Project Joyful Heart
Instead of raising money for gifts this year through the Lions Club, I have decided to challenge myself and you- the bloggers, tech geeks, people who randomly come upon my blog via Google, Bing, Yahoo and MSN- to raise $250 for the The Joyful Heart Foundation, a foundation started by Mariska Hargitay, of Law and Order SVU. The Foundation strives to heal, educate and empower those who have endured domestic violence, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault. Please visit the website and learn about their unique approach in dealing with these often times overlooked and forgotten issues.
100% of the money raised through this challenge will go to the Foundation- and I will supply proof once I have the final tally.
Time Doesn’t Heal All.
21 years ago tonight, my dad passed away unexpectedly. The following is my account, (I was 15), of the events of that night and thereafter. I’m writing this as a lesson of sorts- of what not to do to a kid, of any age, who has just lost a parent. The scars last a lifetime.
When I heard the sound of my mom’s voice yelling, I assumed it was time to wake up and get ready for school. I was half-way down the stairs and she barely blurted out the words, “Your Pop, (I started calling my dad Pop when I was 18 months old and yes, I could talk at that age), had a heart attack and I’m flying to Summersville.” Nothing registered until I saw two of my dad’s brothers standing in the family room. The next few minutes are a little blurry- I remember my mom looking for her shoes and before she had a chance to put them on, the phone rang. One of my uncles answered, (I later found out my dad’s boss had to make the call), and said, “It’s too late. He’s gone.” And then a scream. Followed by, “What am I going to do, he’s gone.” All I managed to force from my throat was, “Is she going to be ok?” Needless to say, I never received an answer.
The one piece of truth I didn’t realize at the time- I lost trust in a lot of people and more importantly, the chance to heal and share with my mother. The next several hours, family came and went, my mom’s brother and his wife stayed, which is when the worst possible words one can say to anyone, much less a 15 year old kid, were uttered-”It’s your responsibility to take care of your mom, now.”
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Way To Go Britain-You’re Not So Great At All.
Ok, I get it. People are sick of hearing about Susan Boyle, but after watching the live feed of the results from Britain’s Got Talent, I thank goodness I’m an American. For a country, who, in the past, has viewed Americans as shallow, you proved, with voting the dance group the winner, who, sure, is talented, but not the best, that you’re petty and cold-hearted.
The smear campaign against Susan worked. You won. All the negative remarks about her looks, the probable lies, (or embellished remarks), of her reactions to media, swayed millions to vote against her. Why? This woman has been pushed aside her entire life and job well done. You pushed her aside once again. But guess what? Susan will have the last laugh. She may not have won the money, or to perform for the Queen, what she did manage to do, however, is win the hearts of millions of people around the world. You should have been proud of this fact and realized how special she is to those who have put off their dreams. Here in America, we root for the underdog.
I’ll probably receive heat from those across the ocean for this post, but I can’t help it that it sickens me to see the emotional ride the woman went through. Come to the US, Susan. We’ll show you the respect you deserve.
**Some comments have been removed per the request of the, uh commenter.**
