Whole Life Times: The Gift Nobody Wants To Give

December 2005 | Editor’s Note

The Gift Nobody Wants To Give

We are a schizophrenic nation and at no time—not even Election Day—do our symptoms manifest more outrageously than during the winter holidays. We love the festivity; we hate the fuss. We love the feeling of connection and family; we’re lonely and depressed. We enjoy receiving gifts, and although we take pleasure in giving them as well, we dread shopping and post office lines and credit card bills. I mean seriously: Do you know anyone who says, Yippee, I can’t wait to go Christmas shopping?

Last year I wanted to give my more grownup nieces and nephews something earth-friendly, so I ordered them each a gift I knew I would find useful, hoping they would too… and got an extra for myself. Eleven months later, after my discrete queries and their diplomatic answers, I have a sneaking feeling I may be the only one using the gift in question. It’s a drying tree for plastic bags, so that you don’t have to drape the rinsed bags you’re planning to re-use all over the kitchen. Okay, okay, so it’s not a bauble from Tiffany’s, but it’s a handy item! Tiffany’s isn’t in my budget anyway—certainly not for nine nieces and nephews. I haven’t decided what to get them this year, so if you have an earth-friendly suggestion, I’d welcome it.

Ahmed Khatib’s family knows about giving. The Khatibs have been living in a Palestinian refugee camp, in an area known for anti-Israeli extremists. Last month, 12-year old Ahmed was playing with a plastic gun when he was mistaken for an armed militant. Israeli soldiers fired and the boy didn’t survive.

As a gesture towards peace, and in tribute to a family member who died at 24 while awaiting a liver transplant, the Khatib family donated Ahmed’s organs—to Israelis. Six Israelis, including several children, received the boy’s lungs, heart, liver and kidneys. Ahmed’s parents hope that by sharing parts of him, their son will help to stop the kind of violence that took his life. They reason that having become one with the Israelis in this way, people on both sides will think twice before killing one of their own.

What an amazing gift—to offer the vital organs of your slain child to the enemy who killed him, in the name of peace. No parent ever wants to have to make a decision like this. Where does one find the spiritual strength to take such action? What greater gift is there to give than the gift of life?

If you are fortunate enough not to have to consider such a costly gift, but long to give something meaningful, something you can’t find in a store or catalogue, check out this issue’s expanded “Get Active” section. There are plenty of people and causes in this city that could use extra help over the holidays. If you’ve never done it, you’re in for a treat; it’s immensely gratifying to fill a need and brighten up a stranger’s day—almost an endorphin high.

Here’s someone whose day just got brightened by a settlement from the FBI—activist Josh Connole, whom we featured in an April, 2004 story, “Code Red.” Josh was arrested last year after Earth Liberation Front eco-terrorists vandalized over 100 Hummers and SUVs at San Gabriel Valley auto dealerships. His home was searched, his housemates harassed and his reputation tarnished. The reason? He was an activist living with a group of environmentalists. That’s it? That’s it.

Ultimately, someone else was charged in the case, and the city of West Covina paid him $20,000 for arresting him in error. But it was only last month that the grassroots effort to raise money for his legal fees paid off and the FBI agreed to fork over $100,000. I like to think our story helped.

More good news: Many of us sent protests against proposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Ultimately, 22 Republicans in the House of Representatives responded to the deluge of pleas and joined Democratic environmentalists in agreeing to vote against the final budget now being put together if it includes sacrificing our greatest wildlife refuge.

See? We do make a difference! Look what we did on Election Day!

This has been an exciting year of growth for progressive ideas and for WLT, and we’re grateful to have shared it with you. We wish you a deeply joyful holiday season.

From my heart,
Abigail Lewis

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