Saturday, December 15, 2012
We cannot make sense of the shooting in Newtown Connecticut yesterday. We have no understanding of the events that led a madman to take the lives of 28 people, mostly kindergarteners. It is incomprehensible. I haven't yet wrapped my mind around the evil that presented itself in a most graphic manner. One act that brought horror.
We can respond with fear, trepidation and anger. Seems natural when faced with such a violent end to innocent lives. Of course we are outraged, ready to strike out forcefully against any threat to our own security. We react with the innate self-preservation actions and feelings. These are not incorrect or socially irresponsible.
But there are alternative responses we can consider. We can react to this cloud of evil by shining so much light and love in the world that darkness is obliterated. We will not reverse the actions taken on Friday by the shooter, but we don't have to allow darkness to beget more darkness. The way to push away evil is to fight it with LOVE.
We can show love to our families, our friends, a senior in line at Shop Rite, a pierced teen at Game Stop or animals displaced by Hurricane Sandy. We can change our thinking when our automatic response to a sarcastic comment from a frienemy is with snarky comeback. We can choose to overlook a slight by a sister-in-law or a mistake by a waitress at Applebees.
We can make a donation to a charity where we feel a connection. We can pray for those experiencing pain of all kinds. We can let someone else have the close parking spot at Toys R Us. We can be present in our day, being aware of nuances we may otherwise miss. One simple act can bring about positive energy.
These are all choices. They may feel unnatural and require conscious effort. But be reassured that each small act of kindness shines a glimmer of light into the world, obliterating even a small bit of darkness somewhere. Do it as a way to honor the lives lost on Friday. Our combined efforts will create a glow large enough to be seen all around the world.
What will you do this weekend to light a spark?
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Katie Meyler
Monday, December 10, 2012
Saturday night the Chase American Giving Awards were on NBC. Were you watching? It was so exciting to to watch Katie Meyler and the More Than Me organization win the top prize of $1 Million!
I had the pleasure of having Katie Meyler come to a Heartworks meeting last year.
Here is Katie (2nd from the left, wearing red) with our Heartworks ladies.
Let me tell you a little about Katie--despite growing up in a mostly-wealthy town, she had a difficult childhood. She says she was the "poor" family in town. The family who would receive garbage bags of used clothing at the back door from anonymous donors. Her mother struggled to raise her three children alone.
Katie wanted to find her way in the world. She took a trip to Haiti and fell in love with helping people. She had an awakening and realized that her childhood had been luxury in comparison to the lives of so many in the world!
Many girls she found on a subsequent trip to Liberia were orphans and lacked even basics like clean drinking water. Girls as young as 8 were brought into prostitution because it afforded them an income they otherwise would be without.
Katie was resolved to find a way to come back to Liberia and help get little girls off the streets and into school. More Than Me was born a short time later. Katie works tirelessly and constantly gathering support for the More Than Me Foundation. See more of her story here:
http://youtu.be/Ue7MMHCyxXA
When she came to my Heartworks meeting, she spoke frankly and passionately about her experiences and what she is doing to help girls get off the street and into school. What a genuine, positive force in the world! Everyone at the meeting was touched by her story, her honesty and her desire to change.
When Katie found out that she was one of 25 organizations in the finals for the Chase American Giving Awards, she began a 24 hour, 7-day a week campaign to generate votes for More Than Me. This woman has barely slept, barely eaten while pleading for votes.
How wonderful to see the result of her efforts: being awarded the highest prize from Chase--$1 Million to help get more girls into schools in Liberia!! Congratulations!!
To learn more about More Than Me, visit www.morethanme.org.
To learn more about Heartworks,visit
www.njheartworks.org
Saturday night the Chase American Giving Awards were on NBC. Were you watching? It was so exciting to to watch Katie Meyler and the More Than Me organization win the top prize of $1 Million!
I had the pleasure of having Katie Meyler come to a Heartworks meeting last year.
Here is Katie (2nd from the left, wearing red) with our Heartworks ladies.
Katie grew up in a town nearby and the founder of Heartworks, Megan McDowell has been a supporter of Katie's efforts for a long time.
Let me tell you a little about Katie--despite growing up in a mostly-wealthy town, she had a difficult childhood. She says she was the "poor" family in town. The family who would receive garbage bags of used clothing at the back door from anonymous donors. Her mother struggled to raise her three children alone.
Katie wanted to find her way in the world. She took a trip to Haiti and fell in love with helping people. She had an awakening and realized that her childhood had been luxury in comparison to the lives of so many in the world!
Many girls she found on a subsequent trip to Liberia were orphans and lacked even basics like clean drinking water. Girls as young as 8 were brought into prostitution because it afforded them an income they otherwise would be without.
Katie was resolved to find a way to come back to Liberia and help get little girls off the streets and into school. More Than Me was born a short time later. Katie works tirelessly and constantly gathering support for the More Than Me Foundation. See more of her story here:
http://youtu.be/Ue7MMHCyxXA
When she came to my Heartworks meeting, she spoke frankly and passionately about her experiences and what she is doing to help girls get off the street and into school. What a genuine, positive force in the world! Everyone at the meeting was touched by her story, her honesty and her desire to change.
When Katie found out that she was one of 25 organizations in the finals for the Chase American Giving Awards, she began a 24 hour, 7-day a week campaign to generate votes for More Than Me. This woman has barely slept, barely eaten while pleading for votes.
How wonderful to see the result of her efforts: being awarded the highest prize from Chase--$1 Million to help get more girls into schools in Liberia!! Congratulations!!
To learn more about More Than Me, visit www.morethanme.org.
To learn more about Heartworks,visit
www.njheartworks.org
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