Saturday, August 26, 2017

The #WATWB August Edition: On Hope & the Worthiness of the Effort It Takes


Photo by Berlian Khatulistiwa (Unsplash). Typography by Guilie Castillo.
It's been a hard couple of months, and it hasn't been easy to focus on the positive. Last month, in fact, I found it impossible (one of our dogs died). And then the drama with North Korea started. The situation in Venezuela got much, much worse (Curaçao is like 75 km off the VEN coast)—including a threat of military action from the US and, just yesterday, new financial sanctions. And then there's that spate of white supremacist rallies and demonstrations wreaking havoc in the US.

Is it any wonder that I'm still struggling to find the light? Maybe not. But I have a choice, don't I? I can allow myself to sink into the darkness, to lose the fragile hold I have on hope, to give in to despair. Or... I can make an effort. Grasp that hope tighter. Feed my strength with the superfood of finding the good in the world.

Which is why the We Are The World blogfest, a monthly event that seeks to spotlight the good stories, the positive outcomes, the reasons for hope, is all the more important. And important, too, that I—that all of us—make the effort to find those stories.

Those outcomes.

Those reasons.

Even if it's something small, something tiny and apparently insignificant compared to the enormity of everything else. Every bit of hope helps. Every bit of feel-good we're able to muster, even if only for a moment, pushes the darkness back. And, inch by inch, we'll gain ground. Because, finally, this is about keeping alive not just the ideals but the reality of the world we want: a world of light, and of hope.


And it starts with us. Be the light you want to see in the world, right? In order to be any kind of light, though, we need to keep that spark alive in our own consciousness.


The Charlottesville incident, and all its horrible aftermath, left me reeling. Which is why, when I came across a list of all the Confederate monuments that were either removed or scheduled to be removed (including one whose removal was paid for by the United Daughters of the Confederacy!), many immediately following Charlottesville, I felt my faith in humanity start getting pieced back together. This isn't about "erasing" history or "revising" events; most of these statues won't be destroyed but simply rehomed to more appropriate locations. Giving a place of honor—on government property, in a town square, etc.—to a monument commemorating treasonous, to say nothing of racist, personages is such a blatant no-no that I can't imagine how these statues survived so long. (Actually, I can, but that's a subject for another time.)

Anyway. They're being taken down. Reason prevails.

On a lighter note, one of our rescue dogs here in Curaçao went viral last month! Okay, "viral" may be something of an exaggeration, but Jules—that's the name of the dog—got his story covered by three European newspapers and several videos on YouTube. This is fabulous for two reasons: first, because it spotlights the work of rescuers here, and given that a large percentage of these rescues are adopted in Europe (not enough homes here, or enough people who care), that spotlight means more potential adopter families can be reached—and thus more Curaçao rescue dogs can find a first-world forever home!

The second reason, though, is just as important. The spotlight also falls on the organization that did the rescue (and fostering, and healing), Rescue Paws Curaçao. They're relatively new, and I'm very happy to see them getting attention (and, hopefully, more donations to help them help more dogs). They do fantastic work, as you can see for yourself in the video. Jules was in really bad shape, and they managed to capture his transformation—not just physical but emotional—in brilliant, heartwarming detail.



(If you watch the video on YouTube, you'll be able to read his whole story in the description.)

So Jules became famous. He was featured in several Dutch newspapers as well as the Irish News and on The Independent's (UK) Facebook page. Hopefully all this attention will help him get a forever home.

More than that, however, Jules's story—and that of all the countless little ones like him, who've made a comeback from the brink of death and starvation and have found the strength to live, to trust, to love—is, for me, the best proof that hope is worth all the effort it may cost us to connect with it.

To close, and because nothing—nothing—beats darkness like laughter...

See more funny vet signs at Inspiremore.com

Thank you so, so much for reading. If all, or even some, of the above managed to make you feel better about the state of the world today, please do hop over to visit the other We Are The World participants for amazing and uplifting stories galore. Who knows, you might even have something amazing and uplifting to share yourself, in which case please join in the blog-hoppin' fun! You can add your linky below, and check out the #WATWB guidelines here. Thanks also to awesome hop hosts Damyanti Biswas and Belinda Witzenhausen, and to this month's co-hosts: Simon FalkInderpreet UppalLynn HallbrooksEric Lahtiand Mary J Giese. Hurrah, y'all, for your efforts in spreading the light! 







23 comments :

  1. First, I am sorry about the loss of your dog. Each of my dogs are precious to me.

    Much bad news in the world, I console myself in that at least it is in the light of day and not hidden in the shadows. At heart, I am an optimist. I think this generation has to rise and reject the message of hate groups. It is my battle. But it is the battle of the people much younger than me. Each generation has to define itself.

    Take care Guilie. With love Ann

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    1. "Each generation has to define itself" — never truer words, Ann. Yours did a fabulous job in so many respects, and has kept the light of love and diversity shining for decades (witness the counter-protests this weekend in SF and Berkeley). And I do get a sense of coming-togetherness, somehow; having such a clear and present enemy rise up its ugly head has given us a common cause, and I'm so, so proud of everyone doing something—anything—to keep the fight going. But... well, the jury is still out. We'll have to wait and see if this generation proves worthy of the responsibility they've been given.

      Thank you so much for your condolences. Losing our little one was such a hard, hard thing that I haven't been able to write about it yet. But I will. She deserves to be remembered in light :)

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  3. Hi Guilie - So sorry about losing one of your beloved dogs, but this is a wonderful story of Jules ... and I'm so pleased he's been rescued and can have some love in his life. There is hope and light out there ... thankfully we can find it ourselves as you have done here ... helping others, helps ourselves ... let there be light - cheers Hilary

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    1. Thank you, Hilary! Indeed, Jules's story really does redeem much of what's wrong with the world, at least for me. Let there be light, indeed!

      Thanks for coming by :)

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  4. I love the Desmond Tutu quote Guilie - despite all the darkness, the light is there! Amazingly wonderful about Jules getting all that well deserved attention and good on Paws Rescue continuing to place dogs in loving homes. Keep on with the super food of finding good in the world!

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    1. Thank you, Susan! Yes, I thought of you when I chose the quote, actually... I figured you'd be familiar with him :)

      Thanks so much for the visit!

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  5. My son has been saying pretty much his whole life that he wants to have a "puppy farm" when he grows up. Dogs are best.

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    1. They really are, Andrew. The absolute best. (As is your son ;) )

      Thanks for coming by!

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  6. My heart goes out to you on the loss of your pup, ours is an old gal and I know it won't be much longer but we enjoy what we can. I'm so glad Jules's story is reaching so many, let's hope this starts a trend. :) It is so easy to get overwhelmed by the bad news, it's now in our faces 24/7, one of the downfalls of our current technology. On the flip side the same technology can bring us the positive stories from all corners of the globe, they are there, sometimes we just have to make a conscious effort to focus on those. Thanks so much for sharing this and being part of #WATWB! :)

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    1. Thank you, Belinda. Indeed, technology—like everything—has a flip side. It's up to us to find the good :)

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  7. Sorry to read about the loss of your dog. Your words are radiating hope and positive vibes. Thanks for sharing the story of Jules. Happy to connect with for #WATWB !!!

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind words, Vasantha :) Super happy to connect with you, too!

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  8. I've been "wringing my hands" over poor Venezuela for a long time. I can't imagine what the people are suffering under that regime. North Korea is angling for more $$$. They've gotten it from previous administrations, but I'm guessing not from this one. Fasten your seat belts, folks, and remember Dr. Strangelove.

    So sorry about your losing your pet. That's never easy and since I've gone through it so many times, I can offer sympathy with a large dose of understanding.

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    1. A decade and a half ago, when I first arrived to Curaçao, Venezuela was already suffering. Since then, it's only become worse. But now it's reached a breaking point, and I'm afraid the consequences will be far-reaching for us all. Thanks for your kind words, Lee.

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  9. For someone struggling to see the light, Guilie, you soon found some to share. Thanks for sharing and the way you have really embraced WATWB :) Simon’s Still Stanza #WATWB

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    1. Simon, you are too kind :) Thank you so much for coming by!

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  10. Your post encompasses exactly how I feel in many ways. There will always be something that promotes hatred, dissention, and darkness in this world. Our choice is to look deeper for the tiny spark of light and fan it into a flame. It doesn't mean we make ourselves ignorant to strife, but it reminds us that there is always some balance, somewhere, if we choose to look for it.

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    1. Exactly, Lynda! It's not about ignoring the bad, trying to block the sun with a finger (common saying in Mexico), but about finding balance. Love how you said it. Thanks so much for the visit!

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  11. Love the quote by Desmond Tutu (one of the few authoritative and independent public voices of reason that stands out amidst the infestation of bullying, bribery and corruption...but I'm not going there because I'm an optimist and this bloghop is all about positivity and light!)

    Thank you for sharing this heart-warming story, Guilie!
    I'm so sorry to read about the loss of your pup... UBUNTU HUGS to you!

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    1. Ah, I *knew* you'd like the quote, Mish :) He's a great, great man, a true beacon of goodness and strength. Thank you for your kind words—and Ubuntu hugs right back at you!

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  12. Guilie, I am sorry for your loss yet so happy that you found your way through your darkness and became light to others. Thank you for sharing your and Jules story and for being a part of #WATWB

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  13. Sorry for the loss of your dog, Guilie.

    Jules' transformation is absolutely heartwarming! Thank you for sharing it.

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