FIONA MACLEOD

Dear Friends, a quick word to let you know that soon in September I will be putting my storytelling activities on this site : so if you want to know at last what I do, and where and when .. call back in.

I also want to keep you up to date about Vietnam : I have just heard about the terrible natural catastrophes of flooding in the Centre of Vietnam, with 40 people drowned as� of 8th August� and many left homeless. Our social workers on the spot are taking food and blankets to the victims. As we have done before, (because alas as in� Bangladesh and India these catastrophes, due to very difficult climatic conditions, happen frequently) � we will be rebuilding the schools and helping the villagers to reconstruct their homes. If any of you would like to send a donation to plum village please go through their web site : www.plumvillage.org� and specify that your help is for the victims of the recent floodings. thank you for your generosity. It is only a small drop of water in an ocean of suffering but you know the story of the starfish and the old woman ? If not, here it is :

A huge tidal wave had left thousands of star fish stranded on a large beach. They were slowly dying. An old woman came by and immediately but slowly started to carry one starfish at a time down to the now far away ocean. She placed the little starfish in the sea then turned round and went back for another fish. A young man happened to come along and intrigued he watched her for a few minutes. “Old woman,” he said, “what you are doing is hopeless. There are thousands of starfish stranded, you can never save all of them. What difference does� your action� make to their fate ?”� “Young man” she replied as she� slipped one more starfish into the sea. “� It makes� a whole world of� difference to� THIS starfish.”

Remembering the gratitude I experienced in Vietnam� in these rural villages� last winter, I can imagine how thankful� the villagers are for every� bowl of food and every article of clothing received.