Saturday, November 21, 2009

the love of a community and the kindness of strangers

about a month ago a little girl at school was diagnosed with ewings sarcoma. she is an amazing child--a really cool fourth grader. i had her in my third grade class when i was subbing at school, and hope to get her again in fifth grade; she's awesome. her family is really nice: mom is wonderful and smiling and supportive, dad laughs a lot, her grandmother is an author who i met at barnes & noble last summer and chatted with at length (loved her local fictional novel!), and her two little sisters are sweet as can be. she is talented, smart, humble, and funny. she follows the rules but pushes her learning limits. curious and ambitious, she does her work without complaint and never hesitates to help and encourage others. on top of her school work she is forever writing stories and drawing pictures and sharing them with classmates; she wrote me a really great thanksgiving story last fall--i loved it! we need her here and i have (almost) every confidence she'll stay with us. i surely have every HOPE she'll get to stay here with us.

this poor child underwent surgery two weeks ago, getting "cysts" removed and some of her toes taken. she's still smiling. she's about to start chemotherapy and continues to laugh and seems cheerful. i saw her last week at a benefit for her; her aunt was pushing her around in a wheelchair while she made her brief appearance at the event.

said benefit is the inspiration for this blog. two of the family's neighbors put their heads together a few weeks ago and gathered many other neighbors, local business, and other school families to put on what turned out to be a huge benefit. Hugs for Harper was a mix of "vendors" selling everything from embroidered purses & napkins to local toys; matching mom & daughter clothes to jewelery, handmade knitted hats, scarves, & mittens and just about everything in between. there was a pampered chef rep there, as well as an arbonne lady. almost every single seller gave ALL of their profits to the cause. the handful of "percentage donors" gave at least 40% of their sales. on top of that, there was a bake sale of donated yummies and a silent auction and raffle of donated goods (hockey tickets, salon certificates, dinners, charleston tours, paintings, etc.). the sale was for three hours friday evening and three hours sunday afternoon; the ladies heading up the event were hoping to rake in $2000. at the end of the sale friday night they'd reached their goal. TWICE. and then some. by the end of sunday's leg of the event, the total count of donated sales and auction & raffle money was $10,000. TEN GRAND in six hours. wow.

it gets better. harper's mom was at school one day picking up her other daughter and giving the office a report on h's surgery and all that was going on. in horror and embarrassment, she looked at the principal and school secretary and exclaimed, "oh my goodness, i haven't paid tuition! i completely forgot!" the response? are you ready for this?
"don't worry! another family has already taken care of it. you're paid through the end of the school year."

my favorite part about that is those people, whoever they are, didn't want any credit for their extremely generous & good deed. as much as people do rotten things and news seems to get worse, and entitlement & vanity overtake gratitude & joy, i am reminded that humans are good. i suppose--well, hope--there are far more of us who are likely to be helpful, charitable, kind and unselfish. it sure would be nice if we could hear about the person who reaches out and lends a hand more often, rather than the ones who ruin it for everyone else. it makes me smile to know there are these good, wholesome, loving people right in my community. look for them in yours--and share their good news with everyone you can. remember them when you feel frustrated and annoyed by the folks who want and never give back and show never-ending selfishness. there are fabulous people out there--just look for 'em! and tell us about them whenever you can!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

all the federales say...


well, i'm trying my hand at this blog thing. i've been here once before, but with a different angle. now i'm looking at the blog as a purist; all i'm gonna do is write.


i've been thinking about doing this for a long time, as i do with most things i do (or don't do...) and this evening i finally got around to creating it. formatted it, arranged its colors, fonts and all that jazz, but stalled on putting up a post. it was enough for the moment to have it there to visit and blog about on. the original intention of this blog was to accomodate me every time i heard some asanine, ridiculous thing on the news that infuriated or compelled me. i will have an outlet, i thought, and here we are.


now i know why my typing fingers weren't into it earlier. why my guardian angel told me to take a break--the template is enough. it's because now--right this moment--is the time. i need to start this blogging with something that brings joy and a smile, not frustration and anger.


what i need to think about is how wonderful it is to have great friends. i have trouble seeing things, sometimes, for what they really are. for whatever reason, sometimes i miss what's right in front of me or misinterpret what's going on in front of my face. most times without even thinking about it. for instance, i have this wonderful colleague named amy who is always so nice to me, and we laugh together a lot. somehow i let myself stop at accepting her as a great coworker and a great aquaintance i might see occasionally outside of work and that i'll get along with really well. seems good enough, right?


well, this gal just sent me a text to let me know willie nelson is on austin city limits.


see, she remembered from WEEKS ago that i mentioned willie nelson and posted on facebook that i was going to see him/had seen him. i LOVE willie nelson. it was a simple text, for goodness sake, but it reminds me that i need to put down my guard and remember that it's alright to let people in as friends and take them as such. i often find myself thinking this person doesn't need me as a friend. they've already got their friends, why add me? why do i do this?! i have no idea, but i keep learning that i'm WRONG. i mean, i know i've got friends, but i guess i don't acknowledge how close they can be, and are. i'm so happy to have her as a buddy--and appreciate that she remembered that, let me know to tune in, and will surely chat me about it monday morning!


did i mention i LOVE willie nelson? his voice makes me smile, and the twinkle in his eye makes me wish i could have a beer with him and listen to stories he would tell. i have always loved his voice and am looking at him on television four weeks and one day after having seen him from 50 feet away, watching him play the same ancient guitar now in austin that he played at the performing arts center on october 16th just in front of me. i could close my eyes and be in the basement of the house i grew up in, after dinner dancing around the family room on my dad's feet. my brother and sister and i would laugh and sing and dance along to a very vinyl willie nelson. always on my mind, poncho & lefty, on the road again, and momma don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. i've been listening to willie nelson for about 28 years. it doesn't matter how much age ends up in that voice or on that face, the twinkle in those eyes and the feeling it brings me will never change. it will grow and get added to, but i'll still have those original willie nelson memories. and they will make me smile every time.


so, thank you amy! can't wait to talk about it monday.