Generosity - of the toothbrush

Like many people, I find that the time over Christmas and New Year can be difficult.  For a myriad of reasons this year was particularly difficult for me; but I'm not going to dwell on that here.  I want to share one of the enormous small positives which kept me afloat. 

After watching the Blue Planet programmes I felt moved to try harder to lessen my harmful impact on our precious earth, and I bought my self a bamboo toothbrush. 
It's not often that my mind stops still and one idea that passed through it was concerned with 'doing something different'.  I forget who it was now who said that the surest way to madness is to go on doing the same old things again and again. (or words to that effect)

So, an idea came to me that this Christmas I would do something different, I would be generous and give all the singers in my three Sing for Joy! singing groups a present.- a bamboo toothbrush, in the hope that one or two would feel inclined to change their own plastic habit, and so help me change the world.

The easiest thing would have been to buy online but I was particularly pleased to be able to 'shop local' and I ordered 100 toothbrushes through my local health food shop!  They were thrilled with me. 

As I bought, distributed and continue to talk about this very simple action the 'ripple effect' has been amazing and has been a vivid and concrete example of so many of my core beliefs;  (all of which get lost when a depression floods in). 

Perhaps Stephen Fry is the most famous person to say that he wouldn't be without his dark side, and I too know that mine is part of what makes me who I am.  But now each morning and evening as I clean my teeth I feel gratitude towards the bamboo toothbrush which helped me to discover the hidden gift of generosity.  May your 2018 be full of generosity. 

with love
Teresa x

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