San Ramon, California

We hear about the people left homeless after the Gujarat earthquake of January '01, and we see pictures of destitute people eking out a meager existence in city slums and backcountry hovels. We know Amma is rebuilding villages, and giving homes. We know about Her pensions for widows, Her orphanage, Her hospitals...and more. Then we ask ourselves:

What can I do to help?

Everyone can probably do something; but sometimes it takes imagination to figure out what your unique way to help might be.

Consider the women who brought Mother bottles of organic lavender essential oil and organic lavender mist during darshan Tuesday morning. They brought these not for Her to put on (don't mess with Mother Nature: that special rose fragrance we all associate with Amma mustn't be tampered with!). No-they brought them for Her to bless, because sales of these products were their way to support Her charitable activities.

At Bravura Farms, these women are using sustainable organic farming methods to produce these products. They bottle them with Amma's logo-the soft round shape of a mother cuddling a child-and then sell them, giving the income to Mother's charities.

Mother paged through the album they offered Her - photos of their farm, and of fields of flowering plants. You got the feeling She was blessing more than what was in the bottles as Her gaze caressed photos: you sensed Her blessings flowing to the generous earth and the generous women.

You don't have to write a check to help build a house or educate a child or heal a patient. You can get creative!