Give!

“Giving is a universal opportunity. Regardless of your age, profession, religion, income bracket, and background, you have the capacity to create change.”

-Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen - Philanthropist

 

 

While all of us are different and come from different walks of life, there is something we all have in common.

We all have the capacity to give. 

 

To give love, hope, faith. 

To give thoughtful gifts, greeting cards and monetery gifts. 

To give our time, labor and sweat.

To give kind words, loving smiles, and warm hugs. 

 

 

Today's Starfish

I am blessed with amazing girlfriends who each bring something different to our friendships.  One of my best friends is running her first full marathon in Chicago on October 7.  She is running with the American Cancer Society in memory of a few very special people in her life.  Lisa is an amazing woman and I am blessed to have her in my life.  I am so proud of her and all of her accomplishments.

For today's starfish, I donated $50 to help her reach her fundraising goal for the marathon.

If you would like to know more about the marathon or donate yourself, please go to the following link or send me a message :)

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=42914&pg=personal&px=26314306

Back to School!

"You can get all A's and still flunk life."
~ Walker Percy



Remember your first day of school?  Were you so excited you couldn't sleep the night before?  Did you have your outfit picked out a week before school started?  Were you nervous, afraid you weren't going to make friends or know where you were supposed to go?  Think about all of those different emotions you felt on your first day of school - you may be thinking about elementary school, middle school, high school, or even college!  I am guilty of emotions like that EVERY first day of school I experienced.  Even in college.  My friends always laughed at me because I always went to each building the night before classes started to make sure I knew exactly what room I was supposed to be in for each class I was taking.

Today was the first day of school for many students.  Parents walked younger children into their classrooms and swallowed back tears as they walked out of the building.  Seventh and eighth graders exchanged summer stories. Excitement filled the high school halls as lockers slammed and bells rang. And the incoming freshman experienced their first class on the college campus. 

A LOT of learning happens in all of these types of school settings... but so much more than what comes from the textbooks.  Students (and teachers) are taught life lessons:  how to work hard, responsibility, kindness, how to maintain a routine, respect, how to treat others. 

I hope no one sat by themselves at lunch in the cafeteria and I hope everyone had someone to play with at recess.  I hope no one was made fun of for their braces and I hope no one was teased about the kind of shoes they were wearing.  I hope no one was bullied and I hope that if someone was, someone else stood up for them. 

Remind your kids and remember this yourselves : it is HARD growing up in today's world.  It is more important now than ever to love and be kind to everyone, no matter their background, race, sexual orientation, economic status or appearance. 


Today's Starfish

A very special friend of mine had her first day of first grade today.  The starfish for today was to talk to her on the phone to hear about her day - she did some math, made music with her hands, played outside, made new friends, wore a cool new outfit (along with an awesome hat seen below!) and has her very own desk!  It was very cool to hear how excited she was about her first day of school and I wish Brantley an awesome year at first grade!!

And the Gold Medal Goes to.....

"My mother used to tell us in the mornings, 'Carl put on your shoes, Oscar you put on your prosthetic legs... So I grew up not really thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes."
-South African runner Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed 'Blade Runner' because he races on carbon fibre prosthetic blades

The 2012 Olympics ended last night, and if you are anything like me, you are a little sad that you have to wait four more years until there is another Summer Games. 

Oscar Pistorius became the first disabled person to race against able-bodied athletes.  Can you imagine that?  He is an inspiration to everyone - Kirani James was so touched that he exchanged numbers with Pistorius after the race. 

But he was judged.  Cynics said he had "advantage, because he had 'magic legs.'"

Gabby Douglas walked away as the first African American to win gold in gymnastics. 

But she was judged.  People made fun of her hair.  The media wrote stories about her mother filing for bankruptcy.  And some people said she is "too religious."

Lolo Jones didn't win a medal but she holds indoor track records and has worked her butt off for the last four years for a 12 second race at the Olympic Games.

But she was judged.  By an article published in the New York Times that just ripped her apart.


Why do we judge?  If someone does something great, we point out what was not so great.  We judge people's hair for goodness sakes!  I am willing to bet that we have all been on both sides of  judgment - the giver and the receiver of judgment.

My challenge to you:  Don't be so quick to judge. Everyone has a story and everyone has a past.  We are all enduring our own journey in life, and not everyone is just like you!

Today's Starfish

My friends, who have made the biggest impact in my life, all received text messages from me today, wishing them a great Monday and thanking them for being a part of my life.  Each message was different and pursuant to that person.  They are all gold medal winners in my book!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. 
~Maya Angelou





It's a baseball themed Starfish this week!  And just like the quote I chose today says, don't go through life being a catcher.  Throw something back... pitch some balls, hit a few homers, warm the bench, run the bases, be a coach.  Sure, there will be some fouls (when isn't there?) and you might get yourself in a pickle every now and then, but you have to keep your head in the game.  You know where I am going with this.  Don't always be the catcher of kindness, waiting for it to fall into your mitt.  Put yourself out there and throw some kindness to everyone around you. :)

Today's Starfish

I went to the Iowa Cubs game tonight (hence the baseball theme!).  My office gave tickets away to everyone who wanted to go.  One of my co-workers couldn't go and had six tickets and I had an extra ticket, so I took the tickets and gave them away to people waiting to get into the game.  I gave one to a group of teenage boys because one of their dads was waiting in line for a ticket.  Two of the tickets went to a young couple, and the remaining four tickets went to a family with two small children. Everyone was very appreciative and one person even said, "Really!?  You want to give this to me for free?!"