Make a Difference with Giveback.org

Giving back to others is very important to me. I know that I always try to give back when  I can, I have been the recipient of a good deed. I have also done good deeds for others. I think that giving to charity is really important because unfortunately there are people that don’t have as much as you do. Things that we take for granted like TV, the occasional meal at a fast food restaurant, or more important things like shelter or clean water. There is an awesome site called Giveback.org, where you can start foundations to support the causes of your choice. I was able to put in my zip code and find local charities. Many of them I haven’t heard of. So, if you want to support a local cause you are able to find which ones are in your area. You can choose whatever ones that appeals to you. Maybe you have a cause that is dear to you, and has affected your life you are able to donate. I love this idea. Everyone knows about the main charities, but not always the local ones.

I found out there is an organization for ducks.  Ducks Unlimited stands today as a global force in wetlands and wildlife conservation. DU''s conservation programs have evolved and expanded over the years to address the habitat needs of waterfowl and other wildlife on ever changing landscapes. Today, DU and our many partners utilize space-age technology and cutting-edge research to conserve habitat as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.  I think that is awesome that people are looking out for the ducks. My son and I enjoy the ducks on our pond and we love seeing the baby ducks each year. If it weren’t for Ducks Unlimited the ducks might not be there.

You can find so many charities and causes on Giveback.org I hope you check it out and start your own foundation and donate to those who are in need. All of the charities are tax deductible.

Random Acts of Kindess & Senseless Acts of Beauty

When I was in 7 th grade my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Engledow started a movement in our homeroom. Little did I know, it would still have a huge impact on me to this day. I obviously knew it was great to give to others. My Grandma Rose was the most giving person I knew, but Mrs. Engledow, put a spin on it. This is when I learned about Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty. The idea of Random Acts of Kindness is to do something for someone without them expecting it. It could be anything from a smile and a kind word to something tangible. You didn’t have to know the person, it could just be a stranger or your dearest friend. I wanted to share with you some of my RAK and SAB’s that I have done and received over the years. I am a person who gives whole heartedly and doesn’t expect anything in return, because I know that if I give to someone, someday someone will give to me. It doesn’t have to be the same person but I know that if you help someone in need, then if you are in need then someone will help you. I am not saying I only give to people in need but I do sometimes.

When I was married, it was right after my birthday and my ex and I went to Super Target to get groceries, with the gift card I received for my birthday from one of his family members. We didn’t have much money so we had to be careful and were counting up the amounts. I think all we had at the time was the gift card. We noticed that these women were following us, we thought they were just shopping, didn’t think much of it and they stopped us. They talked to us for a few minutes and then gave us some money. We didn’t know them, it was such a blessing. We needed the help. She said she used to be a struggling single mom and I guess someone helped her once and she wanted to give back. I still remember how grateful we were that someone helped us. We didn’t ask, we just were able to get some help when we needed it.

I had a friend who had a two year old and I noticed that he hardly had any food to eat. One night before I was going over there I took a big box and gathered a bunch of food and took it over there so he would have some food to eat. I didn’t want him to go to bed hungry. I would of much rather been hungry than see a child go without food. I think she thought I was crazy but she accepted the food and I knew for a while he was properly fed.

In 2002, I went to visit my friend Logan and I ended up stranded at the Charlotte Airport because I couldn’t get a hold of my friend Logan and his wife was very pregnant at the time. Scared that she was in labor, and that I would be stuck in Charlotte North Carolina for forever, I started crying. I had been there for 8 hours and been up for a lot longer. Some jerk started yelling at me asking me if I was stupid. I was afraid he was going to attack me, so I started yelling at the top of my lungs, Leave me alone, Leave me alone all I was missing was a safety whistle. So, people would notice. I didn’t want anything to happen and it seemed to make me noticeable. Another man came up to me, as I was yelling leave me alone. He said ok I’m sorry. I said not you; please get him to leave me alone. He did. He asked me what was wrong. I explained the situation and he said he wanted to help me. Before I knew it, he arranged an airport van to drive me the 60 miles to the town where Logan lives. He charged it on his credit card without saying much of a word to me about it. I didn’t even know his name, all I know is he was from New Hampshire. I was so incredibly grateful to that man. Of course the rest of that night was a complete adventure.

So, I challenge you, my friends, to do something nice for someone else. Just out of the blue, just because, without a reason. You could make an impact on someone so profound, it could change their live. The world is a more beautiful place with Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty.

Giving A Little Thanks

One thing I am constantly making sure my son does is say thank you. I still remember the first time he said it. We were walking around the neighborhood going to garage sales and we went to a house with two little old ladies. They loved Noah; they were talking to him while I looked around with him. I purchased some southwest buttons from them, I didn’t not want to buy anything because they were really sweet, so when I paid for them I said thank you and then Noah said Thank you as well. He went through a phase where he would say thank you just to say it, it was new to him and he was just around 18 months at the time. I love that my son has manners most of the time. I occasionally have to remind him to say thank you to me. He is really good about saying it at the store or at a restaurant. I grew up saying thank you and please and excuse me and he is growing up the same way.

I am really sick of people that don’t thank people. I am not just talking about when someone gives you a gift which is a definite thank you time, but more like when someone does something nice. I try and hold the door for people, if I am able to. If someone holds it for me I thank them cheerfully. One day I was at the grocery store and one of the ladies in the self service no limit check out line was taking forever. I am not sure if it was because there was a problem with the machine or what was going on. There were a few people in front of me with a cart full each and they moved to another line. I had maybe 10 items. Right before it was my turn, I turned to one of the people who was in front of me before and said, “Would you like your spot back?” fully aware that they had a full cart. I knew they were there before me and I would be done before them. The guy looked at me like I had 3 heads and mumbled no. I figured it was their turn to go.

I wish people would use more manners. It’s not that hard to thank someone for whatever reason. It doesn’t cost anything and doesn’t take any effort. It could really brighten someone’s day.

E!'s New Show- Bridalplasty- America's New Self Esteem Killer!

I was watching E! tonight, Bruce Almighty was on. It is a great movie. I was watching the commercials and twice they showed an ad about a new show premiering tomorrow called Bridalplasty. The show is about a group of brides that leave their fiancee for four months and they compete and get plastic surgery and the winner gets a dream celebrity wedding. The winner has her new whatever she gets and shows her fiancee when he lifts up the veil. I am not sure if all the brides go under the knife or not. I am sorry but I think that is the dumbest most superficial show that I have ever heard of. I hope to get remarried some day. Who knows what the future might bring but I am telling you what, my future husband will love me for me. He will have to love all my flaws, because they are mine. I am not talking about my inner flaws I am talking about my outer appearance. My freckles, my imperfections that everyone has, after all, no one is perfect, say it with me now, no one is perfect. Everyone knows their flaws, they don’t need someone else pointing them out. I think that it gives people the wrong idea, the impressionable children, people that have self esteem issues. Actually, it is plain sick honestly.

I am ashamed to be in this society, where everyone obsesses over their appearance. Where kids are bullied because they look different, because they aren’t “perfect”, maybe they have a different body type. Some kids’ lives are made a living hell because of those things. It is crap TV like this that encourages bullies to pick on other kids because they are different. Those kids that are being bullied are someone’s daughter or son. There are quite a few adult bullies out there too. Some people call them grown up mean girls or mean boys. Their whole purpose in live is to make someone else feel like crap. It doesn’t end after you leave school. There are 30 and 40 year old women who make fun of people for no reason. They talk about them behind their backs and make them feel horrible. When someone says something hurtful it doesn’t matter if you are 8 years old or 48 years old. It still hurts. Sure, you deal with it in other ways, like ignoring it, but deep down it still hurts the same.

Last night I was watching Pauley Perrette’s YouTube videos, she was talking about bullying and how things get better, they really do. She said that she wore glasses and an eye patch in school and that she was picked on a lot. She said she was never mean to anyone. She is now an amazing actress on NCIS and instead of being spiteful; she is very humble about her life. She doesn’t pretend to put on this glamorous Hollywood lifestyle; she is just herself, very down to Earth.

I am a firm believer that everyone is beautiful. I always look for the good in people. I think to truly love someone is to be able to find them beautiful or handsome inside and out. To embrace their flaws and love them, we are all jigsaw puzzles some of our pieces are different than others but they make up who we are. We need to understand that what is to love is to love the whole person. Not the parts that we want, but each part the same. Learn to accept those flaws and erase them in our minds and hearts. You know, something could happen and someone’s beauty could disappear, but to people who love you, you will always be beautiful in their eyes and heart. God made each of us the way he wanted us to look. He made us all unique and put love and care in to molding us from lumps of clay in to the person we became. I would not want to say something God made was ugly. God does not make ugly things.

Appearance in Disney Movies

I wrote a post a while back about kindness. I have been thinking about kindness again so I went back and read my post I wrote. I said that I have a theory about appearance and I didn’t ever write the post. So, I thought I will now that it is on my mind.
I have noticed something in my 29 years of being on this earth that Disney movies are kind of messed up for a couple reasons. The first reason is appearance is a huge part of it. Let me explain. You have all the beautiful princesses and princes who are all beautiful and handsome. That teaches children that if you are different looking or not beautiful and maybe even plain looking you aren’t as good as someone who is beautiful. The villain is usually ugly, haggard in appearance or fat. That is kind of wrong in my eyes that almost always the villain is ugly and the hero or heroine is beautiful or handsome. It is kind of like well; if someone is different or scary looking they must be bad. I am aware that it is make believe but think about it. It kind of makes sense. It is playing on society’s obsession with outward image.

I know that this theory is flawed in two Disney movies. The first one is Beauty and the Beast. Gaston is an “attractive” man and the villain in the story and the beast is the hero. Ok, but he was put under a spell to teach him kindness and that beauty is found within, Of course he changes back in to a handsome prince. I get that they are teaching that beauty is found within but I don’t really see how they should have made him attractive at the end. Seriously what is wrong with being average or unattractive? Appearance is not the most important thing in the world it shouldn’t even be on the list of the top ten thousand important things.

The second Disney movie that flaws my theory is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo is not only unattractive but he is also disabled. It’s my favorite Disney movie because it teaches the way I think about others and how you have to look past the skin and see their soul. I would of liked for Quasi to get the girl but after all it is a Disney movie and an unattractive person with a beautiful person granted neither one is under a spell is unheard of. I am also aware that it is a book and that is not how the story goes at least they didn’t kill anyone good in that movie like in the book.

Just because someone is beautiful doesn’t make them good. Just because someone is unattractive does not make them bad. They have nothing to do with each other in the slightest. I just don’t understand why appearance is such a huge deal these days. I mean something could happen and someone is stripped of their appearance. I think that you can’t judge a book by its cover is a great proverb. I look for the beauty in everyone and everything, not outer beauty but what’s inside. That is all that really matters and should only matter. Everyone is different and if everyone walked around looking like Barbie and Ken then the world would be a confusing fake place.

Who is to say what is beautiful and who is ugly? Who makes that call? Is it you? Is it society? The answer is NO ONE. No one has the right to pick out the flaws of another person. If you have time to pick out someone’s flaws you have time to deal with them. I believe that you should love everyone for real reasons and look past others short comings just as you would want someone to look past yours. No one should judge anyone because no one is perfect and no one is better than anyone else that they even have a say.

Have a little compassion

Where has all the compassion gone? Seriously, I don’t know why people think it is funny or nice to make fun of people because they dress different than you or are a different race or look different. It is not cool to say go to a store and take a picture of a stranger and then exploit them on a website where they purposely make fun of people and the way they look. Not everyone dresses the same. That is part of being different and unique. Just because someone is not dressed like a cookie cutter image of what is in a fashion magazine does not by any means give someone the right to hurt their feelings or make fun of them. Most people do not walk around trying to get on a stupid website. I am sure there are many people that don’t know what it is. I also think that they don’t do it for attention either. Maybe they never will know that they are being laughed at behind a computer screen but maybe someone they love will see it or it really doesn’t matter because it is wrong in my opinion. I doubt someone would want to be made fun of on a website that is mean spirited disguised as humor.

I also don’t think it is funny when people make jokes about disabled people to be funny. They say things like special Ed this and helmet that. People with disabilities are people first and the disability is just a challenge and a part of them. Do I think that everyone that uses the R word and tells jokes about disabilities is purposely making fun of those that have those challenges? No, not always, I know it is “acceptable” in our society but that makes it wrong none the less. Think before you speak, and have some compassion and understanding. Embrace other peoples differences don’t draw a line between you.

There is room for everyone in this world. The world is such a big place. I think that there should be room for everyone to be whom they are and feel comfortable enough to where they can and not be exploited and made fun of for doing so. Everyone is different and that is great! I wish people looked more on the inside than on the outside. In a perfect world they would, but sadly it is not and people will continue to be cruel and uncaring. I invite you to help make a difference by bringing back a little compassion. Maybe it will spread like wild fire and encourage others to be compassionate.

I grew up being taught about compassion and being caring. I was taught it is wrong to make fun of people because they are different. I was taught that words that put down groups of people are wrong. I am teaching my son the same things. I was taught to love and accept people for who they are, not what they look like. It really is heartbreaking to me. I am going to make sure my son has the same morals I have. I think that I have really strong morals and a big heart and I can tell even at age 3 Noah also has a big heart. I hope to teach him and show him that differences are not a bad thing.

I hope you take a little time to think about others feelings and sit down and talk to your children about compassion and embracing differences. I think that would help the world be a better place.

Be Thankful!

Today I was on twitter and I saw that a man tweeted about something that a big company did for people in Kenya. I tweeted him back and said how wonderful it was, and he responded with a link with pictures of the trip. I looked at them and my heart sank. The tears started flowing it was so sad. The streets were filled with trash and the people had sores on their feet. The houses were what looked like cardboard shacks. It was devastating to me.

I watch the 700 club a lot so I know what it is like in third world countries. It is so depressing. I find myself not wanting to watch those stories because it is so upsetting.

So I just wanted to remind everyone to be thankful. Be thankful you have a place that keeps you dry when it rains and keeps you warm in the cold. Be thankful for the clean water you drink and bathe in. Be thankful for the food you eat and that you and your family have full bellies. Be thankful that your children can go to the doctor when they are sick even if you don’t have the money to pay for it. You still have the OPTION to go. There are qualified people to take care of us when we are sick. They also can help prevent it. Be thankful for your nice warm bed. Be thankful to your children’s schools and teachers for providing an education for them. Be thankful for all you have.

Sometimes it is hard to focus on what we have vs. what we want. Unfortunately we live in a society where people always want more or better. More Money, More things or Better Cars, Better Electronics or Bigger Houses. Everyone is trying to keep up with the Joneses and trying to have a better status symbol. While you do that you carelessly forget about those little things that sound like no big deal. You know those little things like food, water and shelter? To those people in third world countries we live like KINGS and QUEENS.

Some of them work their fingers to the bone for a week for what we get for minimum wage an hour. Some walk miles for water, not clean water mind you but dirty disease ridden water, it’s wet. Parents are being killed by other people or disease which leaves 12 year old sometimes younger kids to take care of their brothers and sisters because they have no one else to take care of them. There isn’t foster care; there isn’t much help at all. Those children that are now responsible for their siblings, they don’t eat so they can feed the younger kids.

The diseases they get are horrible. They don’t have proper medical care. They don’t have proper protection of the elements. Thousands of people die each day. Sometimes all it takes is $5 dollars worth of medicine to save them and they don’t even have that.

So please remember to BE THANKFUL for what you have vs. what you don’t. After all you have a lot more than some.