All We Need is LOVE

Dear Life,

As I read the headlines, I get increasingly sad.
Watching students get shot at schools, 
Seeing terrorist attacks all over the world,
Reading hateful comments people write about various topics,
I am SAD.

It seems that the world is getting increasingly more scary,
More hateful,
More mean,
EVERY SINGLE DAY.

It seems like people want to blame,
People want to judge,
People want to voice their opinion on everything.

We need action.
This WORLD needs action.

I'm not talking about more guns, more violence, more hate.
I'm talking about LOVE.
We need to love each other.
Love our families.
Love our friends.
Love our neighbors.



Teach our children to accept differences.
To value the act of kindness.
Teach them to treat everyone around them with LOVE.

As the young generation learns to love,
To be educated instead of judgemental,
They will become the generation that makes a difference in this world.

Love has to win.
Love has to be the answer.
There is not always a reason for a tragedy, there is not always blame to be placed.


Educate. Love. Kindness.  Be the light.

Spreading Sunshine

Dear Life,

How do you try to change the world?  
How do you spread sunshine?
How do you show kindness?

Because of a pair of shoes, a hand painted pair of shoes that Kumaka was given, we met a beautiful soul.  
Her name is Madison. 
We call her Peach. 

Photo cred by Susan Posterro

Our family has known her for a little over a year, but it really feels like we have been family forever. Madison is the president of a beautiful non profit called Peach's Neet Feet. 

"Madison's mission is to create a movement of Pay it Forward initiatives and selfless acts of giving.  She uses art to create custom, hand-painted shoes to celebrate children who are fighting cancer and living with disabilities." 


Through Madison, our family has grown; our outlook on life, on others, has changed.  We have new layers, new fibers to add to the ones that we weaved already.  We have met so many amazing families.  Families with varying backgrounds, dealing with different stories.  And yet we are all dealing with something in common- our warrior children.  These other stories are now woven into our hearts, and we are truly blessed for it.  Every day, we look for ways to touch others hearts, to sprinkle a bit of sunshine towards someone else, to show love, to share a Random Act of Kindness.   

Please,  take the time to visit the Peach's Neet Feet website. Read about this amazing young girl.  Read about the children she has helped, about the families that have been touched, lifted up because of her passion.  

Then think, what have you done to share kindness today?  

Kindness begins with....

Dear Life,


Have you ever been in a room with someone with a disability and felt awkward?
Did you stare and then look away when you got caught?
Did you purposefully avert your eyes?
Did you avoid that person?
Did you smile?
Did you say hello?




How  do you interact with people normally?
Do you ignore others in a busy waiting room?
Do you smile and say hi?
Do you stare at people?
(I am admittedly a people watcher...so I am taking myself to task!)


Having a child with a disability has opened my eyes to many things.  
I have learned that I am not tolerant when I'm cranky.
I'm usually cranky at doctor's offices.
I don't go out of my way to make people comfortable enough to say hi to me.
And I get frustrated when people stare.
And then I realize that I have been guilty of staring.
We all probably have.
It's human nature.
We are a curious people.
I know that personally, I would rather someone smile at us, and talk to Kumaka than ignore or stare without even a smile.
I love to answer questions, if they are kind and in good taste.
I love educating people about Spina Bifida and I love talking about Kumaka.
I promise to smile first, if you promise to say hi and talk to us.
I promise to be kind and answer your questions to the best of my ability.
I know Kumaka loves it when your kids come over to play, so please don't call them back to you, it hurts his feelings.
And he might  say really loudly "Mom, that guy is staring at me" to which I will say loudly "It's ok honey, wave and say hi!". 
(that happened this week)
And please...if my other kids are with me, say hi to them too!  Everyone ignores them all together because their eyes are naturally drawn to Kumaka.  My kids are pretty cute...and would love a little hello once in awhile! :)


I've realized that kindness begins with me...so I promise to do my part....


Here is our collage....I LOVE IT~

And I want to direct you to a relatively new online magazine.  It is a wealth of information....great articles and growing info about support groups, blogs, etc in your area in regards to Spina Bifida.
Faces of Spina Bifida was started by a couple of talented women.  I am blessed enough to have been asked to write for them.  YAY!  I'm so excited about this opportunity.  These women have foresight, and will help our community so much! I look forward to working with them!  

Kindness

Dear Life,

We've all heard that our challenges in life are to teach us something right?  Patience, forgiveness, etc.  While both of those are something I need to work on, I've discovered recently that I need to focus at least right now on kindness.

Kind: of a good or benevolent nature or disposition, as a person: a kind and loving person.


I bet you're wondering where this came from.  If you know me, you know I can be a kind and loving person.  


I do my very best to be kind.  But at this moment in time I mean a little something different.   


When I found out about Kumaka's disability, I was 19 weeks pregnant.  It was devastating to


 say the least.  I turned inward, and I will admit I was angry.  Very angry.  Not at God.  Not 


at my baby.  I was angry at all the other mother's who were pregnant with healthy babies.


  Isn't that ridiculous?  I wasn't just a little angry, I was a lot angry.  I thought these mothers


 were so silly for saying when asked if they wanted a boy or a girl  "As long as the baby is 


healthy".  Hmmmmm.....what happens if that isn't the case I wanted to ask them?  I never 


did, though.  I steered clear of the healthy, head in the clouds, mommies 


to be and stayed in my little dark cloud of doom and scariness.  

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I wish I could say that attitude of mine has gone away completely.  It has to some degree as 


I have come to terms with the fact that everyone has challenges; not everyone has health 


challenges;  not everyone has financial challenges; not everyone has marriage challenges.  I 


have learned to understand that everyone is not going to understand my life, my child, my


 battles.  But I need to be KIND nevertheless.  I cannot force people to understand our 


life, and I cannot force people to see my son for what he is.  I can only be the best person 


I can be.  I can have love and compassion and kindness for others.  I can


 have empathy for others trials even if I think they are trivial or small.  I can understand 


that although it is my job to fight for my son it is not my job to fight everyone.  I need to 


discover the art of fighting only when necessary.  I've had to do some serious fighting and


 Kumaka is only five...and I think I have gotten a little hardened.  I need to soften my heart


 and be kind and compassionate.  When I talk to God tonight, I will ask for His help to


 develop these traits, and only then will I be successful.

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Do you have anything you are working on to better who you are to others ?

From... A Mom of Boys!!!