NURTURING NEWS from INSPIRATION LINE

MOMENTS THAT MATTER: A New Year's Resolution

2012-01-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

SEEK HAPPINESS

IN SIMPLICITY

~ By Ann Pietrangelo ~

"What is the good life? In my view, you can find it by following a startlingly simple path. The 'pleasant life' might be had by drinking champagne and driving a Porsche, but not the good life. Rather, the good life is using your signature strengths every day to produce authentic happiness and abundant gratification. This is something you can learn to do in each of the main realms of your life: work, love, and raising children." - from the 2002 book, Authentic Happiness by Martin E.P. Seligman, PhD

Happiness can be found in simplicity. For me, simplicity is a streamlined work life; an uncluttered, pleasant home; and maintaining a deep connection with the people I love. When those three things are in balance I am freer to create, to play, and to do good wherever and whenever I can. It's that simple.

How many acts of kindness do you carry out in a day? As you go about your busy life, you probably perform more random acts of kindness than you think. That's what I realized when I read Linda Cohen's 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your Life. In a chapter cleverly titled "Change the Toilet Paper," Linda discusses how the little things you do can make a big difference is someone else's day.

"Keep your eyes open and be aware of what your neighbors, friends, and strangers are going through. It's an opportunity to pay it forward in your daily life."

Throughout the book, Linda shares examples of the simplest acts of kindness that we can all do with minimal effort:

• Change a roll of toilet paper in the restroom. (Nobody likes to get stranded!)

• Tell a manager about an employee’s exemplary customer service. (You complain when things go wrong, don’t you?)

• Listen to people you meet with an open and giving heart. (Listening is a powerful gift.)

• Try spontaneous giving. (It’s really quite addictive.)

• The next time you’re at the gym, get someone a towel.

• Assist someone by carrying their groceries or packages.

• Let someone go ahead of you in the checkout line.

• Scoop your poop! (No one wants to step in it!)

• Call upon an elderly neighbor.

• Thank someone who impacted your life.

• Accommodate someone else’s schedule.

• Befriend a parent on a plane. (It could make all the difference in the world.)

Simple, right? It's even likely that you perform these or similar kindnesses every day without even giving it a thought. It's even possible that by doing them, you inspire others to pay it forward.

When we welcomed 2011, I wondered if I'd be around to see 2012. As it turns out, I look and feel healthier than most people I know. Aside from my still faint eyebrows and eyelashes, and my boyish haircut, there is no clue that I survived triple-negative breast cancer and ten months of very aggressive treatment, or that I have multiple sclerosis. Life is funny that way.

Despite the difficulties of the year, I am truly grateful to have lived it — life is a roller coaster and I'm happy to take another turn on the ride in 2012.

May you find your version of simplicity and happiness.

Ann Pietrangelo is the author of No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis. Making peace with multiple sclerosis, surviving triple-negative breast cancer, and continuing to pursue a career as a freelance writer ... well, let's just say she's fairly stubborn and doesn't lack a sense of humor. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, her writing covers a wide range of topics, including multiple sclerosis patient information, her Living with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer series, general health news, copywriting, and articles for sites all around the web.

BEING THE CHANGE: Stop Animal Overpopulation and Abuse

2012-01-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

Grizzled Truckers Transport
Rescued Animals To Safety

Kiel, a 46-year-oldtruck driver from Oregon, is pictured with 5-year-old Johnny,

the first dog hetransported to safety. "He's a really cool dog," Kiel said.

"Ifelt really, really wonderful knowing that I helped somebody else." ...

Sean Kiel is ano-nonsense guy with a gruff voice and a tough demeanor. A truck driver for 30years, he describes himself as an “alpha male” who tends to keep his emotions“hidden pretty well.” But get him talking aboutthe curly white Bichon Frise he helped rescue from a dark life in a puppy mill,and all of that changes.

“Here I am, a big ol’tough truck driver, and I’m sitting here choking up right now,” said Kiel, 46,who just transported the grateful fluff ball to a woman in California who waseager to give the dog a good home. “She was so happy to get that dog — justabsolutely happy. It was so touching to see.”

Kiel is a new recruit toan informal and ever-growing network of animal lovers who are transportingrescued dogs, cats, bunnies, ferrets and even the occasional monitor lizard orpot-bellied pig to loving homes, even if those homes are located hundreds ofmiles away. This unofficial Underground Railroad is powered by truckers,pilots, animal rescue groups and volunteerswho provide “layover homes” to all kinds of creatures as they journey to newand happier lives.

Their work happens ontheir own dime and takes plenty of time, but these volunteers are determined tokeep animals moving in the face of seemingly intractable problems: animaloverpopulation, and downright abuse, neglect and abandonment of animals bytheir owners. According to the American Humane Association, about 3.7 millionstray and unwanted animals are put to sleep in U.S. shelters each year.

“Shelters nationwide arefilled with animals that are going to be killed,” said Sue Wiese, 68, a formertruck driver from Joshua, Texas. “You just have to do something.” In September 2005, Wiesefounded Operation Roger,an organization made up of regional and long-haul truckers who transport petsin the cabs of their trucks as they deliver freight all across the country. Shegot the effort started after Hurricane Katrina left an estimated 250,000 petsstranded and struggling to survive.

RobertMontagna, a truck driver from Michigan, is pictured with Sue Wiese,
the founderof Operation Roger, an organization made up of
truckers who transport animalsto safe situations.

“My heart was justbreaking from all the stories about the pets,” Wiese recalled. “I was drivingdown the road and I was praying, ‘Lord, what can I do? I’m just a truckdriver.’ And then I heard one word: Transport.”

Thanks to the abundanceof animal lovers on the Internet, Wiese’s calling wasn’t all that hard tofulfill. An animal shelter or rescue organization might not be able to adoptout all its dogs and cats to homes locally — but what if nice people in otherstates read about those animals online and want to adopt them? Then, basically,those fortunate furry friends just need a ride.

Since 2005, OperationRoger has given nearly 600 animals a lift. The organization has detailed requirements and checks in place to make sure itsdrivers aren’t transporting animals to or from for-profit breeders, puppy millsor show circuits. Instead, the emphasis is on rescued animals who needpermanent homes, and pets who have an opportunity to be reunited with theirowners. For instance, if a lost pet turns up hundreds of miles away and isidentified with a microchip, that pet could get a comfy ride home in the cab ofa truck.

Robert Montagna, 56, atruck driver and Operation Roger volunteer who is based in Michigan, haswitnessed some emotional reunions between pets and their owners. In oneinstance a waitress in Colorado had been separated from her chocolate Labradorretriever for several months in the wake of a divorce. “When they saw eachother, they just ran together toward each other like it was in a movie,”Montagna said. “She cried and cried when she saw that dog.”

In other cases, Montagnahas fallen so in love with the pooches he’s transported that he’s had a hardtime saying goodbye to them. He still speaks wistfully of Milo, a Jack Russellterrier who liked to curl up and sleep on Montagna’s chest when he napped inhis truck.

When Robert Montagna transported Milo the dog to safety in his truck,
Milo liked to curl up on Montagna's chest for naps.

I just love doing this,”Montagna said. “I always say that if I won a big lottery, I’d buy a big RV andI’d call Sue up and say, ‘Where’s the dog at? I’ll deliver it.’ And after that,I’d call her and say, ‘OK, where’s the next dog at?’ I’d just keep doing thisall over the country.”

Sometimes the logisticsinvolved with getting a pet transported exactly where it needs to go by truckcan be tricky. That’s when pilots fill a huge need. Since it was founded in2008, Pilots N Paws— a South Carolina-based organization that connects shelters and animal rescueorganizations with more than 2,100 pilots and plane owners — has transported thousands of pets to safety in small airplanes.

Pilots N Paws has transported thousands of pets in airplanes since 2008.

"You see the look in the animals’ eyes," said the group's

co-founder Debi Boies. "They just know they’re safe."

“People have just reallypulled together over this,” said co-founder Debi Boies. “It’s actually a greatcombination. Pilots are everyday working people who love to fly — it’s apassion. If they’re going to spend the money to do what they love to do, whynot make a difference while they’re doing it? Why not save a life? And theydo.”

Occasionally volunteerpilots will team up with volunteer truck drivers to coordinate a pet transport.In other cases, when the weather turns bad and pilots know families are eagerlyawaiting special animal deliveries, they’ll spend their own money to rent carsand make sure the deliveries happen. “You can’t imagine what these pilots arewilling to do,” Boies said. “Some of them even end up adopting the animals theytransported.” Story click here: How one high-flying dad is making pet rescue a family affair

Finding a new home — in a truck
Some organizations workwith truckers — not by proving transport, but by helping to connect truckdrivers with animals they'd like to adopt.

Susanne Spirit, a countryand blues singer based in Southern California, has started an energetic,music-filled, on-site adoption program for the hundreds of truck drivers whovisit the TravelCenters of America truck stop in Ontario, Calif. The MusicalTruckin' Dogs Adoption Program founded by Spirit does notfacilitate transport for animals, but helps match truckers with rescue pets oftheir own.

The truckers who adopt dogs through Spirit’s program are set up witheverything they need for seven to 10 consecutive days: water, bowls, collars,harnesses, leashes, blankets, a kennel if needed, toys, treats and food. She’seven arranged to have a mobile groomer and a mobile veterinarian in the parkinglot. Over the course of 11 months, Spirit and a number of volunteers havemanaged to find rolling, loving homes for more than 900 dogs.

“These truck drivers can’t just stop atWal-Mart or Petco — they’re hauling freight,” Spirit said. “So with those carepackages, all they have to worry about is the dog. We don’t make a dime off ofany of the dogs, and I don’t know how many truckers have put together carepackages. Everything is donated.

Operation Roger always needs more truckdrivers and volunteers to provide layover homes for animals in transit. To getinvolved, visit the organization’s website or email operationroger01@yahoo.com

Pilots N Paws always needs pilots totransport animals to safe situations. General-aviation pilots who areinterested in helping out should visit the organization’s website oremail info@pilotsnpaws.org

To help support Susanne Spirit’s MusicalTruckin' Dogs Adoption Program, visit this website or Facebook page, oremail info@musicaltruckindogs.com

By Laura T. Coffey Today - MSNBC

MOMENTS THAT MATTER: Become a New Radical

2011-12-31T14:34:00.003-07:00

Top 10 Reasons to

Become a New Radical

~ By Julia Moulden ~

When I was writing my book about New Radicals (that is, people like you and me who've found ways to leverage skills acquired in our careers and put them to work on the world's greatest challenges), I asked everyone I interviewed to imagine sitting down with readers over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. And I asked these pioneers what they would say to people who are considering becoming New Radicals.

As you can imagine, their responses covered a broad spectrum of ideas and emotions. Yet, they also spoke with one voice, like an opera chorus, using the Nike tagline that got this generation off the couch once before, "Just do it!" They hope, as I do, that their stories will awaken you to the power within.

1. You will change someone's life.

"When I told the women in this village [a small town outside Kigali, Rwanda] I would return in April, they were happy. I heard later that they didn't believe me, saying to one another, 'Why would she leave a rich and beautiful country to come and help strangers?' When I came back, there were tears. It was so important to me to return in April, you see, so that they knew something good could happen in that month." — Nicole Pageau, Ubuntu Edmonton http://UbuntuEdmonton.org/

2. You will change your own life.

"I got an injection of energy and excitement about my ability to contribute to the world. It was incredibly scary to let go, but it was also incredibly freeing. And I have not been this happy in years." — Melissa Dyrdahl, Bring Light www.BringLight.com/

3. Your skills are needed.

"I can't think of any social cause that will say, 'That's it, we're done!' Everyone is toiling away at the things they care about. And there's always room for more people." — Suzanne Seggerman, Games for Change http://GamesForChange.org/

4. You will discover the power of synchronicity.

"I don't know how the universe works, and I'm not a scientist, but there's no doubt in my mind that there are lots of synchronicities at work. The universe waits for you to say, 'I'm ready!' And when you've made the internal commitment, the universe, whatever it is, just delivers. It's extraordinary. But, it takes that deep, courageous moment, or series of moments." — Mark Brayne, Braynework www.Braynework.com/ and http://DartCenter.org/

5. Your view of the world will change.

"What I've learned from our alumni is the truly extraordinary impact they have on their kids' lives. It's funny, but it's fueled by a sense of dissatisfaction at the same time. On the one hand, it's possible to achieve, and on the other, we still have so far to go to reach the point where all of our teachers attain that level of success with their children, and ultimately, where the entire education system does, too. I've moved from having an idea that the world could be different, to realizing that not only should it, but that it really could." — Wendy Kopp, Teach for America www.TeachForAmerica.com/

6. You will influence those around you.

"This work has been a great example to my kids. My son, who is in university, is becoming interested in international affairs and is learning about the inequities between rich and poor countries. And he feels that social awareness has been in our family since he was a little boy, but now it's nice to be able to deliver on it, in terms of true on-the-ground activism. I can actually demonstrate how a bunch of people like me made a difference in this community." — Tony Leighton, Guelph Civic League http://GuelphCivicLeague.ca/

7. You will meet exceptional people.

"A fascinating by-product that I didn't expect is that when you do this work, you start to meet really interesting people. I've developed a new network of friends. My personal life's gotten much better, and they are exactly the kind of people I want to develop this new venture with, as well." — Ron Dembo, Zerofootprint http://ZeroFootprint.net/

8. You will feel connected to something bigger.

"There are a lot of people out there who are disadvantaged and, you know, I could have been one. It's so important to help one another. I have friends who have all the material things in life, but aren't happy. I tell that they'll be amazed at what happens if they spend just one day a week helping someone in need." — Paul Gillespie, Kids' Internet Safety Alliance http://KINSA.net

9. You will play a part in saving the world.

"I've seen kids in refugee camps move from apathy and violence to happiness and hope for the future. They become children again." — Johann Koss, Right to Play www.RightToPlay.com/site/PageServer

10. You will die happy.

"I think the worst thing in the world is to be lying on your death bed saying, 'I wish I had tried.' Putting yourself out there, and giving yourself the opportunity to do some good, is noble in its own right. The other thing I tell people is that with the traditional career arc, the more money we make, the more we buy, and the more we make to keep feeding those things. In the process, we forget that we're not any happier, and maybe less so. To my mind, it's better to live 24 hours a day meaningfully rather than just the hours when you're not at work." — Kevin Salwen, Motto Magazine www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWPGbr18OlY

A powerful new idea is sweeping North America: that "doing good" can mean more than volunteering and philanthropy. That how we earn our living can become the way we give back. We Are the New Radicals both reports on this emerging trend and will help create it - by awakening people from all walks of life and inspiring them to take their place in the movement that is changing the world.

Julia Moulden is an author, speaker, and columnist (www.JuliaMoulden.com). Julia offers practical advice for people who want to reinvent their work and gives answers to questions such as "What are my motivations?" "What skills can I leverage?" "Where is the greatest need?" and "How do I get there from here?". She believes that in the next few decades, we have a remarkable opportunity — as individual human beings, and as an international family — to realize our full potential and, in doing so, to solve many of the problems that face us.

Julia Moulden's new book, "RIPE: Rich, Rewarding Work After 50", was published in April, 2011. It's a 12-week course in discovering passion, purpose and possibility at midlife. Her second book,"We Are The New Radicals: A Manifesto for Reinventing Yourself and Saving the World", was published internationally by McGraw-Hill, New York (2008). It reports on a powerful new idea that is sweeping North America: that “doing good” can mean more than volunteering and philanthropy. That how we earn our living can become the way we give back. It offers practical advice for people who want to reinvent their work.

Read our corresponding
Inspiration Line issue this week
IT'S A NEW BEGINNING...
TIME TO CHOOSE THE POSSIBILITIES:

www.InspirationLine.com/EZINE/2JAN2012.htm

ANSWERS & ENCOURAGEMENT (12/24/11)

2011-12-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

TIME TO WAKE UP

~ By Steve Goodier ~

You remember Charles Dickens immortal story "Christmas Carol." The miserly Scrooge grows increasingly unconcerned with others and isolated until, one night, he is invited by supernatural visitors to change.

The "Ghost of Christmas Past" takes him by the hand and shows him how his life has unfolded and how his self-centered decisions have led him to his present unhappy state.

The "Ghost of Christmas Present" takes the blindfolds off his narrow view of life so he can clearly see how he has insolated himself from the struggles of others.

Finally, the "Ghost of Christmas Future" portrays to Scrooge what is likely to happen if he persists along his present course. It is an ugly sight.

Then...how does the story end? Scrooge wakes up. That's right -- he WAKES UP! When he awakens from his slumber he also awakens to the way things are. He wakes up and changes! We really CAN change.

The name of Scrooge should never be associated with a miserly person. That was the OLD Scrooge.

But he woke up! He became generous and jovial. He realized that he could enjoy life. He discovered love — by giving it away! Nobody "kept Christmas" like Scrooge, Dickens tells us.

And that's what change is -- waking up. Waking up to the fact the things really CAN be different! We CAN change.

I like this prayer with a twist:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change; The courage to change the one I can; And the wisdom to know that person is me."

THERE YOU ARE ~ By Steve Goodier

Have you noticed — for some people, it's all about them; for others, it's all about you? Author and speaker Leil Lowndes puts it this way:

"There are two kinds of people in this life. Those who walk into a room and say, 'Well, here I am.' And those who walk in and say, 'Ah, there YOU are.'" I know which I am happiest to see. If you want friends, show an interest in people around you. No one is without a friend who knows how to be a friend.

William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army in 1865, understood this principle. A story is told that, one Christmas season, he tried to think of a way to encourage all of his officers. The Salvation Army had seen rapid growth by this time they were spread throughout several countries.

He decided to send each one a telegram. The cable consisted of a one-word message: "OTHERS"

His organization grew around that motto. I can hardly think of a better motto for a life.

A life dedicated to "others" is one that shouts THERE YOU ARE. It is a life that is full and happy and, best of all, worthwhile.

By Steve Goodier:
Now you can begin each day at home or work with a free, daily
encouraging lift. To the point, high quality, often humorous and
always encouraging, these uplifting and thought-provoking
messages by Steve Goodier can make a positive difference.
Begin your free subscription now by signing up here:
http://LifeSupportSystem.com/

Read our corresponding

Inspiration Line issue this week

THAT'S THE SPIRIT:

www.InspirationLine.com/EZINE/25DEC2011.htm

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOO:

2011-12-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

SECRET SANTAS PAY

STRANGERS' LAYAWAY

BILLS AT KMART

Dannell Goddard works in the Kmart on Plainfield in

Grand Rapids. The layaway-paying Secret Santa Craze

that began here has quickly reached across the country...

An anonymous merrymaker spread some holiday cheer last week by paying $500 toward the layaway accounts of three strangers at a Kmart in Michigan. Since then, copycat Secret Santas have followed suit, giving thousands of dollars for layaways in other stores around the country.

Christmas came early for three people in West Michigan when a stranger picked up the tab on some presents. It happened Monday night at the Big Kmart on the 4000 block of Plainfield Avenue in Plainfield Township. A woman, described only as "being in her 30s," walked up to the layaway desk, pushing a shopping cart full of toys she planned to donate.

"This lady came up randomly and said, 'Can I, you know, pay off some people's layaway?'" said Dannell Goddard. Goddard works at Kmart in the layaway department. She told 24 Hour News 8 that when she first heard the request, she was a bit confused. "I was like, 'Well, are you trying to pick them up? 'Cause you can't pick them up if you don't have an ID," Goddard said. "And the mystery woman replied, 'Nope, I just want to help people.'"

The woman looked through several of the about 800 layaway contract tickets at the store. She randomly picked and paid the bill on three of them. She paid about $500 between all three of them and left a $10 balance on each of the accounts. The woman's only requirement was that there were toys in the layaway orders.

"It was really crazy the way she did it. She was so excited and so happy to do it," said Goddard. "She had a great heart, and I told her that I felt like she had a great heart, and she said she doesn't want to take appreciation for it. She just felt that she was blessed and she wanted to bless others."

One of the recipients of that kindness was Mary Chapin. She told 24 Hour News 8 the act of kindness "restored her faith in people." Chapin had put about $200 worth of toys on layaway for her autistic son, David, Monday afternoon. She said she hoped she'd be able to pay off the balance by the week before Christmas.

Then she got a call from Kmart that changed all that. "They said that someone had paid $180 on my layaway and there was only $10 left," said Chapin. "I thought it was a joke." Chapin wanted to say thank you, but the only clue to the woman's identity was a message on her receipt that read, "Happy Holiday from a friend."

"I thank her. It's the best gift that I ever received, and it's the gift of believing in people," said Chapin. "And believing that there's good out there, 'cause you don't always see that." The entire layaway order was for 12-year-old David who has autism. Chapin told 24 Hour News 8 she was so excited she gave her son one of those toys, a brand new LEGO set.

Chapin has her own name for her family's Secret Santa. She calls the woman "an angel" for her family. She said that angel gave her family a far bigger gift than the toys themselves. "Even though we're all in the same boat, nobody's thinking about anyone else, it's every man for himself," said Chapin. To have somebody come along behind, and just do something that's totally unnecessary but so appreciated, it just really made a difference."

That woman, whoever she is

(Mrs. Claus, perhaps?), should be

very proud of what she started...

UPDATE: ACTS OF KINDNESS SNOWBALLING

It's easy … just pick a dollar amount!

ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE—
ASK FOR LAYAWAYS WITH TOYS AND KIDS' CLOTHES
THAT ARE ON THE "RTS" (RETURN TO STOCK) LIST FOR
FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PAY ON THE ITEMS.

In just a week's time, one woman's generosity at a Plainfield Township Kmart's layaway counter has inspired similar acts of kindness not only at that store but at some of the retailer's other stores in Michigan and across the country. News of her good deed inspired a man from a charity to go in the next day to pay off 14 accounts worth about $2,000.

Since then, it has been a domino effect of generosity. People have been going to the store to pay off accounts or make payments for strangers. As of Tuesday, more than 40 accounts have been paid off at the Plainfield store, with donations topping $5,000. The paid-off layaway accounts have averaged $150. "It's wonderful," said Carol Vernon, assistant manager at the store. "It's just brought back the true spirit of Christmas." Vernon said it has been enjoyable watching the shock and gratitude expressed by those who benefited from these Secret Santas.

One was an older woman who learned her bill had been reduced to 40 cents. Her husband was laid off from his job the day before and the coming months were going to be a hardship. Another was a mother of eight children. The paid-off layaway accounts have ranged in value from $60 to nearly $300. She hopes the Christmas spirit continues, with more people donating money toward good causes.

Vernon said those stepping forward to make the payments made sure the accounts involved items such as children's clothing, coats, toys and necessities. "That's one of the stipulations people had. It's not going for frivolous stuff like big televisions," she said.

Kmart cashier Zach Watkins retrieves layaway items for

a customer at the Kmart on Plainfield in Grand Rapids.

Vernon said the gestures have created an atmosphere of excitement in the store. "The morale among employees is great. Everyone was in tears, excited and happy," she said. Kmart employees have enjoyed being the conduit between these quiet givers and the grateful recipients. "It's kind of shocking and surprising to us," said Dan Veenstra, an assistant manager who has worked at the store for 23 years. "In the past, people have paid off layaways for friends, neighbors, co-workers or someone they knew. But for someone to pay off a stranger's bill, we haven't seen that."

In West Michigan 24 Hour News 8 caught Eric Crandle and his son paying it forward Saturday. For them, giving is personal. "Our granddaughter was diagnosed with cancer and the people that have outreached and helped us has been overwhelming," Crandle, Sr. said. "So to help others is the thing to do."

Jamie Reece had to put a box of tissues on her Kmart layaway counter. A secret Santa hit the Hastings, Michigan, store late last week, bringing in $5,000 to pay off 50 layaway accounts. "I wanted to go get a Santa hat - I felt like Santa's little messenger that day when I got to tell people their layaways were paid for," said Reece. "It was the most wonderful feeling. There were a lot of tears."

"What a wonderful thing, and we're just so blessed to be able to be part of it," she said. "There are so many people here in so much need, and this is just such a wonderful, generous gift." Reece, who's worked at Kmart for about a year, said it was, by far, the best day of work. "I wanted to stay in layaway all day and not go anywhere else," she said. "It just really blows you away that people will do this."

"The beauty of this is that it's organic and coming from the customers and not from us," said Salima Yala, Kmart's division vice president for layaway. "It's being driven by outside the company. It's just people to people." The fact people as far away as California have latched onto the idea shows what good deeds can do, Latasha Lucas said. "You never know the effects just one act of kindness can have," she said.

Dannelle Goddard helps Jeremy Lucas as he looks
through a box of things that he and his wife bought
their son for Christmas after paying off their layaway.

Since then, such Secret Santa acts of kindness appear to be snowballing. The news of the generosity has inspired similar acts in other Kmart stores. A woman paid off $5,000 in layaway bills at the Kmart store in Hastings, and others did something similar in Jackson and Detroit-area stores. There have been similar reports of Secret Santa activity in Kmart stores in Nebraska, North Carolina and California.

In Jackson, Michigan, two men paid off layaway accounts, worth more than $500, for about 15 people,

In Omaha, Nebraska, anonymous donors have paid off an unspecified number of Kmart layaway accounts.

In Burlington, North Carolina, an anonymous man contributed $100 to a woman's layaway account — where she had set aside $200 worth of toys to donate to a needy family.

In Indianapolis, Indiana, a widow used some of her inheritance to become a Secret Santa.

In Davenport, Iowa after one stranger paid off a layaway ticket, three more followed suit. Similar reports surfaced in Nebraska and California. A Kmart store in Anaheim called the Grand Rapids store Saturday to ask advice on layaway payoffs after someone saw the original story and wanted to pay off $5,000 in layaway tabs.

This wave of Christmas cheer reached southeast Michigan a few days ago when a shopper in Walmart decided to pick up the $187 tab of the family behind him in line. The family was happy and grateful that a stranger randomly decided to help them out with their groceries and Christmas shopping.

WATCH VIDEO: http://www.11alive.com/news/article/216704/166/Secret-Santa-picks-up-tab-on-strangers-layaways

SOURCE: http://www.mlive.com and other media sites

Read our corresponding

Inspiration Line issue this week

Christmas Angel:

www.InspirationLine.com/EZINE/19DEC2011.htm

MOMENTS THAT MATTER (12/10/11)

2011-12-10T02:30:00.000-07:00

Are You Willing to Move

from Helpless to Helpful?

~ By Russell Bishop ~

Whenever I post something about how you might be able to work around life's challenging situations, some readers inevitably resort to trashing the idea as some kind of "drivel" or "snake oil." I know it's hard for many to imagine that these ideas about taking control of what happens to you actually work; however, these are practical suggestions that do, in fact, work — but only if you are willing to work them.

Inevitably, life is going to present each of us with difficult situations. Many of us have lost jobs, incomes and homes in the worst economy of our lifetime. Others have been stricken with major health issues, and most of us will encounter personal loss more than once along the way. The question is not so much about how to avoid what happens to you but how to respond.

While you may not be able to control what happens to you, you do get to control how you respond. The real question becomes: how do you work around whatever might befall you?

Here's an example from a reader who sent an e-mail to me on Dec. 30, as New Year's Eve was rapidly approaching. She wanted to share her personal version of moving from victim to victor, with a preference to be known simply as "A Thoughtful Reader":

During the first Christmas Season after my husband's death, I was washing my dishes and thinking despairing thoughts about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day and how my Richard wouldn't be there to wish me a happy New Year. In fact, all my friends would be hunkered down with their own spouses for New Year's Eve or involved in family get-togethers. I made myself feel worse by picturing myself alone on New Year's Eve watching the ball drop on TV and all the people hugging and kissing each other and remembering how my Richard and I had done that just a year before.

As I got deeper into my grief, a phrase popped into my head out of nowhere. Like a disembodied Yoda scolding: "Be helpful not helpless!"

This thought disrupted my pity party and cleared my mind. As I contemplated the application of it, I remembered an idea I had had for many years. I always wanted to host an open house for the neighbors on New Year's Day. Just a simple "drop-in-for-soup-and-sandwiches" type of afternoon. My husband had never been interested in the idea, but now there was nothing stopping me from doing it. As I got busy with the planning, the gloom and doom disappeared. It was a success. I have made it into a yearly event.

This may seem like a superficial example but the phrase "Be helpful not helpless" is the key to guiding me back on the path because it focuses me on possibilities and my strengths and resources. It has become the starting point for all my ventures and I'm sharing this with you because I feel it relates to the point you were making creating life the way we want rather than the one we settle for.

What a great example of choosing to take control of what you can instead of staying mired in the self-imposed hopelessness of the situation.

My new book, "Workarounds That Work: How to Conquer Anything that Stands in Your Way at Work," provides numerous examples of how you can overcome complex systems, frustrating processes or negative and resistant people at work. These same principles that can help you succeed at work can also help you succeed in your personal life.

If you want to make a difference in your life, whether it is in your personal life, your career or just life in general, the best advice anyone can give you is to start where you are and make whatever improvement you can right here, right now.

You may not be able to overcome the whole situation right away, but if you at least get going, you will start to experience some improvement, and some improvement is a heck of a lot better than none. As "Thoughtful Reader" found in her own experience, it's time to start moving from helpless to helpful.

What could you do to make your life less frustrating and more successful? Are you willing to own the outcome you prefer and do what you must to move from helpless to helpful?

Russell Bishop is an educational psychologist, author, executive coach and management consultant based in Santa Barbara, Calif. Watch for his new book, "Workarounds That Work: How to Conquer Anything that Stands in Your Way at Work." You can find out more about Russell at www.workaroundsthatwork.com. You can also download a free chapter of his new book by going to his website and clicking "Download a free chapter."

Read our corresponding

Inspiration Line issue this week

My Holiday Wish:

www.InspirationLine.com/EZINE/12DEC2011.htm

ANSWERS & ENCOURAGEMENT (12/3/11)

2011-12-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

WHEN IT COMES TO

DOING GOOD:

"Be Prepared For Complaints"

~From Kindness: Making a Difference in People's Lives
- Formulas, Stories, and Insights ~

One of my students told me:

"I can't believe it. Before I was devoted to helping others, very few people had complaints against me. It seems that the more I do for others, the more that people are upset with me. Those I help, complain, 'Why aren't you doing more?' Those I am unable to help complain, 'How come you help other people and not me?' Those who are angry with me for various reasons tell me, 'You feel that just because you help people you don't have to live up to other obligations.'"

When you devote your life to helping others, you are likely to arouse envy, animosity, and resentment. The needs of the people you help can be so great that they will be angry you aren't helping them even more than you are. Your energy, time, and other resources are limited, so those you don't help might feel resentful that you do more for others than you do for them.

Some people will be envious of the good you do. In order to feel better about themselves, they will find it easier to put you down than to do more themselves. They are likely to challenge your motivations when they say things like:

o "He only helps others because of his overblown ego."
o "She only helps those whom she feels will help her."
o "He wants to get ahead politically so he does favors for others."
o "She only does kindnesses because she's compensating for feelings of inferiority."

Even if it isn't true, cynical or envious people are likely to make these claims. Someone with mixed motives — he wants to help others and he does enjoy honor — is likely to feel more hurt about this than someone whose motivations are pure. But anyone who has a sensitive nature can feel hurt.

Being criticized is part of the price one pays for helping others. This elevates you: You are willing to personally suffer in order to do acts of kindness for others. Acknowledge the truth of a complaint and it will be easier to tolerate.

o "Yes. I should do a lot more than I am doing. I'm sorry that I'm limited."
o "I agree that I'm only doing a drop in the bucket of what is needed."
o "I acknowledge it would be wonderful if I were doing more than I am."
o "Yes. I am inconsistent. But I feel it's better to continue doing the good that I'm doing than to consistently do nothing for others."

One of my students explained: "I remember how shocked I was when someone whom I've helped greatly told me off in great anger, 'You aren't there for me enough when I really need you. O.K., so you did help me before but what about lately!'

"After this I heard about being prepared for such occurrences. The next time someone I had helped attacked me for not doing enough for them, I was mentally ready to answer with true compassion, 'I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I see how much you've suffered. It's really rough.'

"The amazing thing is that when I said this with sincere concern, the person's anger subsided and I received an apology. My response was, 'That's all right. I understand the pressure you were under.' We parted with good feelings.

KINDNESS & GIVING: "Ten Don'ts"

[1] DON'T be obsessed with the people you can't help.
Focus on the people you can. You are a mortal. You, like everyone else, are limited. Obsessing about what you can't do prevents you from thinking about things you can do.

[2] DON'T let the lack of kindness and giving of others influence you to stop helping and giving.
Some people feel resentful, "Other people aren't helping. Why should I?" We learn from role models. Learn from those who are kind, not from those who aren't.

[3] DON'T keep trying to help someone who truly doesn't want your help.
Some people are very independent. They could gain from accepting your help. But their need to be on their own is stronger than their wish for your help. Be aware that some people really want your help but are embarrassed about it. If you feel that is the situation, try to say things to put the person at ease.

[4] DON'T give up too soon.
Some people might think that you really won't be able to help them so they initially tell you not to bother. If you don't give up, both you and the other person will see that he will gain much more than he thought.

[5] DON'T complain that other people keep asking you to do things for them.
If others come to you for help, it's an expression that they believe you are a kind person. You might not be able to meet other people's needs right now, but by being aware of their needs, you might think of a creative solution.

[6] DON'T tell anyone, "I had to go without this for a long time. So you also can go without it."
Other people have a right to something even if you didn't always have it. If you don't want to help someone, just say a polite, "No."

[7] DON'T be hurt if a selfish person complains that you are selfish.
Some selfish people try to manipulate giving people by telling them they are selfish. Perhaps you are being selfish. Then again, perhaps not. You might want to ask objective outsiders for their opinion.

[8] DON'T be naïve. Don't believe every story you hear.
If a story seems questionable, check it out. If you have good reason to believe that someone is lying to you, perhaps he is. But be very careful. Someone's sad story might not at first seem true, but it could very well be that it is. A person who loves kindness would rather err on the possibility of helping someone who doesn't need it rather than not helping someone who does.

[9] DON'T say things that might cause someone to feel badly when you help him.
Some people might say things such as, "This is so difficult for me to do. I don't know why I agreed to do this for you." Or, "This is the last time I'll commit myself to do this for anyone."

[10] DON'T embarrass someone when you do something for him.
Be careful not to say or do anything in the presence of others that would cause distress to the person you are trying to help.

From the Partners in Kindness free weekly e-mail
For further information, please visit our Website:
www.PartnersInKindness.org
By Zelig Pliskin Printed with Permission of Shaar Press

Read our corresponding

Inspiration Line issue this week

Hug It Forward … Magic in a Bottle:

www.InspirationLine.com/EZINE/5DEC2011.htm

BEING THE CHANGE (11/26/11)

2011-11-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

HAITI'S HERO:
Young Girl Helps Build
27 Homes and School
For Earthquake Victims

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — When 12-year-old Rachel Wheeler was greeted with songs and praise in the Haitian village she helped develop over a two-year period, she felt satisfied. But, she also decided in that moment on her next pressing philanthropic project to pursue.

It was here, in the coastal village of Kay Piti, in Leogane, among the new vibrantly painted homes, that Rachel became aware that not all children are able to attend school. Determined to make a difference, Rachel's latest goal is to build a school for the kids who lost theirs in the 2010 earthquake, FoodForThePoor.org reports.

"I want to build a school because they need education to make their lives better so they can learn and teach their own children how to have a better life," said Rachel Wheeler, who was named one of America's 2011 top 10 youth volunteers out of approximately 29,000 applicants. "Without education, Haiti will never be able to improve the lives of its people," said Rachel. "You can't just sit around and think about doing it," Rachel told the Miami Herald. "You got to actually get out there and do it."

The Zion Lutheran School sixth grader first learned about the extreme destitution that Haiti's residents face when she attended a Food for the Poor meeting in 2009 with her mom. When Rachel heard that the kids eat mud cookies and live in cardboard houses because they're so poor, she vowed to help make a difference, NBC reports.

Students at Ti Aiyti, in Cite Soleil, energizedRachel Wheeler.

While in Haiti, Rachel and her family visited the Food For The Poor-sponsored school Ti Aiyti in Cité Soleil. The students, dressed in blue and white uniforms, greeted guests with laughter, smiles, handmade cards, and performances. "I believe that knowledge is power," said Julie Wheeler, Rachel's mother. "Education is the solution to poverty. Seeing the school in Cité Soleil gave me hope, those children are the future leaders of their country."

In addition to providing supplies, Food For The Poor also supports school feeding programs, feeding 2 million impoverished people daily around the world. For many poor children, the nutritious meal they receive at school may be their only meal of the day. The meals not only help a child concentrate, learn and develop, but they also serve as a powerful incentive for parents to send their children to school. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

"Rachel didn't just WANT to help," her mother, Julie, told the news outlet, "but she said she HAD to help." Rachel partnered with Food For The Poor. The then 9-year-old committed to raising enough money to build 12 homes in a small village just outside of Port-au-Prince

Rachel collected funds by organizing bake sales, passing a donation can at homecoming games and selling homemade potholders at her Deerfield Beach, Fla. school, according to NBC. She turned to her parents' friends and her church for help and the Lighthouse Point Chamber of Commerce sent two substantial checks her way.

In just three years, her fundraising efforts surpassed $250,000, enough to erect 27 concrete two-room homes. Each is equipped with an area for beds and a living space, CBS reports. The area was dubbed "Rachel's Village."

Filona Bernard, like many children in Haiti,

pray for the opportunity to attend school.

Food For The Poor's August 2011 newsletter features a young girl who said that if God could answer any of her prayers, she would ask Him to answer two. "I'd ask God to help my family, because the living conditions here are very bad. And I'd ask God to send me to school," said Filona Bernard, 13, who is unable to attend school because there is not enough money for a school uniform, books, and other essentials.

"I like school because I think that without school, you can't succeed in life. You can't be anything," said Filona, who watches her six younger siblings while her mother is at the local market, selling mangoes for five cents apiece.

Rachel’s school will replace this one-room,

makeshift structure that floods when it rains.

Rachel's school will be constructed in Reap de Morel, Leogane, near the epicenter of the January 2010, 7.2 earthquake. Prior to the earthquake, 250 students from kindergarten to the sixth grade were registered and attended the school. Classes are currently held in a one-room, makeshift structure that floods when it rains. Rusted sheet-metal, pieces of wood and blue tarps offer students little protection from the weather.

"Rachel is an incredible young lady who has dreams of a better life for poor children," said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor's Executive Director. "With the construction of this school, children from 'Rachel's Village' and the surrounding area will be able to wear uniforms, walk proudly to school and learn how to read and write."

"I want to build a school because they need education to make their lives better so they can learn and teach their own children how to have a better life," Rachel told the nonprofit.

Rachel has hit the halfway mark in her fundraising efforts for building the school in Leogane, according to NBC, and is determined to hit her goal. "I don't believe I can snap my fingers and change Haiti overnight," she told NBC. "I know I have to work at it."

Want to help Rachel's cause? Donate here or mail your tax-deductible donation to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. Make checks payable to "Food For The Poor" and include the special source code "SC# 80982."

Watch Rachel in a Video Here

See More Photos Here

Sources:
www.FoodForThePoor.org
www.HuffingtonPost.com

Read our corresponding

Inspiration Line issue this week

OFFERING CAN INSTANTLY UNBIND THE HEART:

http://www.inspirationline.com/EZINE/28NOV2011.htm

ANSWERS & ENCOURAGEMENT (11/19/11)

2011-11-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

HOW A RAISIN
TAUGHT ME THE POWER

OF DOING NOTHING

~By Claudia Ricci, Ph.D.~

Not to sound too dramatic or anything, but this is a rather dangerous time of year for me. The middle of May — when the school year comes to a screeching halt — is usually a time when life turns into a slick wet deck and I go skating over the edge. I land in a deep dark pool and thrash around in the murky black water feeling like I'm drowning.

Nothing too dramatic about that.

It's been 13 years that I've been working as a college teacher, and for many of those years, after classes ended, I have been so depressed that I haven't known where to turn. I am not particularly proud of this situation. People who are lucky enough to have jobs these days (and I regularly count my blessings in that regard) are generally lucky enough only to get two weeks off in the summer. Most of these people count the days until summer vacation arrives, and then they savor each of their days off, hour by hour. Most of them would kill to have a long summer vacation.

So what kind of a loser am I that I can't seem to enjoy my extended summer break? Why can't I just kick back and have fun? Why is it that the prospect of four "empty" months makes me so anxious that I often need to turn to one or more prescription drugs?

The answer to that question is complex, but simple too: I have a very very hard time doing nothing. (I can hear people screaming at their screens right about now, "Hey lady, just go get a summer job and stop whining!" To all of you who are sitting at a desk at work, screaming at me, ready to smack your computer, I want to apologize and say, yes, I do realize that getting a second job is an option!) But the issue here really is why I can't just enjoy doing nothing in particular.

In the past, after my "May Nosedive," I've usually managed to cobble something together. I have volunteered for worthy causes, and once I ran a really cool program for a couple dozen kids down in D.C. I absolutely loved that job but I haven't been able to get another program up and running here.

Generally, I busy myself with this and that in the summer: gardening and guitar, writing and painting. And of course, preparing for the upcoming fall semester. Through much of these summer weeks, I have struggled to stay happy. I have struggled with boredom. I have felt lost and low and hopeless. It's just rotten feeling that way.

OK, so it's that time of year again. But this year is different. This year, I taught the happiness class and I found myself learning some amazing lessons. I think I learned as much as the students (hopefully) did.

Many of the readings for that class were life-changing. So too was the mindfulness workshop that I took, along with the students, with a wonderful teacher named Lenore Flynn. These experiences have given me enormous insight into something very basic: How to live, each day, moment by moment, staying present and aware.

For those of you who already know what mindfulness is all about, and how it can really turn your head in a wonderful new direction — you understand. And for those of you who are skeptical, I want to say that I truly do understand your skepticism.

How can something as simple as paying attention to your breathing, and to the mundane minutia of everyday activities, possibly turn you into a very happy camper? If I hadn't also seen it happen to many of the students, I too might be skeptical. But the fact is, paying very very close attention to the seemingly minor and unimportant matters of life is a rather revolutionary activity. It is not an exaggeration to say that mindfulness teaches you to see and feel life and your role in it in a whole new way.

In the first mindfulness class, for example, Lenore led us in a meditation exercise as she frequently did during the workshop. But she also handed to each of us a couple of raisins. It was our challenge to not eat those raisins, at least right away. The task we were given was simply to appreciate those wrinkled little dried grapes in a way that we had never done before. Holding them in our hands, we had to stare at all their whitish folds. We had to study very carefully their appearance: their plump, or not so plump shapes, their size, color and fullness. We had to roll them around, feeling the squishy way they felt on our fingertips. We had to inhale the sweet fragrance of those raisins.

In short, it was our job to consider the "raisin-ness" of raisins, the very essence and nature of them. Sitting in the palm of our hand, those raisins were very tempting. But more importantly, they turned into rather profound little teachers, or at least I found that they did for me. Instead of just popping them into our mouths, we had to anticipate the pleasure that those raisins would give us. (Of course there were a few students who hate raisins, but that's another matter.)

When we were finally, after several long and drawn out minutes, allowed to place the raisins in our mouth, we still were not allowed to eat them. Instead, we had to taste them. We let them roll around our tongues. We savored the way those little withered grapes felt up against our cheeks. We salivated all over those raisins.

And finally, finally, Lenore gave us the go-ahead and let us eat them. You bet we tasted those raisins. You bet we enjoyed them more than we'd ever enjoyed a raisin before. I mean how many times has it taken five whole minutes to eat a raisin?

The point is, most of us rarely taste any of our food. We don't eat mindfully. We don't slow down enough to really pay attention to the look of our food. To the texture of it. To the smell of it. We don't think about the fact that many many people worked many many hours to grow that food, and to harvest it. We don't think about what it takes to prepare the meal.

Most of the time, we gobble down our meals faster than it takes for someone to boil a pot of water. I know I do, or at least, I used to. Now, I have begun to eat more mindfully. I try to remember to say a small prayer before I eat each meal. I try to take a few moments to stare at the food in an appreciative way, giving thanks for the fact that I am fortunate enough to have food.

Mindful eating was just one lesson. Mindful walking was another. All 15 of us spent most of one class walking very very slowly back and forth across the classroom, thinking about walking. Paying attention to the micro movements of our leg muscles, our foot muscles. We paid attention to the way we lifted our legs, and how we set our feet down on the floor. We paid attention to the way that the floor supported us.

Mindfulness is all about paying very very close attention: paying attention when you breathe. When you eat, when you see, when you walk, when you talk, whenever you do anything. It involves taking time out to be grateful for every one of our blessings, the things we normally take for granted.

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh says that each morning we wake up without a toothache is a day we should be grateful. How many of us say thanks for things like:

Having a bed to sleep in each night.
Having a roof over our heads.
Having clean water to drink.
Having a brain to think whatever we want to think.
Being able to walk.
Being able to chew and digest food.
Being able to hear birds singing.
Being able to hear lovely music.
Being able to see a gorgeous flower, a rainbow or a sunset.

Even the so-called dirty chores of our life are, if we alter our perspective, something we can enjoy doing. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is responsible for inventing the incredibly effective Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program at the UMass Medical Center in 1979 in order to help people deal with chronic illness and pain (stress is a big factor in most chronic disease) writes very poignantly about how to clean a stove in a mindful way. Thich Nhat Hanh describes the joy of washing dishes, enjoying the warm soapy water on our hands.

Mindfulness isn't very complicated. It's just hard to do. It's hard to stay present. It's hard to stay grateful. It takes energy and sometimes, it takes work. A lot of work.

And so, I do have a job. I have to learn to do nothing. A few days ago, I started to find myself on the edge of that very slippery deck. I started to see the way I could, without much difficulty, go slipping and sliding off the deck into that deep dark pool.

But now I've got a new set of tools, including a book (I didn't use in class) that Lenore Flynn loaned me. It's called "Radical Acceptance," by psychologist Tara Brach. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has, like me, trouble slowing down and doing nothing.

Brach describes in great detail the value of what she calls the "Sacred Pause." Stopping, whether for a moment to check in with how we are feeling, or for a day, to contemplate life, or for a season, to take a sabbatical — all of these are profoundly important activities. Pausing is, after all, an edict of God's: the Sabbath is a day of rest, a day to stop doing, and celebrate being. That's why, in the old days, stores would close on Sundays, so people everywhere could just sit and enjoy a big family meal.

Brach also preaches, as the book's title suggests, radical acceptance, that is, she suggests that we accept everything about ourselves, be it our unattractive noses, our straight (or curly) hair, our hips, our aging bodies, all of our shortcomings. That's not to say that we settle for all of our faults. But we have to start by accepting who we are, and embracing everything about ourselves, all the "shadow" parts of our personalities that we would just as soon tuck into the closet. It isn't until we embrace ourselves fully that we can begin to make the transformations that we need to make.

She isn't the first writer to discuss the shadow self. Carl Jung coined the term many years ago. Brach's approach to the shadow is wonderful and compelling.

She suggests that all of us want so much to be loved and accepted that we try to bury our dark impulses. We try to "ignore our anger until it becomes knots of tension in our body; cover our fears with endless self-judgement and blame."

"Our shadow," Brach writes, "is rooted in shame, bound by our sense of being basically defective."

The solution? Stop running away from the dark side. Brach tells a wonderful tale to illustrate her point: "A traditional folktale tells the story of a man who becomes so frightened by his own shadow that he tries to run away from it. He believes that if only he could leave it behind, he would then be happy. The man grows increasingly distressed as he sees that no matter how fast he runs, his shadow never once falls behind. Not about to give up, he runs faster and faster until he finally drops dead of exhaustion. If only he had stepped into the shade and sat down to rest, his shadow would have vanished."

It is with some shame that I admit to my shadow: I admit that I have a desire to be incessantly busy, staying so fully (and sometimes frantically) occupied that I cannot stop and sit and do no thing. I keep busy so that I remain distracted from what my husband calls the "existential dilemmas" posed by life.

A big part of my "job" is to step into the shade, and rest in the shadow. And use the mindfulness techniques to embrace the moment and contemplate why the shadow has had such a fierce grip on my life.

Mostly, I am hoping that I can learn to do no thing and have that be OK. It's not that I won't do stuff. Of course I will (and I'll inevitably write about it, because I can't help myself.) It's just that I want it to be acceptable, and sufficient, to do nothing at all, and simply enjoy the many beauties of life.

Claudia Ricci, Ph.D. is the author of Seeing Red —
the first novel to be serialized on HuffingtonPost.com. Ricci, who holds a Ph.D. in English, teaches literature, journalism and creative writing at the University at Albany, State University of New York. A former staff writer for The Wall Street Journal and a prize-winning reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, Ricci published her first novel, Dreaming Maples, in 2002. Her new novel, Seeing Red, is available at www.SeeingRedthenovel.com.

Read our corresponding

Inspiration Line issue this week

BE THANKFUL:

http://www.inspirationline.com/EZINE/21NOV2011.htm

BEING THE CHANGE (11/12/11)

2011-11-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

"YOU CAN HELP PEOPLE
SET & REACH THEIR GOALS"

~From Kindness: Making aDifference in People's Lives
— Formulas, Stories, and Insights ~

One of the major keys to success in life is to make and reach goals. You can’treach a goal if you don’t have one. So the act of making a goal or many goalsis the first step to making things happen in your life. And if a person setstremendous goals but doesn’t do anything to reach them, he won’t get very far.

This is like sitting down and planning a world tour, but never buying a ticketto start the trip. Wishful thinking can be exciting, but you are still exactlywhere you were before. You never even started.

When you make and reach goals yourself, you realize the vital importance andvalue of doing this. People who haven’t made it a practice to keep settinggoals can realize its importance by thinking about how much more they couldhave done by setting goals and how goal-setting has enabled others to achieveand produce.

Use your awareness of the value of goal-setting to inspire other people to dolikewise. This one factor can help transform a person’s life.

I rememberreceiving a small pamphlet from my friend Kalman Packouz on goal setting. Itdidn’t say anything especially new, but since he went out of his way to send itto me, I was motivated to delineate some major goals for myself. That wastwenty years ago and reaching those goals made a major difference in my life.Kalman, I am grateful and I thank you. You, the reader, will be the recipientof similar gratitude as you motivate and influence others to make and reachgoals.

Keep asking, "Have you put your goals into writing?" Some will beopen and share their goals with you. Others would prefer keeping them private.If a person tells you that he doesn’t have specific goals encourage him. Highlymotivated people won’t necessarily need to write down their goals. They canvisualize them inscribed in their mind. For most people, however, it’spreferable to write them down and frequently review them.

It helps to share one’s goals with an encouraging friend or coach. Make it yourgoal to be there for others. You might be able to help others by encouragingthem to make broader and more far-reaching goals.

When someone is starting outon the process of making and reaching goals, build up his belief in his abilityto do this. Smaller goals lead to larger goals.

If a person seems hesitant about making goals, discover his blocks and help himovercome them. You can ask, "What stops you from setting goals?" Byprobing and finding the obstacles, you might be able to help this personovercome them.

Some people fear setting goals because they feel that they mightnot reach them. You might say, "Setting a goal that you were previouslyafraid to strive for is progress in itself. Every goal you try for gives yougreater knowledge about how to improve in the future. Your not succeeding ispart of your life education on how to have greater success in the future."

What are your goals for helping others set and reach goals? How about puttingthem into writing so they will empower you and help many others!

From the Partners in Kindness free weekly e-mail
For further information, please visit our Website
www.PartnersInKindness.org

By Zelig Pliskin Printed with Permission of Shaar Press

NOW, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF
SOMEONE WHO HAS CHOSEN TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE ...

Texas Woman Uses Her Love Of Movies

ToLaunch New Website To Help Inspire

& Encourage Others In This Bad Economy

Houston, Texas - Rebecca Websterrecently launched "Movies That Motivate," a website devoted to inspiring andencouraging others with positive film quotes. With today's dismal jobs report people are feeling the negative effects andseriously suffering from this economic crisis. The "Movies That Motivate" site provideseveryone with inspiration and encouragement to help in these difficult times. There is alsoan option to buy books with positive movie quotes. These days Rebecca's using her passion for movie watching to help uplift others. For further details on how you can getRebecca's FREE positive movie quotes visit: www.moviesthatmotivate.com

AND HERE'S ANOTHER PERSON

WHO IS 'BEING THE CHANGE'

IN A MAGNIFICENT WAY...

Read our corresponding
Inspiration Line issue this week
Moira Kelly —

The Children's Guardian Angel: www.inspirationline.com/EZINE/14NOV2011.htm

ANSWERS & ENCOURAGEMENT (11/5/11)

2011-11-05T03:30:00.000-06:00

Tips For Giving Memorable
Praise — And Why To Bother

~By Gretchen Rubin~

I just finished a very engaging book, Richard Stengel's You're Too Kind: A Brief History of Flattery. I wish I'd had this book as a resource when I was writing my first book, Power Money Fame Sex. It's a treasure trove of anecdotes and observations about flattery — a topic which comes up with some frequency when you're writing about money, power, fame, and relationships.

The book is history and social criticism, but at the end, Stengel includes a list called "How to flatter without getting caught."

To put flattery in a happier context, I adapted his list to focus on giving good praise rather than flattery. Now, what's the difference between flattery and praise? Flattery is strategic; it's praise given for a self-serving reason. But many of the same rules apply:

1. Be specific. Vague praise doesn't make much of an impression.

2. Find a way to praise sincerely. It's a rare situation where you can't identify something that you honestly find praiseworthy.

3. Never offer praise and ask for a favor in the same conversation. It makes the praise seem like a set-up.

4. Don't over-praise. Keep it credible and realistic.

5. Look for something less obvious to praise — a more obscure accomplishment or quality that a person hasn't heard praised many times before.

6. Don't hesitate to praise people who get a lot of praise already. I've noticed this myself; even people who get constant praise — or perhaps especially people who get constant praise — crave praise. Is this because praiseworthy people are often insecure? Or does getting praise lead to a need for more praise? I'm not sure, but it seems often to be the case.

7. Praise people behind their backs. The praised person usually hears about the praise, and behind-the-back praise seems more sincere than face-to-face praise.

8. Beware when a person asks for your honest opinion. This is often a clue that they're seeking reassurance, not candor.

9. Don't damn with faint praise. "You were so lousy when you started, you've really come a long way" or "You did a much better job than I expected" is not praise that will warm people's hearts.

Because the way we feel is very much influenced by the way we act, by acting in a way that shows appreciation, discernment, and thoughtfulness, we make ourselves feel more appreciative, discerning, and thoughtful. And that boosts happiness.

Have you thought of any other good ways for giving people praise? As my mother once wisely pointed out to me, "Most people probably don't get the appreciation they deserve." Very true, and therefore ... if you're grappling with the opposite problem — of not getting enough praise yourself — check out these Five tips for dealing with feeling unappreciated: http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2009/04/taken-for-granted-5-tips-for-dealing-with-feeling-unappreciated.html

I'm a praise junkie, myself, so have tried all these strategies. With mixed success.

Gretchen Rubin is a writer working on The Happiness Project—
an account of the year she spent test-driving every conceivable principle about how to be happy, from the wisdom of the ages to current scientific studies, from Aristotle to Ben Franklin to Martin Seligman. On her Happiness Project blog, she reports her daily adventures on her way to becoming happier. Rubin is a graduate of Yale Law School and was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal.

Read our corresponding

Inspiration Line issue this week

THE GIFT:
http://www.inspirationline.com/EZINE/7NOV2011.htm

FASCINATING FACTS (10/29/11):

2011-10-29T04:00:00.000-06:00

EVERYTHING YOU'D WANT
TO KNOW ABOUT PUMPKINS

Sometime between a thousand and two thousand years ago, the first agricultural seed plants of the western hemisphere were developed. They were originally culled from wild species and then cultivated to improve the quality and quantity of the plant. This is nothing new in the civilized world, it is just another part of the long story that began thousands of years earlier, when rice was first cultivated in southeast Asia. Rice was the first seed crop, which meant that farmers could save the seeds from one year's harvest, and plant them the next spring.

(PHOTO ABOVE: Bruno Bohrer inspects a Trojan Horse made entirely of pumpkins and gourds from his farm in the German district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald. Each fall he commissions harvest-themed sculptures to attract diners to his farm's restaurant. )

The word pumpkin originated from the Greek word "Pepõn" which means large melon. The word gradually morphed by the French, English and then Americans into the word "pumpkin." Pumpkins and squash are believed to have originated in the ancient Americas. These early pumpkins were not the traditional round orange upright Jack-O-Lantern fruit we think of today when you hear the word pumpkin. They were a crooked neck variety which stored well.

Archeologists have determined that variations of squash and pumpkins were cultivated along river and creek banks along with sunflowers and beans. This took place long before the emergence of maize (corn). After maize was introduced, ancient farmers learned to grow squash with maize and beans using the "Three Sisters" tradition.

The Three Sisters are squash, corn and beans which grow and thrive together. Corn serves as the natural trellis for the beans to grow on. The beans roots set nitrogen in the soil to nourish the corn. The bean vines help to stabilize the corn stalks on windy days. The squash plants shelter the shallow roots of the corn and shade the ground to discourage weeds and preserve moisture. Truly a symbiotic relationship. It was a common practice to bury a small fish alongside the seeds at planting to nourish the "Three Sisters."

These early Native Americans roasted pumpkin strips over campfires and used them as a food source, long before the arrival of European explorers. Pumpkins helped The Native Americans make it through long cold winters. They used the sweet flesh in numerous ways: roasted, baked, parched, boiled and dried. They ate pumpkin seeds and also used them as a medicine. Lakota squash was originally cultivated by the Sioux tribe and was long lost in history. A re-creation of them has been developed today that are pear shaped with bright red, orange and green patterns reminiscent of a woven Indian blanket.

The blossoms were added to stews. Dried pumpkin could be stored and ground into flour. They dried the shells and used them as bowls and containers to store grain, beans and seeds. They pounded and dried the pumpkin flesh into strips, and wove the strips into mats which they used for trading purposes.

It is said that Columbus carried pumpkin seeds back with him to Europe. There they were used to feed pigs, not yet considered a human food source. Native Americans introduced pumpkins and squash to the Pilgrims. Pumpkins were an important food source for the pilgrims, as they stored well, which meant they would have a nutritious food source during the winter months. It is documented that pumpkins were served at the second Thanksgiving celebration.

The Pilgrims would cut the top off of the pumpkin, scoop the seeds out, and fill the cavity with cream, honey, eggs and spices. They placed the top back on and carefully buried it in the hot ashes of a cooking fire. When finished cooking, they lifted this blackened item from the earth with no pastry shell whatsoever. They scooped the contents out along with the cooked flesh of the shell like a custard. The Pilgrims were also known to make pumpkin beer. They fermented a combination of persimmons, hops, maple sugar and pumpkin to make this early colonial brew. In early colonies, pumpkin shells were used as a template for haircuts to ensure a round and uniform finished cut. As a result of this practice, New Englanders were sometimes nicknamed "pumpkinheads".

~Learn Much More Here:

www.AllAboutPumpkins.com

There are many theories as to the origins of Jack-o-lanterns and Halloween. Early Jack-o-lanterns were carved from turnips and potatoes by the Irish and Scottish and carried in Celtic celebrations. The English used beets. Lumps of coal were lit on fire and placed inside the hollow root vegetables.

When European settlers arrived in America, they found that our American pumpkin varieties were well suited to being carved as a "Jack's" lanterns. They are fairly large in size, have upright strong walls, and most importantly a large hollow cavity. In the late 1800s there was a movement to turn Halloween into a celebration emphasizing community and neighborhood activities and parties. This is the Halloween we know and celebrate today.

Legend of the Jack-o-Lantern: People have been making jack-o-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form.

Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since.

The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern." In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits.

In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o' lanterns. ~Source: The History Channel

Read our corresponding

Inspiration Line issue this week

PUMPKIN SURPRISES:
http://www.inspirationline.com/EZINE/31OCT2011.htm

ANSWERS & ENCOURAGEMENT (10/22/2011):

2011-10-22T04:14:00.012-06:00

WHAT IS YOUR ROPE TIED TO?

~By Steve Goodier~

You may have heard of the man who decided to repair the roof of his house. The pitch was steep, and to be safe, he tied a rope around his waist and threw the other end of it over the top of the house. He called his son and asked him to tie it to something secure. The boy fastened the safety rope to the bumper of their car parked in the driveway. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

But a little while later, his wife needed to run a few errands with the automobile. Unaware of the line securing her husband, she started the car and proceeded to drive away. The rope immediately tightened and jerked the man over the roof and into thin air. Now before you become alarmed, let me assure you that this never really happened. But I chuckle at the image of the poor guy sailing over the top of his house like Evel Knievel without a motorcycle.

This story, factual or not, points to a great truth. It is a truth about where we place our security; about those things to which we've tied our safety lines. What is your rope tied to? Think about it. What do you depend on to keep you from disaster? Is your rope tied to a good job? Is it tied to a relationship with somebody you rely on? Is it tied to a company or an organization?

In her wise and sensitive audio LESSONS IN LIVING ( http://tinyurl.com/3vyjufo ), writer Susan Taylor tells of discovering how unreliable some of our safety lines really are. She tells of lying in bed in the early hours of the morning when an earthquake struck. As her house shook, she tumbled out of bed and managed to stand underneath an arched door-way in her hall, watching in horror as her whole house tumbled down around her. Where her bed had once stood, she later discovered nothing but a pile of rubble. She lost everything - every button, every dish, her automobile, every stitch of clothing.

Susan huddled, scared and crying, in the darkness. In the pre-dawn morning she cried and called out for help. As exhaustion set in, she thought that maybe she should be listening for rescuers rather than making so much commotion. So she grew still and listened. In the silence around her, the only sound she heard was the beating of her own heart. It occurred to her then that at least she was still alive and, amazingly enough, unhurt.

She thought about her situation. In the stillness, fear abandoned her and a feeling of indescribable peace and happiness flooded in, the likes of which she had never before known. It was an experience that was to permanently change her life.

In the deepest part of her being, Susan realized a remarkable truth. She realized she had nothing to fear. Amazingly, whether or not she was ever rescued, whether she even made it out alive, she sensed she had nothing to fear.

For the first time in her life she understood that her true security did not depend on those things in which she had placed her trust. It lay deep within. And also for the first time, she knew what it was to be content in all circumstances. She realized that, in an ultimate sense, whether she had plenty or hardly enough, somehow she would be all right. She just knew it.

She later wrote, "Before the quake I had all the trappings of success, but my life was out of balance. I wasn't happy because I was clinging to things in my life and always wanting more. My home, my job, my clothes, a relationship - I thought they were my security. It took an earthquake and losing everything I owned for me to discover that my security had been with me all along . . . There's a power within us that we can depend upon no matter what is happening around us."

She had tied her rope to the wrong things. It took a disaster for her to understand that those things are untrustworthy. So she let go of the rope and discovered peace. She found that her true security was a power within - dependable and sure. What is your rope tied to? And what would happen if you found the courage to let go of it?

By Steve Goodier:
Now you can begin each day at home or work with a free, daily

encouraging lift. To the point, high quality, often humorous and

always encouraging, these uplifting and thought-provoking

messages by Steve Goodier can make a positive difference.

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Read our corresponding

Inspiration Line issue this week

A LUCKY LOGGERHEAD

TURTLE BEATS THE ODDS:

http://www.inspirationline.com/EZINE/24OCT2011.htm

HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS: About Life's Struggles

2011-09-10T14:30:00.011-06:00

"Emperor Moth" St. Remy, 1889 - Vincent Van Gogh

BLESSING THE OBSTACLES

I read a simple, yet wise, story at iVillage.com which illustrates how the rough times in our lives can actually be "gifts" in disguise ...

"A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole. The moth seemed to be stuck and appeared to have stopped making progress. It seemed as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.

"The man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth; so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But its body was swollen and small, its wings wrinkled and shriveled. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to and able to support the body, which would contract in time.

"Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a small, swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

"The man in his kindness and haste did not understand that the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was necessary to force fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight upon achieving its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health."

Sometimes struggling is exactly what we need. If we were to go through life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. As one of America's best-known and most respected psychiatrists, Dr. David Viscott writes:

"You cannot protect anyone from themselves; you cannot protect anyone from life. You cannot spare a loved one the confrontation with their own mortality, their own stupidity or their own emptiness.

"Indeed, to take on the burden of sentry, guarding another person's borders, is to interfere with that person's life lesson. If we are the sum of everything that happens to us, to limit a person's experience is to limit their growth."

As our inner strength develops through managing the difficulties we encounter in life, we realize that the key is knowing we always have the Power of Choice.

Any day we wish, we can choose to redesign ourselves and change it all. Any day we wish, we can open a book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish, we can start a new activity. Any day we wish, we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do NOTHING. Motivational author and speaker, Jim Rohn states:

"We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, 'The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves.'

"We created our circumstances by our past choices. And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life — If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life — and it all begins with your very own power of choice."

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

Here's a poem I wrote many years ago that reveals what I had discovered about my own purpose, spiritual growth and the power of intention — all of which led me to choose jumping into The Flow instead of clinging to the river banks:

"SOVEREIGNTY"

Empower by Intention, find joy in every day,
The journey then starts to flow and work turns into play;
Our path in life takes courage and faith in vast degree,
Its mystery escapes us, 'til eyes learn how to "see."

In "seeing" we find purpose, the reason we are here;
When ego is relinquished, the Vision becomes clear;
Let go of all attachment, leap from every cliff,
Into the arms of Spirit, receive the Divine gift.

The gift we are exists within, buried deep in fear;
Knowingness will set it free ... release the need to "steer";
Embrace the self in sovereignty, Love can then expand;
Unbridled from emotion, there's clarity of stand.

Emotions with their hooks out keep Clarity at bay;
Identity, linked and lost, lies hidden far away;
Choice can vanquish all the pain, perspective is the key;
Step up from the 'small story' and choose to truly BE.

'Small story' spawns illusion, enmeshment in the past;
With embodiment of Essence, shadows can't be cast;
'Big Story' reveals mission, alignment broadcasts Truth;
Light breaks through to who we are and what we came to do.

©Chelle Thompson

www.InspirationLine.com

THE MIRACLE MAN FROM CHINA

2011-08-20T03:37:00.004-06:00

THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF

PENG SHULIN

In life people often complain about the way things are or what we don't have. Sometimes we seem dissatisfied, though full-bodied and free to choose. Fat people say, "I want to be slim.” Skinny people say, "I want to be fatter.” Poor people want to be rich and rich are never satisfied with what they have.

PENG Shulin is 78cms high. He was born in Hunan Province, China. In 1995, in Shenzhen, a freight truck sliced his body in half. His lower body and legs were beyond repair…

Surgeons sewed up his torso. Then Peng Shulin, 37, spent nearly two years in hospital in Shenzhen, southern China, undergoing a series of operations to re-route nearly every major organ or system inside his body.

Peng kept exercising his arms, building up strength, washing his face and brushing his teeth.

Considering Peng’s plight, doctors at the China Rehabilitation Research Centre in Beijing devised an ingenious way to allow him to walk on his own, creating a sophisticated egg cup-like casing to hold his body, with two bionic legs attached.

It took careful consideration, skilled measurement and technical expertise.

RGO is a reciprocating gait orthotics, attached to a prosthetic socket bucket. There is a cable attached to both legs so when one goes forward, the other goes backwards. Rock to the side, add a bit of a twist and the leg without the weight on it advances, while the other one stays still.

Eventually Peng began walking the corridors of Beijing Rehabilitation Centre with the aid of his specially adapted legs and a resized walking frame.

Peng survived against all odds and has astounded doctors by learning to walk again after a decade.

Above, Peng is seen walking out of the hospital...

Hospital vice-president Lin Liu said: “We’ve just given him a checkup; he is fitter than most men his age.”

UPDATE:

Peng Shulin has opened his own bargain supermarket, called the Half Man-Half Price Store. The inspirational 37-year-old has become a businessman and is used as a role model for other amputees.

At just 2ft 7ins tall, he moves around in a wheelchair giving lectures on recovery from disability. His attitude is amazing, he doesn’t complain. He had good care, but his secret is cheerfulness. Nothing ever gets him down.

You have a whole body. You have feet. Now you have met a man who has no feet. His life is an example of endurance, a triumph of the human spirit in overcoming extreme adversity.

Next time you want to complain about something trivial, don’t. Think about Peng Shulin instead.

MORE PHOTOS:
www.life.com/search/?type=images&q0=peng+shuilin

REPRINTED FROM:
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NEVER — EVER — GIVE UP:

2011-07-23T03:00:00.004-06:00

CODY MCCASLAND ...

AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF A BOY WITHOUT LEGS
Your attitude towards life defines not only who you are, but the quality of life you are seeking …

On October 2, 2001, the doctors decided that at 34 weeks, Cody McCasland was going to be delivered as the amniotic fluid was decreasing and Cody's growth was no longer increasing. Cody was delivered by an urgent cesarean section, and immediately, they knew things were not quite right.

Mike, Cody's Father, could see that Cody's legs looked different, and he only had 4 toes on his right foot, but that was all he knew. The doctor's asked him not to say anything to Tina, Cody's Mother, as she was still in surgery herself. Cody did not breathe on his own for several minutes, but after he did, he was swaddled for Tina to hold for a few seconds, then off to the NICU. Mike followed.

In the NICU Mike was told of all the problems by the physician, and then told to prepare for him to die. He was completely alone and the physician left. He came to Tina with the news, who did not understand or believe it. Shortly thereafter, the doctor came in to talk with Tina and Mike, and said Cody was stable, but he was being transferred to another hospital, without Tina.

He needed surgery within the next day or two and they could not perform it there. Tina was able to see Cody one last time in an incubator before transport, but then he and Mike were gone. Tina was adamant that she was going to be at the other hospital when Cody had surgery and was walking that evening.

Cody's surgery was scheduled for the morning of day 3 and she was there. This was just the beginning of their medical journey with Cody. He remained in the NICU for 23 days, and had two of his now 15 surgeries, before going home.

The day before Thanksgiving, 2001, Cody stopped breathing while at home, and Tina had to perform CPR while waiting for paramedics to arrive. Cody began breathing on his own again, and would be taken to the local Children's Hospital. Unfortunately, it was not the hospital with Cody's specialists, so when they arrived and he was stable, the hospital decided to transfer him. Mike is now on the way to a part of town he has never been to, and is lost.

Meanwhile, they are now ready to transport Cody and Tina, again by ambulance, to Children's Hospital Dallas. Mike hits rush hour traffic, but after 2 ½ hours of driving, finally finds them. Cody needed a 3rd surgery, which actually includes five separate procedures, and has a nearly 3-week stay in the hospital, in which Tina has to stay the whole time.

This meant the family spent their first Thanksgiving in the hospital. Mike would daily drive down to the hospital to give Tina a break, after working all day. After the daily drive became too much, they had to pay for a hotel room for Mike to sleep in at night, so he could see Tina and Cody, get sleep and still work. Again, this was just the beginning of Cody's 15 total surgeries.

In December 2001, Cody had his first appointment at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Up to now, no one has given the family a diagnosis, although they have come up with their own by researching the symptoms on the Internet. Although the doctors will not confirm the diagnosis, they do tell the family that Cody will require multiple surgeries, one of which will be an amputation of his right leg through the knee.

Cody had no knee or tibia on the right side. They were uncertain about the problems with the left leg and would have to wait to see how it developed, as he got a little older. The first surgery would be a hip surgery to his right hip, which was dislocated, followed by 3 months in a hip spica cast. None of the orthopedic surgeries could begin though, until all the necessary medical surgeries were completed.

In January 2002, Cody again ended up in the ER at Children's Dallas because of abdominal concerns. He had an emergency surgery due to an adhesion caused by his November surgeries. Another 10 day stay in the hospital for both Cody and Tina, and Mike again juggled work, coming to the hospital to see Cody and Tina, and finding time to sleep. The hospitalizations and surgeries continued on.

Cody had numerous hospitalizations for infections and asthma/airways concerns, as well as for his surgeries. His next surgeries were in March 2002, on Tina's birthday, in April 2002 he had 3 surgeries, and in July 2002 he had two surgeries. In November 2002 Cody had a seizure with an unknown cause right before going to Children's Hospital Philadelphia for a second opinion on his legs.

After coming home from that appointment, Cody had an MRI of his hips and legs to see what structures were present on each leg. This MRI showed that Cody was missing his tibia and knee on both the left and right side. Mike and Tina's choices were few - to leave him in a wheelchair with legs that would not function for him and wouldn't even allow him to sit normally or to have the portion of his legs from the knees down amputated to give him the opportunity to walk with prostheses.

Bilateral amputation surgery was scheduled for January 2003. In December 2002, Cody caught RSV and again was in the hospital. He was released the day before Christmas, but this caused his surgery to be postponed until later in January. After Cody's amputation, he was trying to stand on his stumps later that day. Mike and Tina were so impressed by how he continued to deal so well with being in a hospital environment and keep his always-cheery disposition. Cody never lets anything bring him down.

Two months after Cody had his surgery he was fitted with his first prosthetics and walking with assistance! In August 2003, Cody again had a surgery, and subsequently, spent about 6 weeks in the hospital between August and November due to airway and respiratory concerns. Again, Tina stayed in the hospital away from Mike, and Mike worked, came to visit and relieve Tina, while trying to find time to sleep.

Due to Cody's continual illnesses that winter, Mike, Tina and Cody had to cancel their Christmas plans just a few days before Christmas and stay in Dallas. Since Cody had been born, they had not spent any holidays with Mike's family in California, which was very difficult. Luckily, Tina's mom and stepfather were there in Dallas for support and to spend the holidays with.

Through all of this, Cody has had the opportunity to participate in horseback riding, gymnastics, t-ball, soccer, swimming, running, golf, flying a plane, and many other adventures. Cody's limitless attitude will get him far in life and help him to reach his goals.

In June 2004, Cody was diagnosed with severe Osteopenia, putting him at an extremely high risk for a bone to break. Cody had to spend three days as an outpatient, every four months, getting infusion therapy to help re-generate his bones. He did this for a year and a half, and is now in remission. Besides all of the above surgeries, Cody has also needed "regular kid" procedures such as tubes in his ears and gall bladder removal.

Cody now has three different sets of prostheses. One set he uses for everyday walking, another, stubbies, for playing low on the ground with his friends, and a third, running prostheses, he uses for his athletic endeavors. Cody is currently in 1st grade.

He plays sled hockey, swims, runs and plays the piano. His hope is to one day represent the United States of America in the Olympics or Paralympics, as well as to run a marathon, and complete a triathlon.

Cody competed this past summer at the University of Central Oklahoma Endeavor Games in the 60 meter and 100 meter races, earning gold medals in each event for his classification, as well as swam the 25 meter freestyle and backstroke, again winning gold for his age and classification.

In October, Team Cody will be going to the San Diego Triathlon Challenge. Cody will be running in the kid's fun run, as well as running a portion of the 13.1 miles for our triathlon team. This December, Cody completed the last mile for Team Cody in the Dallas White Rock Marathon.

This is just a little of Cody's amazing story. There is so much more to it. It continues on a regular basis with the family having to endure multiple doctor's appointments and treatments to make Cody as independent as possible.

Through it all, Cody remains an amazing spirit! Cody wants to participate in the Paralympics and just not that, he also wants to participate in as much as 20 games for which he has 20 separate pairs of legs.

Whatever it is that has been bugging you,
doesn’t seem so bad anymore, does it?

MEET TEAM CODY:

www.TeamCody.com/

VISIT CODY'S FACEBOOK PAGE:

www.facebook.com/pages/Cody-McCasland/137899295124

REPRINTED FROM:
Finding Neverland Blogspot

FROM RUNWAY MODEL TO ROLE MODEL:

2011-06-25T02:39:00.000-06:00

Fashioning A New Life for
AIDS Orphans in Kenya

This former fashion model (seen above with her daughters) is now a role model for the well-to-do mommies who buy her handmade children's clothes in New York and their counterparts who are struggling to feed their children in Kenya.

Siamanda Chege achieved worldwide success then went home to Kenya to start an orphanage and a children's clothing company to support it. It's a remarkable biography:

Siamanda, the eldest daughter of a homemaker and a missionary, grew up in Nakuru, Kenya with 8 siblings. After starting college in the US, she received word that her father was ill and she must become the breadwinner.

Blessed with both beauty and brains, she moved to New York City and became a runway model, sometimes working in Paris and London. She single-handedly supported her family, helping her parents buy rental properties for steady income and putting her siblings through college.

With her own family taken care of, Chege turned her attention to her community in 2004. On a visit home to Kenya, the new mother was devastated by the toll AIDS had taken on her country. The HIV/AIDS rate is above six percent and an estimated 1.2 million children have been orphaned by AIDS.

"After I had my first baby, it hit me really hard," says Chege, whose daughters are now 7 and 5. "What would happen if my baby had no mother and father? What if I was that woman who could not feed her kids?" She remembers thinking, "We're so blessed we have to make a difference."

Her father, a local legend named Rev. Patrick Chege who died in 2002, had always opened his home to orphans, and the AIDS epidemic had grown so quickly that many children were homeless and parentless.

Siamanda, now 39, knew immediately that she would focus on orphans too. Not satisfied to just raise funds to start an orphanage, she leaned on her keen fashion sensibilities and created BébéRavi, meaning "baby's delight" in French, a mission-driven company that sells adorable knit and crocheted baby clothes. A portion of the proceeds from Bébé Ravi now benefit the Patrick Chege Memorial Orphanage she founded in honor of her dad in 2005.

The kids aren't the only ones who are helped, though. About 100 women in Nakuru are employed to make the items sold by Bébé Ravi. CEO Chege designs everything and ships in high-quality Italian yarn and the women crochet year-round. The collection is then sold at high-end stores in the US like FAO Schwartz, Barney's and ABC Carpet and Home.

The employment is literally life-changing for Chege's Kenyan employees. In an area where the unemployment rate can reach 40 percent, these skilled women, many of them heads of household, have found fulfilling and lucrative work. They're paid about double the average local wage and given nourishing meals.

"Most of the women are widows. Most are illiterate," Chege explains. "The last four years they've been able to do so much because of the income they get. Now they can take care of their children, their relatives, their relatives' children. Being able to feed their children every day and send them to school, they are very empowered." And they know that a portion of the proceeds from their handiwork (seen above) goes to the orphanage next door.

The Chege Orphanage now houses 26 children, ranging in age from 1 to 17, all orphaned by AIDS. Kids find their way into the welcoming environment after a local church and school tip off orphanage directors that they're all alone. Chege said that a religious school will sometimes report when a child has been absent for awhile; often the child is found at home trying to fend for him or herself after parents pass away.

The orphanage provides shelter, food, healthcare and helps heal their psychological and physical wounds. Perhaps most importantly, it also emphasizes education, doing everything from requiring piano lessons to sending the kids to private school. Siamanda would like to keep all the children together until they are ready for a technical school or university, so that they may know what it is like to have a stable home full of love.

It is a nonprofit organization that relies on private donations of money, books, clothes and more. Now some donors choose to sponsor one child for the entire year. Whatever is lacking is made up for by Bébé Ravi and Siamanda Chege.

Pointing out that the orphanage also grows its own crops and maintains its own cows, Chege says, "I wanted to do something in a sustainable way. To create a company that can support itself, which is different than just asking people to donate all the time."

OUR WEBSITE IS: www.BebeRavi.com

We are a mission-based company. We specialize in hand-made children garments. Our products are hand-knitted and crocheted from the finest Italian Yarns. Our wool line of sweaters and blankets are made from 100% extra fine merino wool that is machine-washable, whereas our cotton products are from combed Egyptian cotton. All our products are manufactured in Kenya. Our stockists this and past seasons in include ABC home and carpet, Barneys, FAO Schwarz, Sweet William, Flora and Henri among other very high-end boutiques.

Bébé Ravi (the name means 'baby's delight') produces exquisite, hand-knit clothing made of the finest Egyptian and Italian wool for infants and children. Sizes range from 0 to 6 years old. Styles bear Swahili names for animals like 'simba' for lion, 'twiga' for giraffe, and 'tausi' for peacock.

The company employs 100 women from rural villages in Kenya, which has been devastated by HIV. By providing jobs, exceptional working conditions and above average wages to the women of Kenya who are mostly the bread-winners in their homes due to the AIDS epidemic, Bébé Ravi is helping to transform whole East African communities. We also support the Patrick Chege Orphanage that is a result of the AIDS epidemic, as well.

For more information, visit:

Bébé Ravi and the

Patrick Chege Memorial Orphanage

To make a donation, visit:

The Patrick Chege
Memorial Orphanage Project

REPRINTED FROM:
http://www.tonic.com/

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

2011-05-14T01:42:00.002-06:00

NO
FRONT
LEGS,
NO
PROBLEM ...

Born without his front legs, Kandu, a Jack Russell Terrier, could barely move. His owner felt his quality of life was in jeopardy and took him to the Evergreen Animal Protective League to be euthanized. But that’s where this little powerhouse of a puppy’s life just began.

It wasn’t Kandu’s time, and after a story on Denver’s CBS4 — he was given a second chance. Ken and Melissa Rogers from Colorado were selected out of more than 100 applications and interviews to adopt the energetic dog. And with his new guardians came new opportunities.

Once Kandu was safely in the Rogers’ arms, the couple started working on devices to help Kandu move around. First came his everyday wheels: Ken Rogers molded plastic to fit Kandu’s 10.5 pound body. He then used rollerblade wheels to get the device rolling. With this, Kandu is able to run around and enjoy the outdoors completely on his own. And while inside, the Rogers use a sleeve from a sweatshirt to help protect his chest and assist him in sliding around the house.

Martin Kaufmann, from www.Orthopets.com , designed Kandu's wheels — and even added a cool mono ski weighing less than two pounds (photo above). The bottom of the ski is waxed up and Kandu can ‘fly’ down hills! The wheels weigh 6.5 lbs. which is a lot to carry for a 10 ½-lb. dog, but Kandu’s spirit is undaunted and it seems like nothing can stop him.

Kandu didn’t stop with his second chance at life and new form of transportation; the energetic dog is also giving back to the community. Through the Healing Friends program at Yampa Valley Medical Center, which takes animals to hospitals as part of the patients’ therapy sessions, Kandu and Ken Rogers team up to visit patients.

Ken says, “He's got an infectious personality; when he goes to a hospital he brings a smile to everyone's face. Kandu doesn't think of himself as being handicapped. Kandu's can-do spirit even helped a woman who had not spoken since she suffered a stroke. One cuddle from Kandu and she found her voice.”

Life for this little cutie pie, his human guardians, Ken and Melissa and the hospital patients who get to cuddle with Kandu (named for his attitude!) was changed forever. (Photo: Kandu relaxing with his pal Bob)

Ken’s wife, Melissa, says, “He's just joy. That's all he is, he's just pure joy.” Kandu’s life is full of discovery and fun. He is showered with love from his human caregivers, his fellow dogs and cats and the caring community around him. But there is also has a job to do. Kandu works with the Heeling Friends group www.HeelingFriends.org, which takes animals to hospitals as part of the patients’ therapy sessions. His patients love him. They smile, laugh, cuddle and everyone feels better.

“I feel an obligation to give him everything I can give him,” said Ken Rogers. “Kandu doesn't seem to know that he is different from other dogs.” Ken is now working on something for the water so Kandu can swim.

Kandu also has his own website, www.Kandu.us where you can see lots of pictures and read more about all the forces that came together to beat the odds.

Kandu is an inspiration to all who meet him. He shows the world that with support, determination and a smile on your face, anything is possible! (Photo above: Ken and Melissa Rogers with Kandu and Bob)

REPRINTED FROM:
http://www.guideposts.org/

WATCH KANDU'S VIDEO:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1w1XDrhrVE&feature=player_embedded#at=24

..... UPDATE .....

TWO-LEGGED DOG TAKES TOP HONORS AT MUTT CONTEST

Kandu, the dog who took home "Best in Show" at the annual Nuts For Mutts dog show, shows off the affection that won him top prize in the "Best Kisser" category with owner Ken Rogers.

Steamboat Springs — The annual Nuts for Mutts dog show in Woodland Hills, Calif., isn't quite on the same level as The Westminster Kennel Club. Luckily for Oak Creek pet Kandu, Nuts for Mutts isn't trying to be elite. On June 1, the two-legged Routt County mixed breed took home "Best in Show" at a contest that boasts categories such as "Mystery Mutt," "Most Vocal" and "Fastest Eater."

"It was great. We had seen a little piece last year on Animal Planet that sort of featured it, and it just looked like fun," said Ken Rogers, who adopted Kandu in fall 2006. "And it is, because it's just for mutts."

Kandu, who also won for "Best Kisser" and "Best Physically Challenged," was born without front legs. Rogers applied to adopt the dog - who was set to be euthanized before being saved by the Evergreen Animal Protective League - after seeing a story on Denver's CBS4 news.

"I got to thinking. At the time, we had a dog who was in the Heeling Friends program at the hospital, and we thought this would be kind of cool, that Kandu might make a good therapy dog," Rogers said.

"He actually has a little monoski for the winter time. Living in Steamboat, you've got to have something to ski," Rogers said. "It's like a whole different dog. He had such great spirit to begin with, but he just loves being able to roll and go fast and be with other dogs."

Through the Heeling Friends program at Yampa Valley Medical Center, Kandu and Rogers team up to visit with patients. Kandu gets animated when he sees the door of the hospital, but he calms right down when he's out of his wheels and snuggles up with a patient, Rogers said.

"He really seems to understand. Many dogs do, they seem to sense when somebody's sick. They just get mellow and snuggle up to the patient," he said. "It's really neat to watch."

Ken Rogers
with Kandu

Ken Rogers poses with his dog Kandu, a Jack Russell mix at the 8th Annual Nuts for Mutts Dog Show held at Pierce College's Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills, Calif., May 17, 2009. Ken Rogers became Kandu's new owner in 2005 in Oak Creek, Colorado, where Kandu makes visits to hospitals, schools, and rehabilitation centers "to bring comfort and smile to all those visited."

REPRINTED FROM:
http://www.steamboattoday.com/

O YES U KANDU:

For more information about Kandu, the award-winning therapy mutt, go to http://kandu.us . The Web site includes a background story and pictures, as well as a selection of special Kandu apparel — emblazed with the slogan, "O YES U KANDU" — that includes T-shirts, jackets, buttons and thongs. The funds from the items sold on Kandu’s website are donated to Heeling Friends and the Evergreen Animal Protective League www.EAPL.com/kandus_story.html .

(Contributed by Hilda who lives in Auburndale, Florida)

LOST THE BATTLE, BUT NOT THE WAR:

2011-04-09T01:23:00.000-06:00

ONE WOMAN'S UPHILL BATTLE

To Raise Funds For Fellow Vets...

Long before First Lady Michelle Obama announced her intention to raise awareness about the plight of our military families in need, Dunbar, West Virginia citizen and disabled veteran Lisa Groves was well underway operating a hot dog stand called The Veteran's Connection, raising money to help financially strapped or homeless veterans.

Groves pays for the supplies out of her own pocket and 100 percent of the money she earns goes directly to the veterans she helps. She has seen firsthand the devastating effects of poverty and the unique position our veterans are facing.

It's hard to fathom that any of our war veterans come home to sleep in an alley or dig through garbage for food. But according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans at least 107,000 veterans sleep on the streets each night and 1.5 million are continually at risk of becoming homeless.

Since most homeless veterans are single, they are not eligible for federally funded programs primarily created for families. They wander the streets alone dealing with hunger, PTSD and substance abuse problems.

At night, Groves drives through areas of town where homeless veterans congregate and distributes blankets, food and clean socks. Her phone continually rings with news that a veteran needs help with the most basic of human necessities, such as paying a utility bill or getting a ride to the doctor.

One of the most heartbreaking incidents occurred when an Iraq veteran drove to her hot dog stand and asked if she could help him get food and diapers for his 11-month-old baby. "I walked over to his car to see the baby, who was sitting in the back seat. This precious child was wearing a paper towel and plastic grocery bag as a diaper."

"The baby's mother, also an Iraq veteran, had recently died following what is suspected as Seroquel intoxication for treatment of PTSD. I picked the baby up and he hugged me so tight that I knew he was starving for a mothers touch. His father was beside himself with grief and his own battle with PTSD and doing the best he could."

Groves acted quickly to help him with his most immediate needs, and arranged proper ongoing care for him and the baby.

Sgt. Groves used to operate The Veteran's Connection from a refurbished trailer in the parking lot of a Fas-Check convenience store until vandals and zoning ordinances forced her to seek alternatives. It seems the owners of nearby businesses didn't like the noise her generator made and felt they were losing business due to her presence, a claim Groves denies. Nevertheless, she moved her trailer many times to try and appease her critics but to no avail.

In an effort to intimidate Groves, employees from a nearby business have urinated on the side of her trailer, thrown rocks at the windows and used the American flag she had hanging as toilet paper. Groves stumbled upon the man who urinated on her trailer while he was still in the act.

She called local police to file charges and the desk officer crudely asked "Did you see his pecker?" Since she had not, she couldn't file the charges. She also reports being denied the right to speak at city council meetings in her ongoing efforts to get the city officials of Dunbar to intervene on behalf of the veterans she helps.

Photo of The Veterans Connection
trailer damaged by vandals.

Lisa Groves believes the harassment and cruelty stems from the fact that she is an African-American female and she may be right. However, it's just as likely that the asinine behavior of her tormentors is as much about classism as it is racism.

Let's face it — there are a lot of snobs in this world who don't want the ugliness of poverty tainting their view. These shallow people judge their fellow human beings by what side of town they live on, what kind of car they drive and what their spouse does for a living.

For these snobs, political and social standing is paramount in their lives to the point they won't associate with anyone or any cause that may threaten their popularity and status. To them, giving to charity is just another excuse to put on a tux and evening gown to hobnob at a country club dinner where a small portion of the proceeds are donated; that's about as close as they'll get.

While that is certainly helpful and needed, it is unfortunate that they are usually the same people sitting in the power positions in terms of who gets help and whose message is heard.

At a recent American Legion conference, Groves arrived with several of the veterans that she works to help. As they made their way into the room, one of the veteran's remarked that the people were laughing at them.

"I told them to hold their heads up high because they had every right to be there," Grove says, "then I heard one of the attendees make the remark, 'that's the post for the reject veterans.'"

In addition to operating The Veterans Connection, Groves serves as the Commander of American Legion Post 11 Institute -- the first African-American female to achieve this goal. Her dedication to helping her fellow veterans is so strong it earned her the prestigious Jefferson Award in 2009. Despite the honor, she has not always received the support of her fellow citizens.

Groves has not let her detractors stop her. With her hot dog trailer inoperable, she runs The Veteran's Connection from a tent in the parking lot of a local Kmart. In all kinds of weather, she is out there selling those $1.00 hot dogs, playing patriotic music and doing the best she can.

"I don't want to operate out of a fancy building with a lot of overhead. For this kind of work, I need to be mobile. What we really need is an RV, so I can get to the veterans with all the needed supplies and warm food."

With her trailer damaged and unusable, Lisa Groves

now operates the hot dog stand in a tent outside

of a local Kmart, no matter what the weather.

100% of the hot dog stand proceeds go to buy items

such as blankets and socks for homeless veterans.

While working in her tent/hot dog stand outside of Kmart,

Groves was injured by a grill explosion, burning her face.

She worked three more hours after the incident

before going to the hospital for treatment.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans offers a search tool where you can find programs in your own community to volunteer your time or donate money. In the meantime, if you are ever near Dunbar, West Virginia, buy your lunch from Lisa Groves at The Veteran's Connection and prove there is no such thing as a "reject veteran" in the United States.

Click here to watch video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4hq0vXpxDo

LISA GROVES — Veterans' Connection, Inc.

Established the Sgt. Joseph "Joe"

Turner American Legion Post 11, Inc.

American Legion Post 11-WVSU Commander

8th Distinct 1st Vice Commander

2009 Jefferson Award Winner

Advocating for Veterans

Lisa Asks YOU to Help the Veterans of Dunbar, West Virginia:

You can write to me or send donations:
Lisa Groves-Commander
American Legion Post 11-WVSU
PO Box 425, Institute, WV 25112

If anyone ever needs help, please email me at
usarmyladyvet4u@hotmail.com

Please also check out my web pages:

www.myspace.com/usarmyladyvet4u

www.facebook.com/Veterans.Connection.Inc#!/Veterans.Connection.Inc?sk=wall

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REPRINTED FROM:
www.huffingtonpost.com/cilla-mccain/the-reject-veterans_b_818213.html

THE POWER OF LOVE

2011-03-19T10:23:00.000-06:00

PETS
WHO
RETURNED
HOME —
From
Remarkable
Distances

For many people pets become treasured members of the family, so when they are lost it can be extremely stressful as tragic endings are common. Often, after searching high and low, placing fliers in public places and checking shelters families are forced to give up hope of ever seeing their furry, feathered or scaled friends again and imagine the worst has happened to them out in the world on their own.

However, in some cases, the will of the lost animal to return to its family is too strong to give up, and against all odds, they find their way home no matter what it takes. Call it luck, determination, the power of love or a mix of all three; here are 10 inspiring examples of happy reunions of lost pets and their families ...

1. Giggle-Blizzard the Cat

Giggle-Blizzard — say that three times quickly. Without laughing. They say that cats have nine lives, but they only have four legs, and the ineffable Giggle-Blizzard managed to travel home two legs down over the course of what must have been an agonizing 11 days. The cat’s owner, Tracie Steger, put up posters all over her area and organized search parties to find her beloved cat, but to no avail. She heard stories of a car hitting and killing a cat in her area, and saw a vulture with a whisker protruding ominously from its beak. Neither of these victims turned out to be Giggle-Blizzard; he was way too much of a badass.

It turns out the feisty feline had had its back legs crushed by a car, but in what must have been an extreme example of ‘pfft’ he dragged his mangled body all the way home to his still-hopeful mom. It’s uncertain exactly how far Giggle-Blizzard traveled, but given the fact that it took him 11 days to return it’s likely it was quite the trek. Down two legs, and who knows how many lives, the Florida cat somehow arrived home on Thanksgiving night. After two operations, he's back in Steger's menagerie, sporting Christmas-colored splints. It cost $3,000, but Steger can't contain her joy.

2. Moon the Siberian Husky

If there’s any breed of dog that would be able find its way home over rugged terrain and great distances, it would be the Siberian husky. The only other dog that would even come close is Muttley from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Wacky Races, but he gets about in a racecar, making it a contentious issue. In saying that, there are many detractors of Moon's greatness who insists that the only way the dog could have found his way to his home in the town of Ely, Nevada would be to hitchhike. Their speculation stems from the fact that Moon traveled a staggering 77 miles to find her way home to his owner, Doug Dashiell.

Dashiell had taken his three dogs on a trip and on the way back, at Railroad Valley, briefly let them out of his truck to stretch their legs and do their business, when Moon suddenly bolted. After hours of fruitless (or dogless) searching, Dashiell was sure he would never see Moon again. Dashiell was wrong. Amazingly, Moon managed to travel the distance back to Ely. The dog crossed desert, the White River, and the Ward Mountain ranges. Dashiell postulates that she probably survived for the week she was missing by feasting on rabbits, although he also mentioned that she absolutely stank of skunk when she finally arrived home.

3. Kuzya the Wondercat

It’s hard not to feel bad for the other animals here when you realize how badly Kuzya (henceforth Kuzya the Destroyer) has trounced them all. Kuzya ran away from his owners, the Efremovs, when they took him with them on vacation from their native Olenyok to Yakitsk in eastern Russia. In Soviet Russia, cat loses you! They searched for the cat for weeks, but eventually were forced to return home without little Kuzya the Destroyer in tow. But three months later the Regnum news agency reported that the cat turned up on the doorstep, tired and thin but otherwise healthy. One of the Efremov family said: "He is nervous now about going outside - and always seems to be looking for a safe hiding place."

It took the Destroyer an entire three months to find his way home to his family. If that sounds like a long time, consider this: Kuzya the Destroyer traveled 1,300 miles across Siberia to finally reach his family, crossing woods, rivers, and lakes. When he finally arrived home, his only problems were a few bite marks on his tail, a bit of weight loss, and the fact that his claws were worn down to nothing, probably from slapping around too many predators. Kuzya is a poster-kitten for awesomeness.

4. Sage the German Shepherd

Sage the German Shepherd didn’t travel very far in comparison. She did, however, do it with a stomach full of shotgun shrapnel, which is amazing. After she went missing on his huge 40-acre property for over a week, her owner, David Lechan, didn’t hold out much hope that five-year-old Sage would make it home. It was common for Sage to go wandering around on Lechan’s huge property in search of adventure, but she was unfailingly there waiting for him at his doorstep when he arrived home from work. On December 2nd, 2009, she wasn’t.

It’s unclear why she was shot or by whom, but luckily, Sage made the trek home despite her grave injuries. Lechan said that dogs like Sage go into something called “wolf mode,” a state where their body shuts down and allows them to muster all of their strength and avoid becoming exhausted, even without food. “The only reason that she did come home was her devotion to me because we are pretty much inseparable,” said Lechan of his faithful pet. It took seven days for Sage to recoup enough energy to make the journey home, bouncing back from the sort of trauma that would stop most humans in their tracks. “I came home from work Wednesday afternoon, I walked in the barn, and there she was. She stood up, looked at me, took two steps, and fell down,” said Lechan. Sage is now back at home where she belongs and is expected to make a full recovery.

5. Skittles the Cat

Skittles the cat may not taste like a rainbow (though it’s hard to be sure), but he definitely traveled from one end of it to the other to be reunited with his family. His owners, the Sampsons, lost Skittles while they were vacationing in the Wisconsin Dells for Labor Day, 350 miles from their home in northern Minnesota. While they were packing up to leave, they realized they couldn’t find Skittles anywhere. After some frantic searching, they were forced to give up and return home. Because of the distance between their home and the area where Skittles was lost, the Sampsons weren't optimistic about being reunited with their feline friend.

There was one false alarm when a cat who strongly resembled Skittles appeared at their door, meowing to be let in. After an initial burst of joy, the Sampsons sadly realized that the cat was in fact “M&Ms”, a kitty belonging to the neighbors across street, who bore a striking external resemblance to Skittles despite being a completely different candy cat on the inside. It took the real Skittles 140 days to return home across a distance of 350 miles. When he arrived home, Skittles’ paws were raw and his ribs were actually protruding from his body. His owners declined to rename him “Skeletor” and nursed the cat into a full recovery.

6. Jarvis the Jack Russell

Jarvis the Jack Russel doesn’t just have a clever name, he also knows how to use one of the most obscure forms of public transport: the ferry. His owner, Vivienne Oxley of Devon, England, lost Jarvis while she was out strolling the Cornish countryside with her granddaughter. Jarvis, realizing that he was a bit too awesome for the situation, ran off in the bushes for an adventure while his owner searched for him. After an entire two hours of searching, Vivienne gave up and returned home to Devon.

Jarvis, however, was not really lost. He was just hanging out for a while, partying with the woodland creatures. When he was done showing them how to kick it Terrier style, Jarvis decided it was time to return home, and settled on the ferry as the optimal form of transport back to Devon. Jarvis was caught without a ticket but managed to avoid paying the fine by using the classic ‘I am a dog’ excuse. Luckily, Mrs Oxley, got a call to say a dog like Jarvis had been seen on the ferry they had taken across Plymouth Sound to reach Cornwall. Minutes later, puzzled husband Tony rang to say Jarvis had turned up at home alone – having trotted the 3km from the ferry at Cremyll. Mrs Oxley said: 'I rushed home and there he was, sitting in the window wagging his tail as if nothing had happened.'

7. Max the Airedale Terrier

Max the Airedale Terrier travelled an amazing distance to return to his loving owner, crossing harsh terrain and managing to not get eaten by predators. Two-year-old Max was lost when his owner’s convertible was involved in an accident in Sterling, Connecticut. Bill Clark’s car was struck by another vehicle and in a moment of panic Max ran from the back seat of the car, through the trunk, and off into the woods. After returning home to Coventry, Rhode Island, Clark launched a search campaign for Max that spanned weeks, but to no avail. There were many sightings, but no luck.

Then, one Tuesday, Clark returned home to find Max sitting in his back yard, having found his way home from 45 miles away, crossing the state line while having to avoid any toll roads entirely due to his lack of change and the pockets in which to keep it. Upon examination from a vet, Max was discovered to have no injuries whatsoever, and the only mark of his nearly month-long journey was weight loss. “He lost 11 pounds,” said owner, Bill Clark. “I lost seven.” Calm down, Bill – it’s not a competition.

8. Dusty Simon the Beagle

Dusty Simon sounds like the name of some sort of folk-blues-country singer from the 50s, conjuring up images of the lone traveler, bedraggled-yet-wise, making his way through the countryside, his guitar slung over his back and the soles of his boots worn to the leather. Perhaps this is what the real Dusty Simon’s caretakers were thinking of when they named the pooch, who was often seen wandering casually around their subdivision — a stray despite his pure breeding. Dusty Simon had become a great friend to the residents of the subdivision, especially the children, and was a familiar sight and staple member of the community until he suddenly disappeared for several weeks. The subdivision’s residents searched ceaselessly for Dusty, but failed to find the lost Beagle. After two weeks of searching, the neighborhood’s hopes were beginning to dim.

One afternoon, Amanda Ramey, who was particularly close with Dusty, returned home to find the dog lying in her front yard. Unlike some of the luckier animals on this list, poor Dusty was a little worse for wear: his back legs were broken and his pelvis was severely fractured. Vets hypothesized that Dusty had been hit by a car and had dragged himself for several miles using only his front paws and determination. The surgery bill to reinstate Dusty to his former glory was estimated at $2,000, and the community happily banded together to pay for his full recovery. Viva la Dusty!

9. Smokey the Cat

A cat that was shot 13 times in the head with an air rifle has remarkably survived the ordeal. Smokey, had gone missing from his home in Maryborough in Victoria, Australia, for over a week. His owners were distraught and did whatever they could to try and find their lost nine-year-old moggie. If they knew the horrors that were being inflicted upon their poor pet they would have been even more panic-stricken.

Sergeant Craig Pearse from Maryborough police said it appeared Smokey's memory was not affected by the attack as the animal was able to find its way home. "This is just a shocking incident where someone either working alone or in a group has shown no regard for animal life and left Smokey for dead,'' Sgt Pearse said. Despite his severe injuries, Smokey managed to travel all the way to his front doorstep. Smokey has been heavily medicated and is recovering at home after a vet removed the gun pellets from his head.

10. Jack the Whippet-Terrier Cross

In a story reminiscent of 1940s film Lassie Come Home, a family who had given up their whippet-terrier cross Jack for dead looked outside to find him asleep on their doorstep. The mongrel dog – exhausted and sore-pawed, but very much alive – had walked 15 miles along an unfamiliar route, apparently untroubled by obstacles including a four-lane bypass and one of the country's busiest motorways. The dog's bravery is all the more remarkable for the fact that he suffers from a fear of traffic, and walks with a limp, after being knocked down by a lorry five years ago. Jack was lost by his owners, David Cooper and his wife Liz, while they strolled through Dearne Valley Park, 15 miles away from their home in Penistone (yes, Penistone) near Sheffield, England. Jack was spooked by other dogs and scurried into the woods. Mr. Cooper said: "He had been missing for a day-and-a-half and we'd all but given up. We'd had dozens of friends and neighbours out looking for him but decided to call off the search. On a whim, I had one more look outside the back of the house just in case he had returned. I glanced down through the window of the door and did a double take, because there he was."

From what the Coopers have managed to piece together from people who spotted Jack on his circuitous adventure, Jack had to cross four major roads and a four-lane highway – facing his doggie fears head on – as well as miles of dangerous moorland. Mr Cooper said: "We really have no idea how he got across. There are a couple of pedestrian subways, but he would have no idea where they were so it's possible he just made a dash across the traffic." The final leg of his journey took him a few miles north to his owners' home, where he curled up in a ball on the back doorstep. Mrs Cooper, said: "I’ve asked all my colleagues at work if they can tell me how dogs can navigate when they’ve never been somewhere before, but they’re just as baffled as me. Everyone thinks it’s quite amazing.” Jack is now recuperating with the help of Coopers' two sons Adam and Rob. Mr Cooper said: "We bandaged his legs but he's out walking again now, although he is staying a little closer."

REPRINTED FROM:
http://brainz.org/15-pets-who-returned-home-remarkable-distances/

GRANDMA NEXT DOOR:

2011-02-19T06:02:00.002-07:00

Japanese Poet a Bestseller at 99

"Kujikenaide" Don't Lose Heart

TOKYO – A 99-year-old woman writing about love, dreams and hanging on to hope has touched thousands of hearts, propelling her self-published poetry book onto bestseller lists. "Kujikenaide," which translates as "Don't Lose Heart" or "Don't Be Too Frustrated," has struck a chord with a Japanese public tired of two decades of recession and thirsting for the wisdom of experience.

Toyo Shibata's anthology has sold 1.5m copies since its publication, in late 2009. The self-published collection of 42 poems is proving literary balm to a country confronted with economic decline and questions over how to fund welfare and pensions for the growing population of over-65s.

Kujikenaide has been the most popular title on Japan's keenly watched Oricon chart for the past two weeks and was among the 10 most popular titles of last year. After recording impressive early sales, the book was taken on by the publisher Asuka Shinsha and reissued, with new artwork, last spring.

The nonagenarian describes her poems, with uplifting titles such as Everyone's Dreams Are Equal and Take It Easy, Don't Try Too Hard, as an expression of gratitude to the people who have cared for her during her twilight years. "I've lived to this age thanks to support from my family, friends, caregivers and doctors, and am transforming my gratitude into poetry to tell them, 'Thank you, I am really happy,'" Reuters quoted her as saying.

Aside from offering gentle encouragement, Ms Shibata occasionally adopts a confessional tone. In one poem, Secret, she writes: "Although 98, I've fallen in love. I also have dreams. I want to ride on a cloud." The verse is apparently a reference to a doctor who visited her at home.

Helped by a late boost of publicity from a television documentary in December, 2010, the book hit 1.5 million copies in print, said publisher Asukashinsha. Printing just 10,000 copies is often seen as a success for poetry books in Japan.

Ms Shibata began her literary journey at 92 when she could no longer continue with her decades-long hobby of classical Japanese dance due to back pain. Her son Kenichi, currently in his mid-60s, recommended she try poetry writing. "When my first poem was published in a newspaper, I was very, very happy. I sent them another one and that also got published. So I kept on writing," she said.

She jots down her poetic inspirations whenever they strike, whether she is in bed or sitting at her home in the Tokyo suburbs, where she has lived alone since her husband died 19 years ago. Much of her writing is done at night, after her home helper leaves. "I think of various things: memories of my past and my family, my current life. I immerse myself in those memories and write from them," Ms Shibata said.

Written in what reviewers have termed a down-to-earth style with "sprightly" words, her poems have proven encouraging to thousands of readers. "I received the courage and dreams to live on from you," a 70-year-old reader said in a letter to Ms Shibata's publisher. Another fan, a man who was being shunned by colleagues, said "I take your poems out to read when I'm frustrated."

Ms Shibata hopes her success presents a living example of a late bloomer, giving some hope to Japan's rapidly aging society. "A flower bloomed from a century-old tree, and it's all because of your support," said Ms Shibata, who is writing poems for a new collection to be published ahead of her 100th birthday this year. "Now I have a souvenir to bring to the after-world and boast about to my husband and my mother there," she added.

EXPERIENCE TOYO SHIBATA
FOR YOURSELF:

Few people can say they’ve lived as long as Toyo Shibata. At 99, she has seen two world wars, four emperors and 81 prime ministers. Over the span of such a long life, one would hope to acquire valuable wisdom about the world and how to be happy. Ms. Shibata has.

She writes: “Though there were hardships in my life, I’m glad I went on living. You should too, without getting frustrated.”

This notion of being open with yourself and finding more comfort in who you are could be just what Japan needs. Click the link below to see a video of Toyo Shibata reading her poetry:

WATCH: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=e_IObsIJ6GY

FIND KUJIKENAIDE HERE (In Japanese only)

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