Beautiful

I just might have posted a starling video in the past, because I think that they are pretty darn amazing to watch. The fluidity. The connection. This one is probably one of the best videos that I’ve seen. It’s worth the watch!!

This is So Worth it!

Starr and her sorority sisters woke up very early this morning so that they could volunteer at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Denver. Breast Cancer Awareness and Education is their sorority’s philanthropy and this is an annual activity for the girls. They provide pins and goodie bags to breast cancer survivors. Meeting and talking with these women is a highlight.

I found this picture posted on Starr’s Facebook this morning:

“It was so early and so dark this morning, but this is so worth it!”

Starr has always been emotional after the event. High on the positive energy, touched by the survivors and their stories as well as the stories of those who’ve lost loved ones. After a previous years event, I asked her how it went. As she opened her mouth to answer, she started crying instead. It took her by surprise, she didn’t realize that she was that close to tears, but the combination of joy, hope, courage and sadness that she experienced came tumbling out in an emotional jumble.

Cancer sucks. I love that the girls are involved in making a difference.

Did You Know??

That my friend Jason of The Jason Show is walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure this Fall??

Well, he is!

From Jason’s donation page:

Dedicated to My Little Brother, Who Lost His Mom at Age 12

This photograph was taken the year before my mother died of breast cancer. Paul, my youngest brother, was eleven. Mom was so concerned about leaving her youngest boy without a mother, but she would be so immensely proud of him now. He is finishing his degree in social work, has plans to go on to graduate school, and is married to a girl that I’m certain our mother would have simply adored.

But not without a terrible struggle. Can you imagine being so young when your mother died? Maybe some of you were. Maybe some of you know.

Nobody deserves to lose their mother at such a young age. That is why I am dedicating the next eight months to Paul and all of those who have lost their moms to breast cancer before reaching adulthood. I am joining the Susan G. Komen 3-Day For the Cure 60 mile walk in San Diego, and every step I take, every dollar I raise, is dedicated to my little brother, with the knowledge that some day, research and science will find a way to put an end to this sort of tragedy.

Will you help? Please? Each participant must raise a minimum of $2,300.00 to donate to breast cancer research. My goal is $2,900.00. I know I can do it, we can all do it. We can all get just that much closer to the cure.
Even the smallest bit will help.

Please support me as I take an amazing journey in the fight to end breast cancer! The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure™ are invested in breast cancer research and community programs.

I believe that he has raised enough money to officially participate in the event, but has yet to reach his personal fundraising goal.

I want to encourage you to donate directly to help him reach his goal here: Donate to Jason’s 2010 3-Day Walk for the Cure

Or you can donate with out actually spending any money as Jason explains here: This is the Easiest Way to Help Beat Breast Cancer. Ever.

Your Permission Slip

From Danielle LaPorte of White Hot Truth (check it out!)

your permission slip from the universe

I’ve got the Goddess of Permission on speed dial and she was thrilled to oblige with this sweeping list of acts of self expression and liberation. We can draw on it whenever we need. Come back often. Build on it. The Permission Goddess sends kisses and high-fives.

you have permission to

: not finish reading books that you’re not really enjoying. Don’t force it, close it.
: walk out of movies that suck (and hey, if you leave in the first twenty minutes, you can get your money back.)
: let it go to voicemail (especially during dinner, or snuggling, or watching So You Think You Can Dance?)
: give birthday gifts anytime of the year (which means you can be late or early and you can give yourself time to find just the right gift.)
: talk shit about WalMart (even if they do have the economic power of a small country.)
: cut the obligations cords that are driven by guilt.
: pursue your own agenda.
: own next to nothing, live on a mattress, read and write and make love all day with no other responsibilities
: return crappy products to their crappy manufacturers (because you can vote with your dollars.)
: leave your current business model so you can go do something bigger than you
: tell your kids when you think that something an authority figure told them is bullshit (you need to be in solidarity with your child, not the so-called grown ups.)
: quit your job, even if you just started two weeks ago, or just got a raise, or are seemingly indispensable.
: get yourself off even, if you have a partner.
: have some secrets.
: cut out the elements of your business that you don’t totally LOVE. The parts that 90% of the time make you say, “WHY am I doing this? I don’t WANT to do this.”
: give away/recycle/get rid of stuff, stuff, stuff sentimental stuff that special people gave you (your home is for you, not them); stuff that doesn’t make you feel good even, if you spent a lot of money on it; stuff that has intense memories attached to it; stuff!
: say no to “free” stuff, like swag bags at fancy events and novelty erasers and pom-pom pens from the bank. (Because the only thing in life that’s free is love.)

you have permission to

: fail, and fail again.
: to succeed, wildly, more than your neighbors, more than your folks, more than you thought was possible.
: be rich and “spiritual”
: be broke AND generous
: leave work early, get some ice cream, and sit in the hot tub at the gym
: charge what you’re worth
: focus more on creating your soul job and less on finding a ho’ job.
: sleep! sleep in, nap, sleep.
: earn a living knitting for charity.
: relax. To let go of the growing to-do list in your head. To release the need to get it “just right.”
: to dance 
: go bra-less or underwear free.
: give it all to charity.
: check your email whenever the hell you want.
: start now, without the degree, without the funding, without knowing exactly where you’re going.
: sell your house to afford a big trip to India (a friend of mine did just that, no regrets.)
: walk away.
: fall in love.
: eat dessert first.

you have permission to : not ever feel the need for permission.

Thank you, Rosemary, for sharing this. I needed it this week!

You Are Beautiful!

the beauty of different: is everyone REALLY beautiful?

The Beauty of Different

The Beauty of Different by Karen Walrond

What Would Jesus Do?

I don’t talk about it much because is it not the focus of my life, but I am not Christian. As I am talking a bit about religion here, I thought it best to clear the air first. I do consider myself spiritual and embrace the teachings of Jesus along with those of Buddha, the Dalai Lama and other great teachers. I believe that there is some truth to all (okay, most) World religions, but I don’t think that any one has all the answers for me.

That said, I know that there are many many wonderful Christians out there who bear the brunt of the fewer vocal haters who spew hate instead of love. All of that hate never made sense to me. If they are truly working towards the ideals that Jesus set down for them, why hate? Jesus didn’t.

The other morning, I woke up with the phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” stuck in my head. I was feeling frustrated with some of the so-called Christians and their anti-gay (anti-equal rights) stance. The anti-GLBT Westboro Baptist Church were recently planning a visit to my town, not for the first time, to protest at several locations. And I probably still had Dan Savage’s marriage video on my mind.

My thoughts were clear. If Jesus were living today, would he carry a “God Hates Fags”sign? Would he protest at a fallen soldiers funeral? Would he hate just to hate? Would he despise the differences in people? Color, sexual identity, height, weight, hair color…even religion?

Or would he celebrate and embrace those differences? Would he love everyone equally? Would he try to spread the love? Spread the tolerance? Encourage togetherness and empathy? Every fiber of my being says that he would do just that. That he did. That this was a major component of his message.

I kept these thoughts to myself, because I don’t think they are special or truly unique. Plus who am I to say…non-religious but spiritual person that I am?

However, I ran across an article last night that brought me back to that morning and those thoughts: A Different Kind of Christian Demonstration at Gay Pride

I almost cried. Heck, I’m still a little misty. : ) Read it if you have time, I think it’s worth it.

From the article (actually from this blog and included in the article: It Seems to Me….):

My favorite though was a gentleman who was dancing on a float. He was dressed solely in white underwear and had a pack of abs like no one else. As he was dancing on the float, he noticed us and jokingly yelled, “What are you sorry for? It’s pride!” I pointed to our signs and watched him read them.

Then it clicked.

Then he got it.

He stopped dancing. He looked at all of us standing there. A look of utter seriousness came across his face. And as the float passed us he jumped off of it and ran towards us. He hugged me and whispered, “thank you.”

And:

However, I think Jesus would have hugged him too. It’s exactly what I read throughout scripture: Jesus hanging out with people that religious people would flee from. Correlation between then and now? I think so.

This is what people of all religions (or non-religions)—make that “people of the world”—should be working towards. Peace, love, understanding. Just look at the positive energy in this photo…it’s beautiful.

It’s amazing what a little love can do!

Twisted

Solid Potato Salad – Ross Sisters (1944)

The real show starts about a minute in…enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

It’s a Good Thing–Stink Bug

There is nothing major going on, but I haven’t been feeling very connected lately. I wish it was easier to snap out of it. I snapped at a man who was doing the right thing yesterday. No matter how much it hurt me, he didn’t deserve it…I did apologize! I snapped again this morning at a man who totally deserved it, I am considering writing a letter…jerk.

I don’t want to whine any more than I already have, but I do want to briefly shine a spotlight on a sweet charity that was highlighted on the news the other day.

This little girl, Allison Winn, and her story rocked me!

At the moment the video on the news site is playing oddly for me, but audio is working and tells the story very well. Here is the link: 9-Year-Old’s Dog Biscuits Raising Money to Buy Dogs for Kids

From the 7 News article:

Winn was diagnosed with cancer two years ago. Recovery was miserable until Coco the dog came into her life. ”The dog instantly bonded with Allison,” said Dianna Litvak, Allison’s mother. “In the process, we realized that the dog was making Allison feel better.”

One day, Winn decided she was going to make dog biscuits. She wanted to sell them to raise money for another child to get a dog. From that idea came Project Stink Bug, named after what Winn called her chemo treatments.

Winn sold the homemade dog biscuits in her front yard all summer long. Word spread. ”People are so generous,” Litvak said. “One guy rode by on his bike and gave her a hundred dollar bill.” Soon Winn had enough money for two dogs. That’s when Winn’s idea moved to the state prison system. Why the state prison? Because the state of Colorado has the prison-trained K-9 companion program where inmates train rescue dogs.

“We have a reason to wake up every day,” said inmate Terrina Flora-Alexander. “We have a reason to do something positive.”

From Allison’s Stink Bug web site:

Allison is a nine-year-old who was diagnosed with a brain tumor which was successfully removed in its entirety on April 6, 2007.  The brain tumor, a highly malignant medullablastoma, is very treatable and has a 80-90 percent survival rate in children. Allison endured six weeks of radiation and nine chemotherapy treatments that began on her seventh golden birthday (May 7, 2007) and ended in June 2008. In September 2008, after treatment was over, her family adopted a bichon frise, Coco, that had been rescued and trained by Colorado Correctional Industries Prison Trained K-9 Companion Program. Coco became an important member of the family and Allison realized that it would have been nice to have Coco when she was home recovering from her treatments.

Allison returned to school and Brownies with the renewed vigor of a survivor, determined to help other kids going through the pain and loneliness of cancer treatment. She conceived the Stink Bug Project in the summer of 2009 after she went to a camp at the Denver Dumb Friends League that emphasized the importance of caring for dogs and how dogs make humans feel better. She decided to bake homemade dog biscuits and lemonade and sold them to friends and family and at a table near her house through the summer. By the end of the summer, she had raised $1500.  On October 20, 2009, Allison got her wish when Krysta, a two year old left partially blind by a brain tumor, became the first child to benefit from Allison’s Stink Bug Project. Now, supported by a network of family and friends, Colorado Correctional Industries K-9 Companion Program, area hospitals, and her school, Allison is continuing her efforts at baking dog biscuits and helping more families stricken with childhood cancer.

Allison drew a picture of a Stink Bug to represent chemo.  In May 2009, when treatments were over, she declared “Bye Bye Stink Bug!”

A direct link to Allison’s web site: Stink Bug Project

Something For Everyone

My friend Rosemary shared this with her friends this morning. It was a lovely gift. She might just change my mind about poetry one of these days!! I loved it and it brought tears to my eyes, so I am sharing with you. Link in the title goes to Maya’s blog.

Something for Everyone by Maya Stein

I want the water to fill your glass the moment
it sees your thirst.
I want the staircase to meet your footfalls.
I want the line to the freeway to move like breath.
I want the wind flattering your hairline, the rainshower
a welcome refreshment. I want the parking space to fit your car.
I want the birds on your back deck to warble in the exact way
they did during your childhood. I want the photographs
of all your holiday dinners buzzing with a certain unnamable
happiness. I want the dry cleaners to understand
your outrageous requests.
I want the man calling your house to survey
your thoughts on phone companies to remember
the evening is precious as silk. I want your new jeans to not
come undone in the wash. I want snow to land on your eyelashes
like it does in the movies, an etheric, slow-moving kiss.
I want a letter to arrive the moment
you feel most unwelcome of your own company.
I want the scent of lemons in the air. I want the power lines
overshadowed by the view your neighborhood offers at twilight.
I want the downtown ice rink to keep your fantasies aloft.
I want the moon to articulate your most punishing silence.
I want the willow tree revived and teeming, the broken daisies
resurrected and obstinate with brightness.
I want the labyrinth of what ifs narrowed
to a single, poignant sentence.
I want the tulips to be wild as clover, as fog, as good intentions.
I want your heart to cut through its own brutality,
for your body to see everything about you that’s beautiful.
I want love to come at you in thick pats of butter,
in strands of spun sugar, heavy and light as cream.
I want it to bathe your skin until you are nothing
but forgiveness, until your shadows have disappeared,
until all of your perfect right angles have collapsed,
until you are a curve of a curve,
and your hands slide forward and open
and are able, at last, to feel everything.

Thank you Maya. Thank you Rosemary.

I Want it That Way

Monday!! Again.

I thought it might be fun to start the week with this video which was posted last Friday by Pamela at A Novel Woman. I still smile just thinking about it:

“I Want it That Way” – Backstreet Boys

Five brave workers decide to record themselves simultaneously at their office doing something…unthinkable…