KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – Well, this Saturday it is my birthday again, and you readers of the Nova Scotia Advocate know that on that day I often write about birthdays and poverty.
I was thinking of all the things poor people are missing out on.
Something we all used to enjoy as kids and teens on our birthdays in the summer was having a good size scoop of ice cream with our cake.
Recently I walked by an ice cream stand near Spring Garden Road. They wanted $4.50 for a single scoop and $6.50 for a double scoop. It reminded me of getting scoops of ice cream quite a bit cheaper when we were kids.
“Hmm, whether paying $4.50 or $6.50, a person living in poverty is more likely to use that money toward that bit of extra food on their table at home,” I thought.
The point I am trying to make here is the fact that your birthday should be a fun and special for you regardless of your financial situation.
Of course there are obstacles to happiness even bigger than money.
Recently I came across this image online.
Anyway, I was looking at this image and I was thinking that it would be a really great birthday gift for a person living in poverty who lives with mental health issues to get rid of those feelings.
Just like any holiday birthdays are supposed to be a time to live a little.
Wouldn’t it be nice on your birthday to feel like you are having fun and enjoying yourself?
Of course achieving this is never as easy as waving a magic wand and making the problems go away.
So I say, getting rid of the stigma, social anxiety and depression would make the greatest birthday gift ever.
Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.
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