Thursday, November 22, 2007

one tiny life

I can't remember the last time I felt so passionately about something, and I really need to write this down. The tragic death of a little girl named Shellay Ward a few weeks ago, and the horrific details that are now emerging about her life, is almost unfathomable. It is tempting to not think about Shellay, to not imagine the filth, the suffering, the despair. But we really must. We really must because we cannot let it happen again. We need to open our eyes to the children around us, love and nurture our own children more, and realise that we as a community can make a difference. I want to stage a day of awareness, a day to embrace the memory of Shellay and tell the world that she will not be forgotten, though it would most definitely be easier to forget, to ignore, her desperate story. I think everyone who wants to shed light on this tiny girl's soul, which saw pretty much only darkness, should gather on a Sunday some time in the near future (maybe January or February) on a beach and bring with them a shell. These shells will form a line, as long as humanly possible, to protect the children who nobody seems able to protect. It will be A LINE IN THE SAND - drawn to say enough is enough. We cannot stand by and let another tiny, sacred life be treated with such appalling contempt. We will nurture and protect all children, and bring back the old philosophy that 'It takes a village to raise a child.' I don't think the day should be about the many negative aspects of Shellay's life, not about blame or punishment because that will come in other arenas. It should be a way of shedding light on her tiny life. She deserves it.
If you can help me with this project in any way, even with ideas, please let me know.