Elizabeth Garcia-Gray's Blog

YOUR COMPASSIONATE NATURE

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:55 GMT

This past year has been a year of consolidation, hibernation,
and replenishing, with many pockets of joy, after having been
in Chad and Uganda. The joyful part has to do with giving birth
to a coffee table book entitled YOUR COMPASSIONATE NATURE.
Even now, I am amazed at how this book came to be. It was
not the book that I planned as my first-born. Yet, there it is.
And it is starting to have a life of its own. Destiny rules.

The profits of the book will be used to buy water purifiers for
Uganda. Last year, with an incredible team of people who
deeply understand the significance of clean water for life,
we set up the first McGuire water purifier in Mubende, Uganda.
On July 8-11, 2008, there will be an international conference
called Healthy & Safe Water for the World in Uganda, organized
by the Rural Health Care Foundation in Mubende. Dr. Dickson
Ssenoga is the executive medical director of RHFC. We hope to bring
another water purifier that can help a community reduce deaths
from waterborne illnesses this coming July. It would be a privilege
to do so.

The videos of setting up the water purifiers in Uganda
and medical missions working with AIDS patients are in Youtube.com.
Then type in MUBENDE.
The videos were kindly created by my sister Marissa Garcia, a dedicated
uplifter of UWEC (Ugandan Women for Empowerment through Crafts)
and AAWI (African Arts by Women Initiative).

If you are interested in the newly released book
YOUR COMPASSIONATE NATURE, please check out
my website: Http://www.GARCIAGRAY.com .
This will lead you to the place where you can order the book
if you so desire. You can click under "Books" then click
on the hyperlink of "Your Compassionate Nature".

YOUR COMPASSIONATE NATURE is filled with my photographs
of serene and tranquil nature i.e. ( sunsets, waterfall, flowers, beaches )
around the world while doing medical missions and disaster relief
work. I also included places that gave me much peace during decompression
times from missions. The book is about how to recognize compassion
in others and in one's self. And how to find a sacred place of inner peace
in our minds in spite of disasters, tragedies and/or losses through
the peacefulness and beauty of nature. It is about the awareness
that "Compassion is Love's passion". This book is my gift to the world.

May compassion and love fill your lives always.

N'Djamena, CHAD - and the SUDAN crisis: Part 1

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:54 GMT

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injustice, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is dark, light; where there is sadness, joy."

~ St. Francis of Assissi, 1181 - 1226 ~

Going with the flow was like a roller coaster ride in deciding to go to Chad. I could not bear to visualize dying children in mothers' arms, women getting raped, more people getting tortured and killed. How can anyone even doubt that this is genocide? The Sudan crisis has now expanded into Chad and the Central African Republic. Most of the world is still just watching. Many are still unaware. And sadly, many are in heavy denial of what is happening because it has not reached their private backyards. During the last couple of weeks prior to December 23, 2006, I felt compelled to be in Chad to serve the refugees and give some relief to colleagues and other humanitarian workers in whatever way during the holidays. Whatever small service I can do. There are brothers and sisters out there who are suffering. This is a soul thing. My personal gift to my loved ones for Christmas.

The logistics changed not only daily but almost hourly. No plans can surely be made. Miraculously, I actually got my visa on time and my Thuraya satellite phone a day before departure. Concentratedly immersing in the many articles and news about the Sudan crisis and the potentially explosive scenario in the refugee camps in Chad strengthened my decision to go. I also got back-up coverage at work in such a short period of time. I spoke with my family, my children, and they understood. Several family members do mission work. They may not have liked it because of obvious safety risks, but they understood. Following what seems to be the right thing to do has always been good for my spirit.

The flight journey from Louisville to Cincinnatti to Paris to N'Djamena was seamless and generally smooth. I thought about the refugees. The wish to hug them. The humanitarian workers who are most probably already beyond Compassion Fatigue and secondary stress. Finally , I arrived in N'Djamena almost close to midnight. The Aeroport International N'Djamena was somewhat old and run-down and represented the difficult infrastructure of Chad. Whatever I remember of French and Arabic words started to gush in my mind. I focused auditorily at the languages being spoken all around me almost to a dizzying level. And yet, something felt familiar. There were men who looked like soldiers and men who were wearing their long flowing Arabic garbs. It was hard to see at night and it was very disorienting. Someone called out my name and then handed me a piece of paper saying that my baggage was delayed. Okay, then.

I dragged my hand-carry luggage outside of the airport, and looked for a cab. There were no women out there, only men. They probably were wondering what in the world a woman was doing out there in the middle of the night. Especially in a country where the humanitarian workers like those from UNHCR and IRC were being evacuated because of heightened security problems. A country where culturally women are generally seen and treated as secondary citizens. Some humanitarian workers have been robbed, assaulted and there were reports that some were killed. At that time, I was too tired to be fearful. In my understanding, a situation like that was an opportunity to serve. Having done disaster work and global medical missions, knowing some rusty conversational French and Arabic, familiarity with the culture for having worked closely with the Sudanese and other African refugees in my community, and years of experience in ASD and PTSD work allowed me no excuses but to go.

A man tried to help me with my baggage and redirected me towards several cab drivers. That I felt a bit uncomfortable especially when they started talking at the same time and were haggling as to who would drive me to my hotel, was an understatement. I took a deep breath, decided to maintain my composure and built up confidence to look at their eyes directly, and spoke some French-Arabic with two of them. One of them smiled when he heard Arabic and French words from me so I decided to trust and go with that cab driver. Je parle un peu francais. Parlez vous anglais? Je ne sais pas. Vous etes bien aimable. Mar-haba. Kif halak? Shok-ran. Menfadlak...S'il vous plait, monsieur, Hotel Le Meridien Chiari. Merci.

Remember CHAD

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:53 GMT

~ Compassion is Love's passion ~

To remember is to delicately preserve the memory of someone or a situation in our minds. The act of remembering is a precious tribute to the lives of the people we are remembering. An honorable homage to those who have touched our lives in profound ways.

The people in Sudan are still suffering tremendously. The unimaginable genocide that is happening there has aroused the international community to make stands against the Sudanese government. Diplomacy and tough love from other countries presently seem to no avail. Dedicated humanitarian activists like Gabriel Stauring of StopGenocideNow.org recently made peaceful demonstrations against genocide. The chaos in Sudan is now insidiously seeping into CHAD and CAR (Central Africa Republic). The refugees and humanitarian workers in the camps are now left even more vulnerable as the rescue organizations are not able to provide adequate security because of unfathomably dangerous, inordinate risks.

Now a colleague who works with the International Rescue Committee and had worked with MSF, is in the midst of all this havoc in CHAD. As the last vehicles from UNHCR left the refugee camp in Oure Cassoni, I can only imagine how it must be for this spirited and honorable physician to take on the responsibility of health care for 26,000 refugees. Each day, he lives with the uncertainties of potential violence towards him, the refugees and the other humanitarian workers. His soul cries out to the world for us to remember CHAD. For us not to look away. For us not to abandon them. Here is Dr. Ashis Brahma's weblog: Http://www.bahaibeach.blogspot.com.

My heart aches for him, the refugees and all the workers there who are now in a precarious predicament. For now, advocacy is most important. I promised him that I will spread the word to remember CHAD. For to remember CHAD, is to remember Sudan, CAR, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Uganda and all the other places in this world with refugees and evacuees who suffered from and still suffer the devastation of man-made and natural disasters.

To remember CHAD is to remember those who have been traumatized, tortured, abandoned, oppressed. To remember CHAD is to remember those who are dying, who are ill, and who were killed. To remember CHAD is to remember the kindest depths of our souls, our ability to love with utmost compassion and to remember the people who are one with us in spirit. To remember CHAD is to remember those who have been forgotten and can easily be forgotten if we turn a blind eye. I remember CHAD. Let us all make a stand. Spread the message. Remember CHAD.

Our hero within

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:52 GMT

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in yourself perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battles. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours." ~ Ayn Rand ~

Who is our hero? What is our hero? Where can we find our hero? During times of fear, uncertainty and doubt, we sometimes retreat. Moreso, when people are relying on us to be their hero to save them from circumstances that may be beyond everyone's control. Where the spirit rises and soars, at times, the emotions resist. And we dialogue internally with our own sense of courage. To deal with devastations, fears may sometimes have to be denied. Subdued. Ignored. In my first book "The Courage to Encourage", the very first line "Courage is borne out of the greatest of fears" addresses how the hero within us blossoms and grows from overcoming what seems to be our most daunting experiences. Heroes are born not because they have no fear, but as Mark Twain said, they act in spite of fear. Many times, these actions come from giving the most precious love anyone can ever give anybody - to lay down our life for others, if we have to.

Heroes come in many ways. There are unsung heroes, our families, who have unconditiionally been there for us through thick or thin. Some of them have sacrificed their lives for us on an going basis, just to ensure our growth and well-being. There are teachers who dedicated their lives to educate our minds to hopefully use our knowldge for the good of mankind. There are heroes who overcome what seem to be impossible to overcome, for instance, those with severe developmental disabilities, refractory mental illness, and severe physical disabilities. Their lives become a heroic inspiration to us all. There are those who truly go in the line of fire and risk their lives so others would live. Many soldiers, firefighters, police officers, first responders, humanitarian relief workers unselfishly risk their lives for the sake of others.

We need to keep in mind, however, that who may seem heroic to us, may well be villainous to others. For us, our soldiers may be heroic, yet for the families of the people they killed in war, they become the villains. And many times, what we may think are heroic acts, are seen as enabling actions that injure others more. Discernment and balance are important when trying to help, save or rescue others.

Our courage is nestled in the hero within us. Heroes appear to be in tune with the synchronicity and oneness of people in our world. To save or rescue someone, is to save ourselves. Heroes do not see themselves as heroes. They see themselves as messengers. They struggle with their fears and come out of their inner battles with more profound understanding of their life purposes. They radiate light in the midst of darkness and chaos. They emanate the essence of what Gilbert K. Chesterton said about "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.
Let's be kind to ourselves and take care of our hero within. The hero in you will forever be the hero in me. We are all each other's heroes.

Making Good Things Happen: OMIDYAR.NET

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:51 GMT

"I expect to pass through this life but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again." ~ William Penn, 1644 - 1718

OMIDYAR.NET is a humanitarian global online community based on the belief that one person can make a difference in this world. And their mission is to enhance that more and more people have the power to make good things happen.

As a new member of this innovative and creative social experiment, I have discovered kindred spirits collaborating to uplift causes to help mankind: i.e. anti-genocide, world peace, world water crisis and tackling the waterborne diarrheal illnesses (3 million deaths yearly from WDI), counter-human trafficking, mental health awareness, grassroots, children and elderly issues, global connectivity, to name a few. People from all walks of life, various creeds, races, cultures, socio-economic groups merge into one global community. The site is based on respect, trust and giving feedback to each other.

The founders of Omidyar.Net are also the founders of e-bay. Pierre and Pam Omidyar believe that if more than 150 million people are able to trust each other through the feedback mechanism in e-bay, then perhaps this same concept can facilitate the same trustworthy collaborations regarding altruistic and humanitarian endeavors.

Omidyar.net is very much like a global think-action tank. A place where ideas for the good of one or many are incubated. A place where people teach what they know and then learn from one another's expertise. It is a place where one encounters many social entrepeneurs, professionals (physicians, lawyers, teachers, artists, social workers) the wealthy and the poor, information technologists, media experts, writers and authors, CEOs and founders of NPOs, and the list goes on - all, interacting to brainstorm ideas born from compassion and a desire to be of service to the world.

I am thankful for this site and the bigheartedness of the founders and members.

Come and join us to make good things happen in this world at Http://www.Omidyar.Net/home

What is LOVE to you?

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:50 GMT

"My bounty is as boundless as the sea
My love as deep, the more I give to thee
The more I have, for both are infinite."

~ William Shakespeare ~

Love is...hearing the gentle cry of my children the moment they were born. Celestial music to my ears. The first time they laid their little heads in my maternal embrace. The dreams. The hopes, the tenderness, the joy, the laughter. Love is also in disillusions, the broken dreams, the sorrow and tears. No matter what, it is always there. Like an eternal lullaby. An eternal flame. An eternal hope.

Love is...the golden stream that sweetly flows through family and friends. It grows when extended to our brothers and sisters throughout the world. It is about sharing and giving and learning and teaching. About rising from situations where love may not exist; only to discover that it is the catapult that makes us soar when we think we can't.

Love is...indefinable. It can only be felt. Deeply. In the recesses of our hearts and souls. Lightly. In the soft smiles and intimate wonder of the natural beauty of the world. It can be the source that comes from many showered upon one. Or it can come from the heart of one giving their all to the universe.

Love is...a healer and a breaker of boundaries. It sometimes stings like a booster to protect us from oblivion. It is a reason, a cause, a mission, a loss. It is in songs written and songs yet to be sung. It is an ocean and a dewdrop. An orchid and a rainforest. It is that look. It is that touch. It is that wondrous shooting star of our spirits.

Love is...everything that has meaning and all that seems to not have any. It is just there. It is a higher force. An everywhere power. A mystery. Beyond our human comprehension. And yet, so human. It is in courage, kindness and compassion. It is in risking and uplifting another's well-being. Unforgettable. Unconditional.

Love is...everything we are and are not.
Love is...you and me.
Love is...all of us.

Love is...all.

What is LOVE to you?

The Smart Woman: A tribute to my grandmothers

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:48 GMT

The Smart Woman:

One who chooses courage in spite of fears;
One who chooses forgiveness when it is easy to judge;
One who chooses peace in the midst of chaos;
One who chooses joy when sorrow can easily prevail;
One who chooses gratitude in the face of adversity;
One who chooses to be human when it is easy not to be;
One who chooses acceptance when intolerance abounds;
One who chooses to give when taking feels instinctive;
One who chooses to learn knowing life is a mystery;
One who chooses humility when the self is hard to tame;
One who chooses laughter when self-pity takes its toll;
One who chooses Love, sees Love, gives Love, feels Love
in all and for all. One who loves her maximum.

~ Elizabeth A. Garcia-Gray MD

*** To my grandmothers: a tribute to the smartest women I know. I send you both my love up there in heaven.

On Children and Parents

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:47 GMT

Kahlil Gibran, the well-loved philosopher and writer
from Lebanon and author of The Prophet, said it well:
That "our children are the sons and daughters of
Life's longing for itself." They are not our possessions
and we do not own them. They have their own thoughts.
We can only love them.

In the present scuttle-buttle of life, parents
are forced to juggle work, caring for their own
parents and other family members, and raising their
children. Many times, working parents may feel guilty
about not being able to parent the way they want to
because their household requires two incomes to survive.
On the other hand, mothers or fathers who stay at home
to care for their children also feel guilty for feeling
some resentments about what they feel are personal
sacrifices for having tossed aside their own career dreams.
Then there are those parents who accept the
choices they made in terms of either staying at home or
being part of the workforce who feel at peace with
themselves. Some alternate between feeling guilty and
peaceful about their choices.

Our children are the biggest miracles of our lives.
They love us with inherent innocence.
Their lives teach us to be the the most selfless we can
ever be. They keep us honest, compassionate and humble.
Their joy and sorrow become ours. Their pain, our pain.
And no matter what, with instinctive unconditionality,
we love them. And would risk our lives for them if we had
to. What greater love can we give as parents?

The bond between children and parents surpass the
imagination. Many times it is still there in spite of the
most traumatic circumstances from parental abuse, neglect,
chemical dependency and mental illness. When our children
go astray, become ill, rebel, or end up the midst of chaos,
most of us parents continue to cloak our children with
the best love we know how. Many times, children and parents
have to love each other from afar because of what may
be painful situations.

Our children belong to the Divine Archer who shoots
life forward into the future. As the fruit does not
fall far from the tree, thus, all of us as children
of God do not fall far from the Creator. All children
biological or not, are our children. All parents are our
parents. Both children and parents do not fall far from
the heart of unconditional love.

**I thank my children to the utmost for inspiring me and
teaching me the depth of unconditional love. I thank my parents
for bringing me into a world where love abounds in all
its mysterious forms.

Heart of the Mission - The Katrina

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:46 GMT

"Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's
grief. Do justly now. Live mercy now. Walk humbly
now. You are not obliged to complete the work.
But neither are you free to abandon it."

~ from the Talmud

I remember Katrina. The month of September, 2005.
The ocean of people in the Houston Reliant Arena, the Dome
and the Convention Center. How I ended up there is still a blur.
I was on my second day of vacation in Oregon. The phone call
from Houston about needing help within 24-48 hours was compelling.
I could not turn a blind eye especially after I saw what was
happening to the New Orleans evacuees on the news. But what a
fateful gift to have met so many people whose hearts were bigger
than the homes they lost and the suffering they went through.
To work alongside those whose kindness and compassion will
never be forgotten. Disasters can bring out the worst and the best
in us. The circumstances were the worst. Most of the people were
the best.

I remember a sick, listless, little African- American
baby boy in the arms of his doting grandmother outside the Dome.
The boy's mother had died during the hurricane in New Orleans.
The grandmother was weary and overwhelmed. What else can she do
but do what she can to nurture the baby. She is all he has. But
in her fatigue, she did not realize that the baby was dehydrated
and more ill than she could imagine. He was also feverish and
had diarrhea. Bless his heart. And hers. I requested for her to
please take the baby to the Dome immediately to be checked by
the pediatricians. She did. And she responded quickly after I
told her I was a physician. Another doctor and I were monitoring
some of the evacuees just outside the Dome. They were traumnatized
at the New Orleans Dome and were hesitant to go into the Houston
Dome. We followed up with them shortly. The baby was evaluated and
had to be quarantined.

I remember the look on the grandmother's face while
a volunteer nurse was rocking the baby behind the make-shift
quarantine area. Though the grandmother appeared understandably
concerned and exhausted, she was able to force a smile when
she saw the other doctor and me. Something about her eyes and
the worried yet thankful look on her face got to the heart of me.
She represents many mothers, grandmothers and people who give the
best love they can in the worst of circumstances. She epitomized
those who still give of themselves when it seems they can not give
anymore.

I remember the baby. He resembled many of the sick babies
in Africa who desperately need care. I know this baby got the best
care in the most chaotic situation. He received care from doctors
and nurses who responded and volunteered. From those who did not
look away. Many times, we do truly serve best during worst scenarios.
I don't know if the baby lived. I know that he had a better chance of
being alive after he was seen by specialists. We followed
up with them shortly. In my mind's eye, in my fervent wish, I
visualize him with his eyes wide open, looking robust, healthy and
smiling at his grandmother. I still pray for both of them. They will both
remain in my heart, along with all the evacuees and volunteers who
suffered the effects of the Katrina. I remember their pain. I remember
their fears. I remember their incredible strength of spirit.
May inner peace prevail in their hearts.

Why Do We Volunteer?

Elizabeth Garcia-Gray — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:32:45 GMT

"Not in Vain"

If I can stop one heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one life the aching
Or cool one pain
Or help a fainting robin
Unto his nest again
I shall not live in vain.

~ by Emily Dickinson

There comes a time in our lives when we become cognizant
of the gratitude we feel for everything we are and have become.

"To those much is given, much is expected."

Even though many have suffered disasters, losses, and
tragedies, there are those people - the ones I call "Phoenix Miracle"
people - who rise from their ashes of despair and give hope and light
to others. These are the extraordinary people who face their spiritual
challenges to find meaning and discernment in what they learned
from the uncontrollable vicissitudes of life that rendered them
powerless. They heal, stand up, soar, and take action to spread
"the wisdom to know the difference" to shine their lights on other
souls who may be in need.

People not only volunteer because they went through tragedies
and losses. Many volunteer because they have it in their loving hearts
to serve others. Most of us grew up with spiritual tenets upholding
love of God and others as the principal mandates of goodness.
Volunteerism is a noble avenue to give of one's self. And to give of
our selves is the height of what Love is about.

In volunteerism lies the spirit of altruistc humanity in people.
It is the act of compassion and loving kindness towards others even if
we fall way short of absolute goodness by virtue of being human beings.
To volunteer is to be connected with people in our profundity. And it
is in this connection that we learn to appreciate the significance of
our very existence. To volunteer is to "till our souls", to move our
spirits, to offer our selves, to launch us towards our higher purpose.

To volunteer: To serve. To care. To love.

Volunteerism and Service: Love in action.

(More about volunteerism in my book "THE COURAGE TO ENCOURAGE"
soon to be published. I invite you to my book website:
http://www.GARCIAGRAY.com