Meanwhile, Half a World Away
Merry Christmas!entry,
This Christmas is my first as a full-time cartoonist. Celebrating the birth of the Savior is quieter and more worshipful when I've got so much to personally be thankful for. Sure, it's going to be a lean year gift-wise, but we've got food, clothing, and family to share it with. Wise men of any generation would be hard pressed to ask for more.
(Whiny, ungrateful children are another matter, but I don't think we have any of those.)
I hope this holy day finds you well, wherever your path leads and whatever your faith founds. Peace on Earth, goodwill to mankind.
Meanwhile, Half a World Away
entry Update, December 26th, 2004
It's been a wonderful Christmas for me and for my family. Half a world away, however, tsunamis have claimed the lives of 9,500 or more of my fellow human beings.
The BBC News coverage seems to be the most elucidating, since it's got a map for those of us who don't know our southeast Asian geography. I'm not posting this so you can go rubberneck, though.
It's possible that your local church, Red Cross, or Salvation Army chapter will be collecting donations for the half million newly homeless. These people were poor to begin with (at least by our materialistic Western standards), and many of the survivors have seen everything they own swept out to sea. If you have the opportunity to donate to them, please be generous.