Friday has arrived once again—no complaints here. 
I hope it’s beautiful wherever you are today!
One of my favorite quotes as of late is this, from Sevenly: “Live simply so others can simply live.” Profound but simple–*pun intended*–right?
When I think of “living simply” what first comes to mind is this: I definitely don’t always do it. In fact, more often than not, I don’t. I buy things that cost more than I think they should but I want them anyway. I buy expensive groceries and sometimes the veggies die in my crisper drawer. It makes me cringe to throw them out, but I do it anyway. I purchase the must-have blush in the trendy packaging at Sephora because the lighting made my cheekbones look like Giselle’s and well, that was reason enough at the time.
My intent is not to say we can’t buy things we can afford and enjoy those things. For me personally, I just want to start making my purchases with more thought and purpose—and buying fair trade is a fantastic place to start. My trip to Thailand was the experience of a lifetime. But I was also left with an uneasiness that grew with each lovely hotel we checked into. Because more often than not, we would step outside of that confortable hotel into disconcerting scenes of poverty. I would be reminded that we were in a third-world country, not our own personal vacation paradise. And when a skinny young girl wrapped her arms around me asking me to buy one of her colorful lei necklaces, I said yes instantly. I didn’t need a lei necklace, but I needed that beautiful little-girl smile. In Thailand, the sex trade is flourishing, and I saw girls as young as 14 dressed in provactive outfits and fake eyelashes greeting tourists at the airport, ready to provide whatever was needed to support their families. To be honest, I wanted to pack my new little friend and her leis in my suitcase. I realize that might sound naive and perhaps condescending. I know I don’t know how to change the world and fix the hunger, poverty and misery that invade so many lives in so many countries. I just know I want to try.
My hope is that with each passing day, I grow more committed to the cause of living my own life with intention, so that my sisters and brothers around the world can do the same with theirs. So that they can do the same without worrying about where their next meal will come from or whether the water they are drinking is making them weaker instead of stronger.
Join me?
XO,
Casey
