#EndItMovement : End Human Slavery.

The world in which we live is a beautiful, enjoyable place if you look at it through the eyes of someone who's in a place they can enjoy. For others, life is an ugly, unforgiving monster with a battery of unending pain, hardships, failures and even torture.

I am fortunate enough to find myself among those who can look at [my] life and realize that while it hasn't been perfect, it is by far more than I deserve. I have what every person needs: a family, friends, a stable home life, a job, a car, etc., etc. The list goes on and on of the things and people that and whom have blessed me in a million different ways.

But beyond being a person, born abroad but raised and still living in the United States, I am a human.

And I have what every human needs:

LOVE.
FREEDOM.
EMOTIONAL SECURITY.
DIGNITY.
DISTINCTION.
LOVE. REAL LOVE.

Between the core fundamental components we need to survive - food, water, bodily nutrients - and the list of things we are wired as social creatures to desire - companions, a purpose, possessions - well, that's where I believe these things are found.

And I have all of those.
And a lot of people DON'T.

Today is February 27, 2014.
Today is the day we SHINE A LIGHT ON SLAVERY.



www.enditmovement.com

Yes, human slavery. As in, the buying, selling, owning, trading and abusing of human beings. In other words, human trafficking. It makes me ill to even think about the strife suffered by various people groups over the course of history at the hands of others who were so disillusioned that they actively treated other humans as even less than goods on a barter system. YEARS later, we as a general population [at least here in the United States] are ingraining equality as a building block to societal progression.

 

We are BLIND.

For the most part, when the term human trafficking is heard, minds automatically divert to some off-trodden third world country, where basic amenities are scarce and the quality of life in general is sub-par to what we would ever accept here. Or perhaps, we've seen movies like Taken, which shed light that human trafficking operations can be [AND ARE.] buried right beneath the nose of even the most economically-sound hubs. Opportunistic criminals are lurking in places we may not have ever imagined.

 

Like, for instance... here. We call it a homefront, because this is where we live. The U.S.A. Ohio, Alabama, California, New York.. the other 46. You know, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Land of the free, home of the brave? Yes, here. There are men, women and children here, in the shadows of every day American life, who are not living, but simply existing.

 

And that pisses me off.
It should piss you off, too.

 

Not sure that you believe human trafficking exists here in the U.S.? Google a survivor, like Clemmie Greenlee, and listen to her explain to you how she was abducted at age 12, raped by the men who took her, and then shuttled around to major cities with the expectation to sleep with anywhere between 20-40 men daily during major tourist events like the Superbowl. Federal law dictates that the prostitution of a minor is considered sex trafficking. Any parent of a child will tell you that they would lay down their own life if it meant erasing that permanent, irreversible physical and psychological damage to their son or daughter.

 

Slavery doesn't always mean sex trafficking, either. It could mean what I know I understood it to be when I was being taught about it in school: literally forcing another person to obey your commands, regardless of how frivolous or extreme they are. Read up Quita Puchalla's story and tell me that I shouldn't be counting my blessings every single night that as an adopted child myself, this never happened to me. Adopted children, especially those from other countries, sometimes become decidedly "bad calls" by their adoptive families and basically listed online as Free to a Good Home, right between the litter of unwanted puppies and a ferret. REALLY?! These children are traded in underground "markets," if you will, then forced to do things that NO. HUMAN. EVER., let alone a CHILD should have to do. One girl was forced to dig her own grave. She wasn't even 15.

 

This is not right.

This is not okay.

THIS IS NOT LIFE. 

 

So yes, today I pledged the skin on my hands - a SMALL, unutilized surface of my body to be covered with a large red X. It's not much, I know, but it is a statement that I will make today, along with thousands of other people around the world [hopefully] that human slavery MUST end. I wanted to convey this message on two hands, put together to signify the full symbol; no one of us could conquer much on our own, but together we can create movements. And wings. I have always believed birds, owls, even bats.. really anything that can and does fly - they have a liberated vantage point on this world that we could only hope to have. They are nearly without limits if they are allowed to reach their potential, and I know that we as humans should have the same right to find ours. It starts with something as simple as just.. loving someone else.

You are the people who are shaping a better world.
One of the secrets of inner peace is the practice of compassion.
- Dalai Lama 

My heart broke today reading some of the stories from survivors of human trafficking, slavery and torture. It is 2014, which in most minds signifies another year of achieving things we never thought possible. I would hope & feverishly pray that in 2014, the efforts to disband and destroy trafficking operations is a mighty one.

I believe in the power of unity, and in the strength of love over evil.
I believe that every human being not only needs, but deserves:

LOVE.

FREEDOM.

EMOTIONAL SECURITY.

DIGNITY.

DISTINCTION.

LOVE. REAL LOVE.

 

The men, women and children existing in the dark world of human trafficking don't have any of those things. The self-worth they are told they have is the opposite of what they really are. The "love" they know is nothing more than the loyalty forced by fear, not by real love. They are not free. They have no emotional security. Dignity is a word they do not know. Distinction of the reality versus what they've been conditioned to believe is probably more terrifying to weigh than the torture that comes with disobedience or failure.

 

As a parent, I of course have hesitations and concerns with raising children in this - in our - world. I can't keep my children in a bubble. I can't hold them back. And I won't. But, I will show them what love - real, purposed love means. I will teach them that while they may make mistakes, they are not mistakes. They have a purpose. I will not hide the realities of this world and the corruption that comes along with it, but I will shade them as best I can from trading their childlike innocence for hard-fought life lessons before the time is right. I pray that I can show them the beautiful things in this world, and guide them through the ugly parts in ways that teach them to exercise due caution, but above that compassion, love and selflessness.

 

And I pray that these children.. these men.. these women who are at the hands of tyrants.. can find peace. I pray for healing. For justice. For reunion with family, or separation if need be. I pray for the organizations around the world and here locally that tirelessly crusade against modern day human slavery, and for the individual advocates who rescue and council victims from that monster every day.  

We are not called to go where it is easy,
and love already exists.
We are called to go where we are sent,
and bring love with us.
- Anon.
 

Stand up & speak out, friends. It's the least we can do.

xo | cmd

Without CAUSE, We Wouldn't Have EFFECT

hello, again, snowy cincinnati
... happy tuesday!

It's winter again in Cinci. To go along with the unexpected surprise of new snowfall, here's a gritty little rant I didn't expect to have today, either. In advance, if you're offended, well... I'm not sorry.

I admittedly lost some sleep last night, as I layed there mulling over some of the inevitable muddle of things happening, things to do, people, more to-do's, life, liberty and the pursuit of whatever it is in this short lifetime that we're all seeking.

I parted ways with my bed this morning with more thoughts than peace in my head [not really a desired balance] and was determined to get it all out, somehow.

It started as a brief thought [birthed and developed during my 9-mile, 48-minute morning snow commute ;)], which I shared as a note of encouragement online. This was the original blurb:

Without our failures, we wouldn't know success.
Without limitations, we wouldn't recognize authenticity.
Without hypocrites, we wouldn't appreciate candor.
Without boastfulness, we wouldn't understand true humility.
Without the valleys, we wouldn't achieve personal growth.
Without conditional behavior, we wouldn't respect consistency.
And without INTEGRITY, we WON'T trust anyone.. even ourselves.

From there, the principle of the whole thing took root in my mind and augmented itself as the day wore on. By the time I found myself back at home, I had a more than ample additions to the initial thought [and no, there is no official literary structure to this one; my apologies in advance to my fellow bookies]:

Without abrasion, we wouldn't become polished.
Without destruction, we wouldn't develop tenacity for fresh starts.
Without dissention, we wouldn't hold individual values.
Without division, we wouldn't promote unity.
Without hate, we wouldn't know to pursue love.
Without experience, we wouldn't exercise discernment.
Without faith, we wouldn't have hope.
Without INTEGRITY, we ARE NOT worth our own word.

I could literally go on... for days, on this topic. I've been struggling the most in the recent weeks with a few select situations in my life, things... and people that I wish would just become transparent, for the sake of not themselves but for the things and people around them that are very directly affected by this. In a world where a professed-Christian business owner puts an icthus on his business card between his name and the company's, but has to lie when unknown numbers call him to hide from his previous company's contact...... the deception expands both internally and externally. The image of Christians as a whole is thwarted by the darkness of selective deception, while on the outside, the over-exertion of effort to create a picture of flawless, humble behavior and lifestyle attracts the accolades of the crowds. It makes me sick, because 1] I've been in those shoes, wanting so desperately to believe I was being a good person, but having to do so by setting conditions to which rules I would follow, and 2] because these actions proactively DESTROY the exact thing we're trying to create if we do them.

Without the full story, we will not see the truth.
Without sheep, a wolf has no wool coat.
Without INTEGRITY, we WILL NOT experience freedom.

Am I being passive aggressive today? Yes.
Do I care? No.

I'm reading over the things I've just written and yes, I know it has a rather choppy flow, certainly not the most connected thing I've ever transferred from my mind to writing................ but here's the thing:

This is real. This is a REAL problem. I don't know if it's because of what I heard yesterday at church [regarding the fine line of destructive pride and genuine humility, thank you, Adam..], or because it's the Christmas season and naturally this is the time when we as a whole water down the meaning of it all in our pursuit of things.... but I have this to say to us, as Christians, non-Christians, HUMANS, during Christmas or ANY other time of the year...... [and I am NOT exempt from this advice..]

ouch...

I hope I am not alone in believing that regardless of who we are or what we do, that it is NOT okay to label ourselves into a category that is defined by the exact principles we are only selectively choosing to follow. That being said, I realize it's a double-edged sword in LIFE, because without the unfavorable alternative(s), we really... honestly... would not know the contrast on which would should focus.

Call this a tired tirade if you want, but my heart is heavy today with the weight of certain people - small people - who are being directly influenced and affected by the examples set forth by these kinds of decisions. Again, I am not exempt from making bad calls. I have, however, learned the freedom of honesty and most of all transparency; I no longer feel the need to please everyone around me, let alone inventory separate personalities for separate people. I'm becoming an open book, for better or for worse, but I know this: I'll own my regrets and NOT repeat them.

Without provocation, we have no motivation.
Without problems, we won't become catalysts.
Without INTEGRITY, well... we ARE the problem.

I am so wholly thankful for the people in my life, especially those that I've hurt... because they were courageous and loving enough to bring it to my attention. Was it painful to hear? Duh... but they were right to do so and I am grateful for it.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
- Prov 27:17

//rant. If this convicted you, the way it did me today, then commit it to your memory. If it compelled you, share it. If it offended you, then you should probably re-read it. And if you find that I am in a position to be reminded of the need for my own transparency, please tell me. I promise I will do the same.

Have a wonderful week, blogbots.
xo | cmd 

Sunday Screed + River Time With Friends

Ranty blog entry, comin' riiiiight up.
[you've been warned]

Actually, let me do this in reverse order, from the last half of the day first.

Sydni and I went to church this morning [about which the latter part of this entry will spiel], and afterwards headed home to try a nap [no success] and tidy up the house some. We were done with plenty of time to spare by the time Becky was off work, so we headed up to Northside, picked her up and headed out to the water.

Oh, and check out what she picked up for me at Market!

I. Love. It. [Thanks, Becky!!!]

Anyway, our original plan was to go kayaking, but we changed our minds at the last minute and piled all three of us into a canoe instead. Sydni had a blast.

canoeing with miss becky | viewing window at dewey's!

We finished up on the water after a little while and decided it was dinner time; Sydni said she wanted pizza, so we were off to Dewey's in Oakley - another spot I've not been in years.. at least not the Oakly store. Mike joined in and the four of us did some work on some food before parting ways for the evening. Perfect way to round out the weekend!

************************************

So yeah.. like I said I wanted to get back to, and focus today primarily on the revelation I had this morning and how that's been spanning over the course of my day so far. Here's where this becomes a diatribe.

 

Sydni and I went to church this morning: It was my second time visiting SonRise, and Syd's first. She seemed hesitant at first, but then discovered the tube slide that serves to introduce kids into the classrooms, and immediately threw all caution to the wind. From what I saw and heard afterwards, she loved her class, teacher and the other kids in with her.

 

What hit me this morning, was this: 

I landed in SonRise in the middle of a sermon series, which is not uncommon and I was curious to see how much I'd missed. The focal point of this series is human emotion and how that corresponds/correlates with the presence of God in our lives and His purpose for us. Today was honed in on anger. What's most interesting about anger is that it's one of the hardest emotions to break; even psychiatrists and behavioral scientists don't have failproof methods to combat it. I realized today that I grossly underestimated the amount of anger I had - and still have - in certain areas of my life. 



break free. i will.

If you have, for some reason, been following along over the course of the past year or so, it's no secret to you that I've put myself and been put by others through some not-so-pretty things. I went through a divorce, started dating someone new, relocated across two states, started a new job and found myself back in Cincinnati, both to my disappointment and relief. That's the shortest version of the recap. I've always coined myself a resilient person adaptable to most types of change, but even for me, it was a little much.  

 

Today it hit me that the anger I have inside me, mainly directed a few individuals, is deep-seeded, beyond what I originally thought was just the past year or so. I realized today, that it started over four years ago. I'm not naturally a bitter or resentful person, so for me, that's a long time to be angry with the same person[s]. It wasn't until that anger turned to hate... literally hate in my heart for things that both were and weren't in my control. I started building a prison around my own heart.

 

I have been crippling myself with this, more evidently so in the past year. From 2009 to the end of 2011, I had become an angrier person than I had ever been, ever. No, not angry as in physically-aggressive or violent, but emotionally furious: with some other people, with the stagnant state of my life, but most of all with myself for keeping record of things in my head but keeping my mouth shut about them until it was too late. In 2012, I made and went through with the final choice to end my marriage, which still stings to think about [not the other person, but the idea that I was a part of something that had become toxic to the point of ripping us both apart as separate people if we forced it any further]. Things boiled over: Things I'd left unsaid for three years, reasons I felt the way I did and harsh judgments and facts that at the time seemed entirely justified to say out loud. They came rushing out in ways I didn't even expect: lists on lists of reasons we had failed, why I was so enraged, to the core, and unequivocally inconsolable

 

People tried to help me. Family, who fortunately in my world is always there for me, first, and of course my closest friends at the time, all tried to be an outlet in one way or another for me. But no... I was too angry, too hurt, too embarrassed by it all, too exhausted to slow down and put a white-hot boiling heart on my sleeve for the world to see. Instead, I shut down. I stopped speaking all together, to just about everyone.. about anything that mattered, that is. People even as close as co-workers wouldn't have been able to feel the heat, because I made it a direct point to shelter people around me from the burden of whatever strife I had going on. Only those carried by gusts of gossip or those as close to me as I'd let any of them had any inkling of how defeated and abandonded I really felt.

 

Here's the thing that hit me today: I can't do this anymore. More than that, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm so relieved [& honest] to report that now, not even a year after my divorce, that I am happy. I really am, and it's genuine this time. It's sincere, not urged or forced for the sake of blending in or standing out, whichever was called for. I'm happy, from the inside out and not the other way around.

 

However,

 

By that, I primarily mean that, we'll call it 98% of what was causing me to deteriorate before, has been removed and replaced with new, functioning elements that have been integral parts of my repair so far. The 2% I can't claim, though, is the lingering amount of anger I still have, because I am both stubborn and human. Because I have realized the anger I have, its targets and I have recognized that I will NOT be able to do a 180 turnaround overnight. I will continue praying, and continue focusing my energy on letting go of things beyond my control and out of my hair.

 

I will give you two very real, very legitimate reasons that I have to do this:  

they love me, & deserve the unfiltered best of my love

^ I admitted to myself today that I am not capable of loving the important people in my life now, the way I want to and the way they deserve, if I'm still harboring resentment or hate for anyone from my past. Chapters of my life were written and closed for a reason, and I need to focus now the fact that it didn't destroy me; in actuality it made me stronger, wiser and in some ways, more passionate about the ones I love and the causes in which I believe. It's taught me the stark differences between fake and real, forced and natural, and surface feelings versus a state of being that starts from places deeper than I've ever been before.
 

MONTHS ago, I started a series of letters. By series, I mean just a handful, but very specific and very different, in there own ways. Those letters will not be shared here, at least not by me, but it is my committment to an invitation given today by a Pastor I've yet to get to know well, to initiate the first step of forgiving: Them AND/or myself. I'm scared to admit that the latter will most definitely be harder than the first, but the angry cycle I'm in now has to break. 

 

I didn't much enjoy it while I was sitting through it this morning, feeling that familiar conviction when it seems like a lesson was written with your face in mind. It doesn't always happen that way, but when it does, I sit and hang onto each word, knowing that if I'm doing that, I must need it more than I thought.

 

I'll leave it at that.

 

Yours truly,  

imperfect, but trying.
i'm not giving up.

xo | cmd

5 More Important Things Than Miley Cyrus @ The VMA's

There will always be two sides to every argument; I know that I personally have some friends who are defending the VMA performance from last night [which I didn't watch last night... but unfortunately made the horrible decision to investigate the hype today via YouTube. Dumb call]. Call it what you want, whether you think she's being a boundary-pushing pioneer of the entertainment industry, or if you think, like me, that she's a renegade tween star, gone completely rogue and in need of some very simple, very real downhome reality. Whatever you call it, I call it absolutely insane that literally the only thing I could find for pages this morning when I checked in on FB [& apparently every other online outlet] was post after post about her performance.

+ 100 points for her pulling off a successful publicity stunt.
- 479324082 points for us caring as much as we do.

In lieu of all the MC hype, I thought I'd enlighten us on some things that are happening outside the world of MTV... ya know, things that may actually impact us in a way that's healthy for our brain cells.

Here we go.

unicef, for syrian relief

1. Syria. The country is facing political warfare that has produced a still-climbing death toll now of over 100k people. Many of these people are children, who have been caught defenseless in the midst of something they didn't understand, and lost their lives by simply existing in the wrong place. That breaks my heart. I realized today that if I were to name a family or friend for every one MC post I saw today, that I would soon run out of names but wouldn't even scratch the surface of what too many people in Syria have lost. This has been going on for more than two years now, with no tangible end in sight, still. Children and families continue to die daily for this.  Unicef, one of the world's leading relief agencies, is reaching their available limits and dangerously close to being forced to withdraw support. It reminds me how blessed we are not to face this kind of horror, but saddens me that others do. I'm not sorry that I believe this is more legitimate than dear Miley.

my kony2012 shirt

2. KONY. Many people thought that was just a publicity stunt, a big bandwagon on which the flavor-of-the-week philanthropists could ride for a little while. Welp, hate to burst that bubble, but it's real. As a parent, I don't want to sit in fear of something like this happening to my child, but I look at the faces of stolen youth, the victims of this, and my heart breaks for them. The bright side of it? Sevenly has partnered now with InvisibleChildren to counsel and provide support to child-soldiers and their families traumatized by the war. These types of things sadly are becoming a fad to follow and then drop when something else starts trending, but that's far from meaning it's gone. This is real, and there IS hope.

christopher lane

3. Christopher Lane is dead. Don't know who that is? He was an Australian baseball player living in Oklahoma, who was gunned down by 3 kids who had nothing better to do than wait around for someone to kill. This begs the question... REALLY?! What are we doing as a collective group of people to engage our youth in things that will enhance them? Where are sports, or volunteer opportunities... or a community entertainment event... something.. anything... that we could encourage our kids to do? That makes me sad. I typically don't involve myself on a public level in voicing my political stances, but it is in fact disappointing to me that our national leadership [we'll leave it at that] has been far less showy about making appearances over this young man... but when it was Trayvon Martin....... I'm just saying. A life is a life, regardless of who it is; I can't help but wonder where our motives really lie though, when things like this happen so similarly but the coverage is so very different.

love!

4. Good news? Okay. [For you anti-Walmart folks, you'll doubly enjoy this] An abandoned Wal-Mart in Texas was recently renovated with the help of a grant [read it HERE!], and transformed into a library. A LIBRARY! I love that. I hate to think that places like this are slowly becoming an obsolete pasttime for the world; I know I loved going to the library as a kid and will take my children there, so this warmed my heart a little bit knowing that when one monopoly falls, there is something beautiful that can grow in its place. [C'mon, who doesn't remember those awesome, old school library cards with all the stamps?!] (:

hannah taylor

5. Good news, take 2! There is plenty of negative headline reel to last us for the rest of our lives, with more and more popping up every day. What keeps me going is the reminder that humanity does still exist, along with chivalry, compassion and the general ability for us as a species to not only amicably coexist, but to extend ourselves to help someone we don't know. For me, it's even better to hear about it from the least of these, meaning the youngest hearts around the world. I think it's fabulous when movie stars and famous athletes give their resources to charitable causes, but the real magic for me is when it's an average, every day person like you and me, paving the way as a pioneer of another kind to leave a mark on this world bigger than themselves. Remember Hannah Taylor? Probably not.. but when I was in 6th grade, she was in 1st grade in Manitoba. I don't know her; I've never met her, but she is the founder of the Ladybug Foundation, an organization built to aid the homeless and provide networks to get them back on their feet. She saw a homeless man digging in the trash for food, and just couldn't accept that being okay. She was 5. Hannah is 17 now and has taken her mission across the world to the eyes of over thousands of people. She's written books, and continues to fight against homelessness and for those who fall victim to it. Could you imagine this world if every nubile spirit with a human conviction had this type of determination?? I'm amazed.

 So yeah. Sorry for the rants, but honestly, I've had such a hard time wrapping my head around the insane amount of hype over Miley.. freaking.. Cyrus since last night. I think this post was more for myself than for any of you [no offense]; I need sometimes to be reminded that this life I live can be so much more than just myself and those close to me. I can make a difference if I put my mind to it, and I can teach Sydni and any future children I have to do the same. I may be standing alone in my opinion on how ridiculous this is, but at the same time, I'm a firm believer that standing firm for your beliefs, even if you are standing alone, is always the best road to take anyway.

In other, less-important news, I donated blood today at the Queen City Blood drive, and was pleased to notice that Filipinos have officially made the checklist of available options on the paperwork. I proudly checked it. Haha.

yep! that's me! (:

Unfortunately, I apparently didn't eat enough today, because I had to stop at 333 [halfway] while I was in the chair. Becky was originally scheduled to go with me, but her iron levels were too low and so it'll be a few weeks before she can go again. All around, just an off day for both of us.. haha. The silver lining though? My friend Eric from Hoxworth expressed to me that he'd like to do a blood drive at Findlay Market, so I'm setting him up with Becky to coordinate that, and to celebrate our double failures, Becky & I headed straight to Eli's BBQ afterwards before heading our separate ways.

not mad at eli's ... nope, not mad (:

*Phew. I'm whooped.
Skype date with the boyfriend and then an early night for this critter.

Mission for Tomorrow: Love someone you don't know, even if it's with just a smile in passing. (:

xo | cmd

Bullies... All Grown Up... But Not Really.

... and no, unfortunately I'm not talking about adorable pitbullies.
I'm talking about adult humans, who have both the capacity and the ability to distinguish right from wrong, up from down, and cruel from compassionate.

You'll have to excuse my rant, especially if you're the one(s) responsible for this, because you crossed a line that I've never had to face, but know plenty who have... and the saddest part of it is that YOU have too.

Here's the scoop:

In one of those arbitrary moments of Facebook newsfeed scrolling, I came across THIS picture: 

this makes me sick

Let me explain this:
1. I blocked out faces because really, that's unecessary.
2. This was originally of a girl and a guy standing together. The person who edited this picture did a hack photoshop job of another girl's face and hair onto the girl's body and posted it online for the rest of us to see. The girl whose face was put on here is a girl we all know; she's a sweet girl who, in high school, had something of a slight social disability. In any case, the picture was posted and immediately hit with a range of comments from people thinking it was hilarious to people asking for it to be removed.

It makes me sick. Yeah, I know... Cori, this type of thing happens all the time; your little rant isn't going to stop or change people. Bro, I know. I'm not trying to change the world, but I was honestly just left in a state of simple sadness and pity for the people who did this to her.... but not only just for her.

I think after brooding over it, I may actually feel more pity for the people who actually think this is funny. It's crazy to me, too, since in the slew of comments that had made it there by the time I first saw it, there were only 2 or 3 out of 10-15 that I didn't recognize as people who I knew had met her, likely had classes with her, or crosssed her path at some point in high school. REALLY?

.... No, it wouldn't be any less of an offense if it were a total stranger, but it certainly speaks even more volume to your character for the fact that you are that callous to do that to someone with whom you've had actual contact.

Folks, I know we live in a world that is breaking and fraying at the seams a little more each day. I'm fearful at times that Sydni and any other children I should have will face in their adult lives a society with absolutely no moral compass, value system, or filter of any kind. I force myself to shut out the inkling that boundaries will be completely non-existent by the time they are grown, and that a basic respect for LIFE in general will be something of an obsolete, historical theory as opposed to something tangible taught by and fought for on the behalf of parents to their kids.

A little known factoid about me, while we're at it [this will make sense, bear with me]: I'm an advocate representative still for the AFSP. If you haven't thought about the impact that these kinds of things have on people, you should take a second to read through a handful of those stories. It sounds like a far, dramatic cry, but it's not. I've seen that, firsthand, and it's real.

I'm encouraged, though. In the moments of anger I had after seeing that, I was met by several classmates who took a personal stand as well against the posting and expressed the same disgust. It isn't even a scratch in the grand scheme of things, but it helped to know I wasn't completely alone in the disappointment I was feeling.

For any of you out there who have a relative or friend who battles every day with a disability or handicap of any kind, this is for you... I pray that you're free from this kind of idiocracy and that you have a peace in the face of what you're handling. I'm encouraged by this to re-dedicate nothing short of my best efforts as a parent to raising my daughter the right way: knowing and believing that human life is valuable no matter what it looks, acts or sounds like. I pray that if I fail at teaching, that at least I can succeed at instilling in her a compassion and the courage to stand up for those around her who can't do it themselves... even if that means she's standing alone.

I suppose I'll stop ranting now... but I hope that if you've found yourself in the position of going along with the crowd just be cool..... it's not worth it. I hope maybe you heard something here, if that is you... and if it's not.. welp, thanks for hangin' in there with me (: 

Tomorrow's FRIDAY!

Let's make it count (:

xo | cmd 

Tired of the Tirades

duh. easy choice.

I vowed to you many a time that I would not allow my blog to become an expression of my political beliefs, even though I'm fairly certain that the majority of you know exactly where I stand in that regard. That being the case, the circular thought there should be enough to explain it anyhow.

ANYWAY,

We should all know by now [and if you don't, I can't say that I'm sorry for giving you a spoiler alert]... that we've re-elected President Obama for another four years. I'm gonna keep my promise of not converting my personal blog into a political platform of sorts, so I'll just leave it with this:

We should've been allowed to write in our best-available candidate. I personally would've gone with this guy.

I kid, I kid.

But seriously. For the love of all that is every person's facebook page, and every other person somehow inspired to share based off of the election.... let's try and be a little more mature about the whole thing, yeah? Hateful slander, bashing, and gut-spewing tirades really aren't going to do a whole lot to either "fix" if you feel that's needed, or "further discourage" if that's your stance... either side.

A good day is what you make of it! (:

xo | cmd