#2 of 33--Giving Up A Seat

On Christmas Eve, our cute little family got dolled up and headed to the mall for Santa pictures. My husband warned me that we would probably be in line forever, and we were. You hear that B?! YOU WERE RIGHT! After our two and a half hour wait to get the above picture done, I had promised E some play time at the mall's play area. It is actually my favorite mall to go to when we visit B's family because the play area is awesome.

As you can imagine, every other parent it seemed had bribed their kids to be good in the Santa line with getting to have play time as well. The place was PACKED! I got lucky finding a seat to watch E while she played. About two minutes later, an elderly woman came in and was obviously looking for somewhere to sit. I did the logical thing and stood up and gave her my seat while every other parent either tried not to make eye contact, or looked distractedly at their phone. Good deed #2. Simple and easy.

But I'mnsure you have heard that saving "what goes around comes around"? Well, this was three weeks after my ankle surgery and I was still in my waking boot and scooter when this all went down. Another mom saw this exchange and immediately stood up and gave me her seat. I tried to tell her it was not necessary, but she indicated my ankle and I did not want to deprive her of getting the chance to do a good deed herself. She sat on the floor next to me and wth her broken English, we had a very honest conversation about life and motherhood that I will never forget. She had come from Iraq and we were talking about the differences in family values there versus here. She told me about how all of her family and friends that still lived in Iraq had baby after baby until they had more than a handful of kids. She confided in me that she was glad she had come to America where that expectation would not have hit her so hard. She had one little boy and said she was definitely not ready for anymore yet because she struggled with post partem depression. It was interesting to talk to someone whose culture is so different, but yet motherhood can bring on the same concerns and frustrations.

What started out as my good deed to give up my seat to an elderly woman, turned into a good deed for someone else and really great conversation between a couple of moms. 

#1 of 33 Thursday Morning Play Date

I am using my Thursday morning play date as one of my good deeds for the year. For one, it can be extremely uncomfortable for an introvert like me to open their home weekly for a get together with mostly strangers. I had started going to Mom's Group at my church in the last couple of months and it seemed that I still struggled to get outside of my comfort zone and meet people and talk to them long enough to make lasting connections. I thought about how surely I wasn't the only one feeling that way. So I started this. I let whoever wants to come hang out and drink coffee or tea while their kids play wth others in the confinement of a toy-riddled, mostly escape-proof living room.

It has been something I look forward to each week that I honestly did not think I would. But there is something about being in your own house that makes you step up and play hostess to make sure people are engaged. 

At this point, I only have about two to three people that come each week with their kiddos, and each week has been a different group. I've made some good friends that I have a lot in common with. This is also really good for me to not be so in control of everything. Most of the time my house is messy. Sometimes I don't put on make up. 

I'm hoping that by doing this that the moms that come can see that we all struggle with the same things and that's okay. All of us are just getting by by doing the best we can each day.

#mompower

Reflection

I have a really great life. Despite all the crappy things I've done, the people I have hurt, those who hurt me--I am beyond blessed with what I have and who I share it with. My Nashville pastor once said that the best thing you can do with this life is to love. In about a month I will turn 30 and instead of having some big party to celebrate my life so far, I wanted to pay it forward. There have been people who helped me when I needed it, why wouldn't I want to do the same?

I started out doing this Thirty by 30 with the intention of letting people know what volunteer opportunities were out there or great ways to donate money to charities or causes they support. Who am I to show people that? I'm no Mother Theresa, that's for sure. The biggest lesson I learned through this experience was that there are so many amazing people in this world that want the world to be a better place and have really awesome ideas in how to help. As much as I patted myself on the back when I came up with this idea, I have been continuously humbled by people who do this stuff for zero appreciation or recognition. There were quite a few things that I was a part of that I didn't feel right about sharing that experience on here and counting it as one of my Thirty because there are some things that aren't my story to share. As I look back on my "Thirty" I think about the smiles, laughs, and even the ka-Ching of money leaving my bank account and I can't help but feel blessed. You may have been annoyed by these posts or my bugging you to donate time or money to something, but once you see the bigger picture, it was worth it. I set out to see how I could help change lives and in turn I changed my own.

I'm going to revisit each blog post up until my birthday and I'm asking for a birthday present from each of you. Yes, I'm that kind of person. ;) I want you to find something you support or someone in need and find a way to help out. I would LOVE to hear your stories! If you know of something that you think I would enjoy donating my time to, please share! I'm always looking for ways to get involved.

There is a quote that says, "Be the kind of person you want to meet." I remind myself of this daily. I also think about the kind of person I want Elie to be. We are role models to the next generation whether we want to be or not. It's not always easy, but it is always worth it.

#30 REACH Camp

 

A quick story about my husband and I that leads up to why I got involved with REACH Camp:

I was in the process of getting a divorce from my first husband and feeling like a failure, like I was going to spend the rest of my life alone, when my best friend told me about my "soul mate". He was her husband's friend from medical school and she listed all of the reasons she thought he and I would get along. The more she went on with things like "he's funny, he talks a lot like you do, he loves kids and is going to be a pediatrician, he wants to do work in Africa, he's a Christian..." and so on, and so on--I thought that she was making things up about him so I would give him a chance. Nobody could be that perfectly matched to me. Long story short, it turns out all those things she said about him were true as I discovered through our lengthy emails and phone conversations before hanging out with him. One of the things he told me about was working with REACH and how it was a big part of the reason he wanted to become a pediatrician.

I can't really explain what REACH Ministries is without sharing their mission statement:

"REACH Ministries builds relationships with youth and families with HIV/AIDS and other populations in need, in order to equip them for experiencing God's design, which is a lifetime of hope and purpose."

I knew that REACH Camp is for families that are affected by HIV/AIDS and that Brian goes on and on about how much fun it is (he's been volunteering with REACH since 2000), but I didn't really know what to expect beyond that. Because we were living in Nashville and in the process of moving to Idaho, we couldn't make any of the volunteer trainings but Brian assured me that he knew the ins and outs and I'd be fine.

IT WAS AWESOME!!! I was paired with another counsellor  (also AWESOME) who has been involved for a while and we were assigned to a group of late middle school-early high school age girls.  What did we do? We had FUN! That's it! We ate meals with these fun teens, climbed rock walls, did a ropes course (my favorite! Heights have nothin' on me! Well, when I'm in a harness), horse back riding, and there were other fun things to do like swimming, miniature golf, basketball, etc., etc., etc. We had campfires every night where we sang like idiots and participated in silly campfire games. We played Minute To Win It games. We basically danced and sang until midnight every night! We had a hilarious scavenger hunt where my co-counselor and I forgot to give very important clues to our team which led to some awkward, last minute conversations about golf since that was where we were going to be hiding, saran wrapped, with the clue.  We laughed so hard at our "Counselor--FAIL!!!" that I had tears streaming down my face, which I could not wipe.  haha!  My husband even led a game of mud football. It was evident in the several times I saw him over the weekend that he likes REACH Camp so much because he gets to act like the big kid that he is! I had countless people who have worked with or been mentored by Brian over the last 13 years tell me how amazing he is and how much they missed while he was in residency. Not that I didn't already know how amazing he is just from learning about him from my friend over three years ago.

OH YEAH!!! The Talent Show! The themed nights! Ahh!!! First of all, it must have been a prerequisite to attend camp to sing, dance, and play an instrument because those kids were TALENTED! There were hula hoops, break dancing, cup flipping, singing, comic sketches...INCREDIBLE! Every night there was a different theme that I liked to take seriously like 80s athletic instructor, Oregon Trail, and Favorite Country were a few of the themes. Because there is such a strict policy on confidentiality and photos, I don't have very many. I will definitely post the link once they are up on the website though. :)

Does this camp not sound incredible?! If it is something you would be interested in helping out, check out http://www.reachministries.org/index.htmlAl

Here is a MUST WATCH video from a couple years back to give you a taste of what REACH Camp is like:  http://vimeo.com/26203867

Also, you should check out this website.  http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/redefine-positive .  This is the mom of a child with HIV that is trying to get updated and accurate educational videos about HIV/AIDS into the public schools since the ones they use are from the 80s or 90s and aren't always factual with the current medical knowledge of HIV/AIDS.

We had a Color Dance and this was my aftermath

This was 80's night and all the volunteers.  Can you find Brian and I? ;)

#29 Relay For Life

I don't think there is a person out there that doesn't know someone that has been affected by cancer. Relay For Life is a part of the American Cancer Society that raises TONS of money to help find a cure for this terrible, often times deadly, disease.  What happens is people put together teams to raise money. At the event, teams are responsible for decorating a tent that follows whatever the theme is for that particular event. They also come up with something to sell from their tent that proceeds go to the American Cancer Society as well. There is a big opening ceremony with music and a Survivor's March. Each team is then presented and walk their opening lap around the track. From that point on, each team must have a member on the track at all times throughout the next twelve hours (at night!). When it gets dark, people put out luminaries around the track with people's names that have dealt with cancer and a message to that person, if desired. This is always a very emotional time. It is ended with a breakfast and a closing ceremony where the money raised is announced along with any other awards.

This was my second experience with Relay For Life. I remember walking around a track in Yakima, WA and trying to find the luminary that someone made for my Grandma Rena when I was a little girl. It was fun to participate this year with my sister's church group. I'm not even going to try and take any credit for how awesome our tent turned out because The only thing I really brought to the group was an outlandish outfit. Haha! I totally appreciate the hard work they put in. Organizing that kind of stuff is not quick and easy.

Having grown up in Gooding where the event was held allowed me to see a bunch of people I hadn't seen in a long time like past teachers, co-workers, volleyball players, and students! That was pretty awesome to catch up! My dad even came down to walk with my sister and I and helped us make luminaries for his mom, dad, brother, and our mom's dad. It makes me sad to think about how this disease has plagued not only my family (I often "joke" that I'm genetically screwed), but friends and friends' families as well.

Bottom line: get screened for the things you ought to be screened for and support great causes like Relay For Life and American Cancer Society. :)

#28 FEED America + Target

If you have been into a Target lately, chances are you have seen the FEED America sections in clothing or housewares. Founded by Lauren Bush, FEED sells items that the proceeds go to supplying food to children and families in need.  Here is their mission statement from the website:

"FEED Projects' mission is to create good products that help FEED the world. We do this through the sale of FEED bags, bears, t-shirts, and other accessories by building a set donation into the cost of each product. Thus the impact of each product, signified by a stenciled number, is understandable, tangible, and meaningful. 

We take great pride in using environmentally-friendly and artisan-made materials, along with fair-labor production, in creating all FEED products. 

We stand behind our brand and the organizations and humanitarian programs each FEED product supports. Ultimately, we believe that everyone has the right to basic human necessities, such as healthy and nutritious food. FEED is proud to help FEED the world, one bag at a time."

What did I do to help this project? Simple! I bought a shirt! When we moved across the country, our moving truck with all of our stuff came about three weeks late. My husband had not packed with that possibility in mind so he sent me to the store to buy him some shirts to wear. That is when I discovered FEED + Target. I bought him a t-shirt and that bought 10 meals for someone in need. Pretty cool! And it wasn't even that much more expensive than the regular Target t-shirts. This is something that I have a feeling I will be helping out with more in the future. There is a hoodie calling my name...

For more information, check out feedprojects.com

#27 Salvation Army

#27 is one that literally ANYONE can do to help someone in need and a great charity to boot! All you need is time to go through your closet, home, garage, whatever, and time and a vehicle to make a run to a thrift store.

There are many thrift stores in any area of your city, I'm sure, and most of them contribute to a greater cause. I chose Salvation Army because it was founded on Christian beliefs and does a lot to contribute to impoverished families in the community. They often hold food banks and even have a place to stay and eat for those who need it.

Ways to help The Salvation Army:

1. Donate money. Not everybody has money to give but we all have seen the bell ringers outside of the mall or grocery stores around Christmas time and any change in your pocket can help.

2. Donate time. You can volunteer to be a Christmas-time bell ringer or find out how you can be involved in their shelters or soup kitchens.

3. Donate your stuff. This is what I did for #27. When moving, you generally go through all of your stuff while packing and unpacking. There was a LOT of stuff that Brian and I had that we didn't want and need so we donated it so someone else could buy it and that money would feed into the awesomeness that is the Salvation Army.

BONUS: If you ask for a receipt when donating your items, you can use that for a tax deduction. Boom!