school, while she loved and valued it so much. Or even a young Kathy, defending her kid brother from prowling bullies in the schoolyard. Examples like these take up little time in our lives but have shaped our vision into everything it encompasses today.
As a family of three women, we have always strived to educate ourselves on the struggles facing others across the globe and made it a priority to be socially conscious in our everyday lives. We started small, by making our house a safe space, open to discussion and questions of any kind, allowing us to become aware of, and form opinions on, current world affairs. We worked hard to form a strong relationship between the three of us, creating a foundation for world issue awareness and how we could potentially help.
Here is where we come to the big question: Why? Why do we choose to dedicate our time and effort to being socially conscious and making a difference in other people's lives? The answer is really quite simple, as it is a part of what makes us human. It is known that humans naturally strive to survive and seek conditions in which we are most comfortable. However, it is also a component of human nature to have empathy, and to fight for others when their lack of resources makes them incapable of fighting for themselves. Our why is that it makes us happy to know we can make a difference; we can be the change we wish to see in this world.
The idea of changing the world can be overwhelming; admittedly, the world is a pretty big place. Although, even if something seems small or insignificant in your eyes, it can make a world of difference to someone else. Just helping one individual can have an everlasting effect and bring you one step closer to global change. In the deepest depths of each of us is a drive to contribute. We all want to know we have played some significant part in shaping the world around us, and that we have made a difference, contributing in some small but meaningful way. It is the drive to give and to matter that truly makes us happy. Thus, it is our belief that we change the world one child at a time, by raising socially conscious children, who love their lives.
Samantha Mary, age sixteen
I am thankful for such a supportive and encouraging mother and sister. My mom has done everything in order to give me opportunities and experiences that other people might not have the chance to be a part of. My mom and sister have also always provided me with a positive relationship that has given me the chance to grow and learn in a safe environment. My heart overflows with love and gratitude just hanging out and talking with them. I truly value the hours spent lying around, laughing, talking, and just joking around with these two.
One thing that angers me is the gap between the rich and poor. In Hong Kong, I was lucky enough to be taken through a fish market. On the right, there were tiny boats housing families of four or five, and on the left, were huge yachts. It shocked me how some families were barely surviving and yet others were spending money all over the place. There are many different articles and facts about how we currently have enough money to end world hunger, or limit poverty, or even provide more third-world communities with clean water, but instead, money is spent on weapons and things to further empower the richest countries.
Here are some such articles:
Josette Sheeran's TEDx Talk "Ending Hunger Now" https:// www.ted.com/talks/josette sheeran ending hunger now
Duncan Green's "Ending World Hunger is Possible – So Why Hasn't it Been Done" https://www.theguardian.com/ commentisfree/2012/feb/15/ending-world-hunger
The Boreign Project's blog on "10 Ways to Stop World Hunger" https://borgenproject.org/10-ways-stop-world-hunger/).
I value a genuine heart, someone who does things for the benefit of others, and not for selfish reasons. I value an adventure, whether that's trying something new, or simply going on a trip. I value honesty, because I know that while it isn't always the easy choice, it definitely is the better one. I also value my senior center; a huge joy in my life comes from volunteering at the senior center. It helps relieve my stress and I always leave with amazing stories and a warm happy feeling in my heart. And the fifth thing that I value is hard work. I am a true believer in the saying "If you don't have time to do something well, then why do it at all?" Consequently, I try really hard in everything that I do, and I always strive for the best, although, I must admit, this sometimes is more harmful than helpful, because I can try too hard and end stressing myself out.
The one issue that really ignites my passion is poverty. I have been lucky enough to spend the last few years involved with the organization Free the Children. I have learned a lot about developing countries and the issues associated with poverty. I have a lot of passion when it comes to helping other people. Because I have been fortunate enough to experience travelling, I have had more opportunities to learn and witness some of the inequalities in the world, whether they are inequalities of status, or wealth, or both. The experience of travelling constantly changes my perspective and views on the world, and has become another significant passion of mine.
I have been raised to understand just how fortunate I am. I am aware of all the amazing opportunities and experiences I have because of the country and family I am being raised in. My biggest fear would be to have my family taken away from me. Recently, I experienced this through another person's eyes when my mom watched me go into anaphylactic shock and felt the fear of almost losing me. I do have a lot of health issues, but I try really hard not to complain, because I know someone out there has it worse than I do. Obviously I fail in this attempt sometimes, but it is something I work hard at.
When you almost die, and your body becomes very sick, and filled with pain, it is often hard to contain the complaints. In all honesty, I was angry that I was eating something as innocent as a chicken wing when my life-threatening reaction occurred. I was angry that three days later, I found myself back in the hospital from another reaction, this time to the medication I was given for the first reaction. But I was most angry that my planned volunteer trip to Panama was then not possible for me. I had worked hard for months to raise money to be able to go on the humanitarian trip and it was lost to me. I even complained that the near-death experience had left me feeling weak, and how breathing hurt, and how I could not walk from my room to the washroom without getting winded. Through it all, I watched as my mom sat patiently, trying to help me, and willingly jumped through every hoop, just to make me feel better.
The experience helped me realize I had been complaining about my pain and about the little struggles in my life, when my worries and complaints weren't going to change the situation, nor help it. It helped me to realize that many of the problems I faced could be solved with hard work and dedication and that complaining wasn't helping get me anywhere. And of course, like any daughter feels about her mother, it all helped me realize I wouldn't be able to live without my mom.
A part of being a teenager means learning how to deal with the stressors of life, such as school, grades, and university; at least those are definitely what I worry about. I set high expectations for myself and sometimes worry that I will not achieve them. A near-death experience like mine, and a few inspiring words from my mom, has helped put my life into perspective.
When I was really little I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian or a doctor when I grew up. Then I decided that I wanted to own and co-run a fitness centre with my sister. The ideas have passed over the years, but I am still in love with the idea of business management. I am not sure what exactly I want to be, but I know that I am good with money and that I love the business atmosphere. I imagine combining my passion for business with my passion for social justice and my desire to help lessen the burden of poverty that so many around the world are faced with.
I am thankful for the life I live and for the family I love, and although I might not know my What yet, I do know that my Why is that I wish to be the change!
A life lived of choice is a life of conscious action. A life lived of chance is a life of unconscious creation – Neale Donald Walsch
Things You and Your Family May Want To Consider:
The key is to know your Why. It is the Why that will motivate you to keep going even when, at times, change seems almost impossible. My Why is to "be the change I wish to see in this world." Some of my What's are: to write this book, to continue to fundraise for Free the Children, and to volunteer on a local level.
When you know what to do, you can simply do it. But when you know Why you are doing it, the passion kicks in, and with this passion, you can move mountains.
In order to start discovering your Why, consider first as an individual, then as a family, your current impact on the world.
How does what you do, the things you consume, and how you live impact the environment?
How does it impact your local community?
How does it impact people in the global community?
Your life will impact others whether you realize it or not. Taking this into consideration, and helping your children understand this, is a great step in the direction of living a socially conscious life. When we, and our children, embrace the fact that we do indeed have an impact on others, and that we do have the ability to be the change we wish to see in the world, a pure sense of happiness begins to stir from within.
Discovering your Why(s):
Ask yourself these questions and look for emergent themes.
What do you like to talk about?
What fills your time?
What lights you up?
What makes you feel inspired?
What are you intensely interested in?
What activities make you feel excited, alive, inspired?
What do you do that makes the time fly by?
What seems to stand out? This is your Why!
Give yourself a few days and then take another deep dive into these questions and answers. Start a journal. Review these questions often (daily for the first while, then monthly, and then at least once quarterly). Your answers will change and become refined over time. Each time you do this, your Why will become clearer. Do this exercise with each of your children. Watch the magic that takes place as your children's faces light up as they begin to discover their own Why.
Remember that as you continue to have new and different life experiences, your Why might change or shift, and will eventually become more refined. How do you know when you are on the right track? When your Why puts a smile on your face!
CHAPTER 2
Change Agent - Hailey Gail
Hailey Gail, age fifteen
Hi, I'm Hailey, and I am a fifteen-year-old Canadian girl. I'm on a competitive rock climbing team, enjoy traveling the world, and I am passionate about changing the world. Now that we've broken the ice, and you know a little about who I am, I will share with you my story. A few years ago I made an ambitious decision. I stepped out of my comfort zone and made a difference instead of taking the easy way out.
I have always considered myself lucky to grow up in a family that is open and honest with each other. I am close with my mom and sister, so much so, that we call ourselves The Three Musketeers. Growing up, we have always talked about, and been aware of, the issues that plague our world. For as long as I can remember I have always understood how lucky I am to have been born in Canada. I have always known that there are other families out there who have to survive on less than a dollar a day and that there are fifty-eight million children in the world who are not able to go to school.
