Last night after I wrote about the LOVE Statue in Philly, Terry and I had a conversation about the value of small vs. global acts of love. Giving someone a coat or supporting the mission that gives away hundreds of thousands of coats-which is the better way to act in love?
In my mind, both are important and actually I'm not sure you can have one without the other. I think about the Gap's RED campaign against AIDS, and Nicholas Kristof's continued work to expand gender equality, and Youth to Youth's dedication to creating dynamic young leaders. They all started as a seed of an idea in someone's heart and mind. One person decided they could make a difference, that they indeed would make a difference.
So, the niggling question is this? What am I going to do? What is my part in this life I've been given? For now, this is what I've decided. I will continue to seek out small opportunities to show love in my own circles, but I will also support people who took their seed of an idea and grew it into a operation that helps people in places I've never been, people living in circumstances I cannot fathom, people I could not otherwise reach.
My photo of the LOVE statue was everything I didn't want it to be. It was a glimpse into the gaunt face of homelessness. In response, I choose to commit small acts of kindness in conjunction with using my resources to support organizations that embody what it means to love. If my money becomes their money, if my time becomes their time, and in turn if their arms become my arms then my reach knows no bounds. And to me, that's picture perfect.
Showing posts with label Youth to Youth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Youth to Youth. Show all posts
December 2, 2009
April 29, 2009
Summer Top Ten
It's late at night and Letterman is on, so, here we go Top Ten style.
The Top Ten Reasons I'm Giddy For Summer
10. I'm hoping to re-vamp my backyard a little bit so it feels more like an oasis and less like a slab of cement surrounded by dead plants.
9. I'm heading to the NCWP Summer Institute again. That means new ideas, new people, and time to reflect on my practice as a teacher. Not to mention regular doses of Jon & Bon's. Mmmmmm...
8. After two weeks at the Institute, Terry and I head to Alaska with four of our friends. We will mountain bike to justify eating unholy quantities of delicious food. Then we'll take a zipline ride and throw it all up.
7. Fourth of July will announce that it's birthday week for Terry and I. I heart fireworks.
6. On my birthday I head to Southern California to hang out with a few hundred of my favorite high schoolers, not to mention some of my dearest friends at Western States.
5. I fly from Southern California to San Jose where I will meet up with Terry and The Rocket to ride 100 miles and show cancer exactly what I think of it.
4. A few days later I fly to Arizona to participate in The Writing Project's National Retreat where I will soak up as much knowledge as I can in hopes that this bear of little brain can retain some of it.
3. Five of my nieces and nephews will be spending a month in Redding. I can't wait to squeeze, kiss and snuggle them all, especially the boys who pretend to hate all that mushy love stuff. Deep down they love it. Deep, deep down.
2. In August I'll sit down for a second in my new and improved oasis, surrounded by dead plants, and laugh at the fact that I've once again failed to cure my brown thumb.
1. Terry and I will celebrate another year together. The best compliment I've ever received came in the form of two little words: I do. The fact that he still does makes my heart full.
The Top Ten Reasons I'm Giddy For Summer
10. I'm hoping to re-vamp my backyard a little bit so it feels more like an oasis and less like a slab of cement surrounded by dead plants.
9. I'm heading to the NCWP Summer Institute again. That means new ideas, new people, and time to reflect on my practice as a teacher. Not to mention regular doses of Jon & Bon's. Mmmmmm...
8. After two weeks at the Institute, Terry and I head to Alaska with four of our friends. We will mountain bike to justify eating unholy quantities of delicious food. Then we'll take a zipline ride and throw it all up.
7. Fourth of July will announce that it's birthday week for Terry and I. I heart fireworks.
6. On my birthday I head to Southern California to hang out with a few hundred of my favorite high schoolers, not to mention some of my dearest friends at Western States.
5. I fly from Southern California to San Jose where I will meet up with Terry and The Rocket to ride 100 miles and show cancer exactly what I think of it.
4. A few days later I fly to Arizona to participate in The Writing Project's National Retreat where I will soak up as much knowledge as I can in hopes that this bear of little brain can retain some of it.
3. Five of my nieces and nephews will be spending a month in Redding. I can't wait to squeeze, kiss and snuggle them all, especially the boys who pretend to hate all that mushy love stuff. Deep down they love it. Deep, deep down.
2. In August I'll sit down for a second in my new and improved oasis, surrounded by dead plants, and laugh at the fact that I've once again failed to cure my brown thumb.
1. Terry and I will celebrate another year together. The best compliment I've ever received came in the form of two little words: I do. The fact that he still does makes my heart full.
February 7, 2009
8 Somewhat Interesting Facts & 17 Mediocre Ones
I was recently tagged to write a 25 Things meme about myself. At first I thought 25 things? 25 interesting things about me? I'm only thirty one, so that's close to one interesting thing a year. That's a lot of pressure. So, I'm going to say that only like 8 of these are interesting and the other 17 are mediocre at best. You be the judge as to which is which.
1. My very first bike was a bright pink Schwinn with a white banana seat. My dad bought all the components and built it for me by hand.
2. As a kid, I loved making molasses taffy with my Grandpa. The feel of hot taffy sliding through my small, buttery hands is tied to my memory of his face.
3. In third grade I won a spelling trophy. I still have the trophy. Oh, and I can spell words backwards.
4. In fourth grade I won my first writing award for a poem about the Earth. That meant I got to attend the Literary Festival where I sat in on classes by real authors. I entered the contest and won each year through my junior year in high school. The Literary Festival was by far the coolest day of the school year.
5. I make a mean balloon animal. I learned how to make balloon animals in preparation for a missionary trip to Mexico when I was 15.
6. I married Terry when I was the ripe old age of 19. He was 23. I count it a real blessing to have grown up together within our marriage.
7. When I was 30, I attended the NCWP Summer Institute and it's enhanced every facet of my writing, including how I foster a love of writing in my young writers.
8. Every July I spend a week volunteering at a Youth to Youth conference with a few hundred of my favorite teenagers. It's a fantastic week and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
9. A newly hatched dragonfly once landed on my nose in front of 40 first graders. The feel of the dragonfly tiptoeing on my nose along with the squeals of delight from my little ones will always make me smile.
10. When I got married and changed my last name, I moved my last name to the middle so that I would always be connected to my brothers. You should see the looks I get when people ask what my middle name is. I guess Wheeler isn't a popular middle name, especially for girls.
11. I watch Gilmore Girls every weekday. Oy, with the poodles already!
12. I play electronic Yahtzee almost daily. My husband currently holds the top score and my jealousy is palpable.
13. I once visited a town in Eastern Europe that is home to many, many storks and their monstrous nests. It was terrifying.
14. I'm a Mac.
15. I have a huge laundry basket of cards, notes, and special things written by my loved ones. If I ever have to evacuate my house, it will be one of the first things I grab.
16. I love the movie Dirty Dancing. My copy of it lives on the floor in the corner of my living room behind a chair because my husband insists on proving that he puts Baby in a corner.
17. I know all the words to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song. Be nice to me or I'll sing it.
18. All other responsibilities fall away during Shark Week.
19. My favorite color and my favorite song are one in the same: Green.
20. I would like to become fluent in Spanish. Once I had a dream in Spanish. I'm positive I conjugated all of the verbs incorrectly.
21. Psalm 121 is my current favorite chapter of the Bible.
22. I've got funny stories galore, but I can't tell a joke to save my life.
23. My nephew, Landon, makes me all mushy and giddy inside. He also compels me to do stupid things like chase him around on all fours with Cars slippers on my hands.
24. Laurie Notaro's books make me laugh out loud.
25. I have ridden 112 miles on my bicycle in one day. I hope to top that this season.
1. My very first bike was a bright pink Schwinn with a white banana seat. My dad bought all the components and built it for me by hand.
2. As a kid, I loved making molasses taffy with my Grandpa. The feel of hot taffy sliding through my small, buttery hands is tied to my memory of his face.
3. In third grade I won a spelling trophy. I still have the trophy. Oh, and I can spell words backwards.
4. In fourth grade I won my first writing award for a poem about the Earth. That meant I got to attend the Literary Festival where I sat in on classes by real authors. I entered the contest and won each year through my junior year in high school. The Literary Festival was by far the coolest day of the school year.
5. I make a mean balloon animal. I learned how to make balloon animals in preparation for a missionary trip to Mexico when I was 15.
6. I married Terry when I was the ripe old age of 19. He was 23. I count it a real blessing to have grown up together within our marriage.
7. When I was 30, I attended the NCWP Summer Institute and it's enhanced every facet of my writing, including how I foster a love of writing in my young writers.
8. Every July I spend a week volunteering at a Youth to Youth conference with a few hundred of my favorite teenagers. It's a fantastic week and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
9. A newly hatched dragonfly once landed on my nose in front of 40 first graders. The feel of the dragonfly tiptoeing on my nose along with the squeals of delight from my little ones will always make me smile.
10. When I got married and changed my last name, I moved my last name to the middle so that I would always be connected to my brothers. You should see the looks I get when people ask what my middle name is. I guess Wheeler isn't a popular middle name, especially for girls.
11. I watch Gilmore Girls every weekday. Oy, with the poodles already!
12. I play electronic Yahtzee almost daily. My husband currently holds the top score and my jealousy is palpable.
13. I once visited a town in Eastern Europe that is home to many, many storks and their monstrous nests. It was terrifying.
14. I'm a Mac.
15. I have a huge laundry basket of cards, notes, and special things written by my loved ones. If I ever have to evacuate my house, it will be one of the first things I grab.
16. I love the movie Dirty Dancing. My copy of it lives on the floor in the corner of my living room behind a chair because my husband insists on proving that he puts Baby in a corner.
17. I know all the words to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song. Be nice to me or I'll sing it.
18. All other responsibilities fall away during Shark Week.
19. My favorite color and my favorite song are one in the same: Green.
20. I would like to become fluent in Spanish. Once I had a dream in Spanish. I'm positive I conjugated all of the verbs incorrectly.
21. Psalm 121 is my current favorite chapter of the Bible.
22. I've got funny stories galore, but I can't tell a joke to save my life.
23. My nephew, Landon, makes me all mushy and giddy inside. He also compels me to do stupid things like chase him around on all fours with Cars slippers on my hands.
24. Laurie Notaro's books make me laugh out loud.
25. I have ridden 112 miles on my bicycle in one day. I hope to top that this season.
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