Thankful - Day 16

This quote showed up in my Facebook newsfeed a couple of days ago:

"If you and I have running water, shelter over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat, and some means of transportation (even if it's public transportation), then we are in the top 15 percent of the world's people for wealth." - "Radical" by David Platt

It's pretty obvious what I'm thankful for today - basic necessities that are so often taken for granted.  Food.  Shelter.  Water.  Clothing.  And even transportation.  I am truly wealthy in all that I take for granted.  (Now someone please tell the bank to stop calling me about late payments...)

There is some history behind this quote and the friend who posted it.  You know those tear-jerking commercials on tv with the children who have no food, have distended bellies, flies buzzing everywhere?  The ones that I frequently turn away from because they break my heart?  The ones that are coming on more and more now with the Christmas season coming up...and with the background music of John Lennon's "So This is Xmas (War is Over)"?  Well, I know a number of families who have sponsor children and TWO of these families have had the AMAZING opportunity to travel to meet their sponsor children over the last couple of years!!  I had the privileged of reading a summary of all that they were privy to when visiting the now young man who they have been sponsoring for the last 11 years or so.  What an amazing experience for them, and I am so thankful that they shared with me the details. 

And now for a bit of a confession.  I have a really hard time donating money to any sort of charity.  It stems from my dad and his frugalness, and some of the information I have heard about how much of the actual money gets to the child, child's family, etc.  When I know of a person who is personally visiting an area that needs help I will absolutely send money, basic necessities, whatever they want/ need/request because I trust that it will get there and a majority will go where I think it should go.  I absolutely understand that there are administrative costs, and other expenses to these organizations but I have heard just too many bizarre horror stories of the salaries of the CEOs of these companies and that holds me back.  I have done SOME research and, for example, on the Red Cross' own website they state that their president and CEO makes $500,000 annually.  They compare this to other large corporations, and no where does it state how much she gives back to the organization.  So here I sit.  I know that it's not yet time for New Years resolutions, but I am making one.  I want to sit down and research a few of these organizations and find out as much as I possibly can on the nitty-gritty of who makes what, where my actual money goes and then choose to sponsor.  Whether it's a child, an orphanage, a well for clean drinking water, or some farm animals to help a community grow, I am committing to this now.  I already have the basic necessities that so many are without - and I take them for granted, rarely making mention of my gratitude for them.  It is time to help others out.  Please help hold me responsible for this - I am definitely reserving a future blog post for this revelation! 

#30daysofthanks

Giving Thanks - Day 15

Today I cannot help but be thankful for organizations like the "Make A Wish" foundation.  If you have been following along on social media, you will have seen how some amazing people, the city of San Francisco and the "Make A Wish" foundation in southern California granted a 5 year old boy his wish to be his favorite superhero for a day.  Cancer survivor Miles, who is also known as "Batkid" or #SFBatkid has spent the day rescuing all sorts of people from the traditional Batman villains and their pranks.  I've seen Penguin and the Riddler and even Robin (Miles' little brother) along with the San Francisco Giants, San Fransisco Police Department and even President Obama be involved in this amazing day of granting Miles' wish.  What a dream come true for this little guy - and also all of the people involved as Miles took his role very seriously and kept "Gotham City" very safe today.  To all of you who made this little boys day, week, year - heck, even LIFE - thank you!

A little closer to home, the "Make A Wish" foundation touched our family when a close family friend was granted her wish to visit Disneyland and the Disney studios where she could learn about animation in hopes of one day becoming an animator.  And that she is! 

And just a couple of years ago, the same foundation granted a wish for a young boy living with cancer who resides just outside Edmonton.  Nathan received a giant skate park with every "feature" (insert a lot of skater lingo here) in his backyard - something every young boy would drool over. 

Photo courtesy of Devon Dispatch

To organizations like "Make A Wish", thank you for what you do.  You have helped so many families with children struggling with serious illnesses.  And today you helped me to smile.  I smiled A LOT and shared today's amazing story with so many people.  Thank you.

Days 13 and 14 of 30 Days of Thanks

Day 13: Today I am thankful for my daughter. She is so much like me, and yet so much herself.  I see her potential and on dreary days, she is my hope for all that is to come.  For the times when she is just like me - say tonight, in her rhythmic gymnastics class - my heart is so full.  On days when she is nothing like me - when she is quiet, introspective and patient - I am thankful that she is herself.  Amazing girl, that Bear is!

Day 14:  I am doubling up on this one because my mom deserves another shout out.  On a day when sickness invaded our home and both Handydan and I were unable to function, mom came to the rescue.  Getting Bear to school, feeding MiniD, picking Bear up, playing with both kids with Handydan and I rested...I am so thankful for my mom.  I do not know how I would have gotten through this day without her.  For family that lives close by and literally drops everything to help out - thank you!

Day 12 of 30 Days of Thanks

Day 12 - I didn't want to jinx it by posting earlier, but I am so thankful for sleep...full nights of uninterrupted sleep!!  After pregnancy insomnia and over a year of feeding on demand, Mini D has finally started sleeping through the night.  I have always been able to nap - pretty much anywhere, on anything for just about any length of time. But these last 5 or 6 nights are a different kind of sleep.  I feel like a new woman...a well-rested ready-to-take-on-the-day woman!!  But don't wake me if you catch me catnapping...

Days 8 - 11 of 30 Days of Thanks

Day 8: Without getting political, I am thankful for our healthcare system.  For being able to get needed treatments when necessary and to be able to access testing to see if treatments are necessary.  Thankfully, a clean bill of health for a close family member and no more tests for a few years!!

Day 9: Today I am thankful for friends.  I am blessed to have friends that even the sun, moon and stars can't outshine!  xoxox

Day 10: Thankful today for medicine.  Western, naturopathic, natural...it all has a place and right now it is keeping me going!  That and lots of sleep...

Day 11: Today I am thankful for peace, for brave soldiers and for our history.  I am thankful that we can learn from war.  I am thankful for poppies, for veterans, for Flanders Fields and for the hope of tomorrow.

Days 5 - 7 of 30 Days of Thanks

Believe me or not, I haven't been neglecting #30daysofthanks.  Day 5 was a pretty big day for us and I wanted to make sure we had all bases covered before I posted.  So...here it is!

Day 5: We are so thankful for our realtor who closed the deal for us.  Bittersweet though, we loved our little yellow house and the amazing renters that we have in it right now.  In the bigger picture we are thankful for having a roof over our heads!

Day 6: I am thankful for my job.  Before I left my last job I had an epiphany of sorts.  While I could never be a dayhome mom (stay tuned for another post on this - I have so much respect for women who can run dayhomes, but I am not one of them!) providing before and afterschool care was something that I could definitely do!  Years of working with children, coaching, teaching dance, leading daycamps, working at summer camps and so much more reminded me that I love kids...in short bursts!  So, working from home allows me to be with my kids as much as possible, lets me volunteer at Bear's school, and save money on childcare!  Bringing in a few extra kids before and after school as a "job" has been perfect for me.  I'm sure Handydan would love the house to be cleaner and tidier, but having a job that I love this much is really not like having a "job" at all!

Day 7: I am thankful for quiet moments.  Snuggling with Bear this morning before the alarm went off...listening to the older kids read to the younger kids after school today...small reminders that being still, quiet and in the moment are still so important.  I need more quiet moments in my life...

So much to be thankful for!!

Late to the party yet again!!  But that shouldn't surprise anyone.  I'm joining 30 Days Of Giving Thanks.  I have a pretty amazing life and want to take time to just be grateful each day this month.

Day 1: I am thankful for the amazing teacher that Bear has!  After watching Mrs. R in action on Halloween with 24 wired kids...wow.  I don't know how she does it, but I am so thankful she has the patience, energy and love to do it!!

Day 2:  I am thankful for our amazing family photographer who has captured our family's growth for the last 5 years.  How she gets some of the pictures that she does I honestly do not know.  But wow!  Here are just a few of our favourites...

Day 3:  I am thankful for my nieces and nephews!  They love my children like their own siblings and sometimes more!  I am thankful that they were all born so close in age and that they will grow up being best friends.

Day 4:  I am so so so thankful for my mom.  Besides giving birth to me (sans epideral, which it enough to be thankful for in itself!), and raising me, she is my best friend.  I can count on her to be honest with me about anything and everything.  She listens to my crazy rants, I listen to hers.  When my kids are participating in pukefest, she is only a phone call away.  And when that isn't close enough she rescues me for sanity breaks.  And still manages to bring baking over.  Words are not enough to describe this thankfulness.


#30daysofthanks