My daughter told the family about a little 7 year old girl whose family was killed in a fire—she survived because her dad cradled her in his arms so that she would not breathe the fumes that killed him.
The fire was two years ago. Fifty surgeries later she shows pluck and a love of life—this year for Christmas she hopes for Christmas cards. 100 of them. Christmas cards from around the world.
Want to be a part of her Christmas? Here is her address, you can send a card!
Safyre
P.O. Box 6126
Schenectady, NY 12306
Because this blog is about healing through MS, I wondered: what is the healing power of compassion?
Here is what I found out (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/project-compassion-stanford/the-healing-power-of-kindness_b_6136272.html):
A large scientific literature review conducted at Stamford University shows that there is growing evidence to show that kindness has the power to heal. It has a statistically significant impact on Physical Health!
For example, we know that taking an aspirin lowers the risk of a heart attack. Did you know that an act of kindness lowers the risk of a heart attack More than taking an aspirin?
I don’t imagine that any person who reads my blog needs an excuse to send Safyre a Christmas card, but I think we can all enjoy this fact—daily acts of kindness can be on our list of healthy activities, like rowing, walking, eating green vegetables!
This review only looked at the recipients of kindness. We are givers of kindness. What is the result in our own lives?
An article by Cigna Health Insurance says the results of kindness—on the doer—include improved physical as well as psychological health (http://apps.cignabehavioral.com/web/basicsite/bulletinBoard/effectsOfHumanKindness.jsp).
I think of it as creating a healing place in ourselves. Carolyn Myss, the medical intuitive, wrote a book about this:
The Creation of health : the emotional, psychological, and spiritual responses that promote health and healing (Caroline Myss and C. Norman Shealy).
There is extensive literature on the healing power of de-stressing, of the disease provoking power of stressing. Yoga is one physical method of letting stress go, breathing—deeply—is one, changing our lifestyle so that we aren’t in situations that awaken the fight or flight response is another.
The book by Myss explores another way that we experience healing power, that we create the space in our lives that is less stressed—the book says that living from a kindness space in ourselves is associated with healing.
Has anyone had experience with this? I would love to hear about it. I hope you will write, a sentence, a page, anything.
Meanwhile, I am going to shop for a Christmas card for that little girl who inspires so much love around the world, Safre. I hope you get a card too.
Sending you love this season---
Rosalie
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(below is a piece about Safre)
Two years ago, Safyre survived a horrific house fire that killed her entire family including her dad and her three siblings. Safyre managed to survive only because her father cradled her in his arms, shielding her from breathing in hot air. Safyre suffered from burns on 75% percent of her body and has had to undergo over 50 surgeries.
Today, Safyre resides with her aunt Liz and her family. When Liz recently brought home a metal Christmas card holder from a thrift store, Safyre told her that she couldn’t wait to fill it up with cards. According to Buzzfeed, Liz had to tell Safyre, “Honey, that’s probably not gonna happen. We maybe get 10 cards a year, and the card tree holds 100.” But feeling hopeful, Liz decided to post a photo of Safyre next to the tree asking her community to help make Safyre’s wish come true. When their family friend Kevin Clark saw it he asked if he could share it on his Facebook. Clark’s post now has over 33K shares and 44K comments.
Yesterday Liz posted another photo of Safyre on a Facebook account she runs for her alongside the caption, “I really think I am dehydrated from crying so much… This is absolutely amazing, it takes my breath away. We, my family and I have been through so much darkness of this world. Then to see the most powerful BEAUTY of the world. The world coming together to make Safyre’s wish come true is unfathomable.”
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If you want to be a part of Safyre's Christmas, here is her address again---
Safyre, P.O. Box 6126 Schenectady, NY 12306.
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