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Charity Matters Inspiration December 29, 2016

Goodbye 2016

There is nothing I love more than new beginnings. Fresh starts, new notebooks with empty pages that begin to tell a new story and the concept that a New Year brings a new chapter. A few years ago we spent New Year’s Eve in the Galapagos and we watched as people had created replica paper-mache mannequins of themselves with traits they wished to change and lit them on fire before throwing them into the ocean, symbolic of out with the old and in with the new.

This year, I think I would take a paper-mache shaped in the numbers 2016 and do the same. In the scheme of life, 2016 was not a horrible year but a tough one. We began moving last New Year, which was perhaps a foreshadowing of the year to come. It was a year with much movement. This is not to say, it was without fun and celebrations. My husband and I both turned 50, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We took a fantastic trip with our sons to Europe.

However, the year felt heavy, slow, emotional, and there seemed to be a feeling of climbing uphill slowly, very slowly. Do not get me wrong, I am full of gratitude for a life full of blessings. But gratitude aside, the year just felt tough.

So as I look ahead to 2017, I am filled with hope, possibility and the joy that comes with new beginnings. This year, I am dusting off the Charity Matters television treatment, I am opening myself to new possibilities to tell the stories of these non-profit heroes and I dreaming big.

Here is to a year full of possibility, hopes, dreams and making amazing things happen!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes December 14, 2016

The joy is everywhere…

“The mother of excess is not joy but joylessness.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

I would be lying if I didn’t admit to being a bit tired and overloaded this time of year. Do not get me wrong, I adore the holidays! I love everything about them, the decorations, the friends, the parties, the food, and even the presents. Truly, I do.

However, there are days when doing all the shopping, the wrapping and the cooking that it feels a bit overwhelming. We are about 10 days away and while I am checking things off the list, I am concerned with exactly that…..just checking them off, rather than feeling the joy.

With so much to do, it is easy to just go, go, go but if we are all moving at warp speed how can we be in the moment to witness the magic moments of the holidays? The other day I was whirling around getting ready for a party, I dashed into my in-laws to borrow something and in my rush almost missed my tiny niece hanging an ornament on the tree. She squealed with delight, which is what stopped me in my tracks to take the picture above.

And there it was….the joy, the wonder, the magic…right there in front of me and I almost missed it. I write this post as a reminder to myself that the joy is everywhere, if we just slow down long enough to catch it.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration December 9, 2016

Annual Worldwide Candle lighting

The second Sunday in December is an international day of remembrance for children that have died. Every year, in the middle of this crazy hectic season, I curse trying to get to this candle lighting event, I am running on empty and overload, a million lists rushing through my head…..and then I walk into the auditorium…..where I am greeted by hundreds of faces, many who are wearing their deceased child’s image on their t-shirt or clinging to a framed photo, as if it is a life raft…and I pause.

It is then, in this moment, that I know what is truly important. It is here, as I begin to hear one parent share the story of their child’s short journey on this earth and the big impact this small life had on so many, that I know what matters. In this room is full of sniffles, tears and broken hearts the traffic is forgotten, the holiday list vanish and all that remains is love and compassion.

The emotion is palpable and the love and connection these people feel for one another, although strangers, is real. For each of them has walked this path, a hellish journey where they never feel whole again because they have lost a child….their child.

Over 40 years ago, in 1969, a chaplain at the Warwickshire Hospital in England brought together two sets of grieving parents, realizing that the understanding and support they could give one another was greater than he could provide. At that kitchen table the Lawley family, Henderson family and chaplain, Simon Stephens created The Society of Compassionate Friends.

Today, The Compassionate Friends has over 700 chapters nationwide to offer friendship, understanding and hope to bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents and family members when a child has died. There are TCF chapters in more than 30 countries around the world, lead by volunteers who are bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents.

This Sunday, December 11th at 7pm, in time zones across the globe, the world’s largest mass candle lighting event will create a 24 hour wave of light in remembrance of a child gone too soon. I will be lighting a candle for so many, gone too soon and once again be grounded in what it is that truly matters…..love.

Charity Matters.

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Military December 7, 2016

Pearl Harbor Day 75 years later

Today is December 7th and for most of us, that day doesn’t really ring any bells. However, for some of us either lucky enough to grow up with parents who told us about this sacred day, or perhaps, old enough to remember, it is a day in infamy.

So, while this may not be a non-profit moment, it is one even bigger. On December 7th, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese . 75 years ago today, Hawaii did not look like this. A recently discovered family film uncovered the moment the war began and along with it, uncovered the moment that it ended.

So while you are out Christmas shopping today, remember that you have that luxury because of those who went before us. The ones that gave us the gift of freedom.

Charity Matters!

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Charity Matters Quotes November 24, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving

“What if today, we were grateful for everything?”

Charlie Brown

Today is the day that we give thanks for all that we have….our crazy wonderful families, our health, a meal, our freedom and time to just be together.

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude.

Perhaps, this year we can begin to make every day one of gratitude.

If we continue to focus on all of our blessings and all that we have, we will always be full….and not just of turkey and stuffing!

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes November 21, 2016

Gratitude

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”

Eckhart Tolle

As we all begin to prepare for Thanksgiving, it seems like an appropriate time to think of all we have to be grateful for.

It is so easy to think of all we have to do, but perhaps for just moment we can reflect upon all the blessings we have.

When my sons were younger we did “Thankful Thursday” every Thursday night at our dinner table. The boys would roll their eyes and then share whatever they were thankful for from “no homework” to “everyone at our table.” As the years went by, it became clear that this lesson in practicing gratitude was a gift.

Today, our college age sons reference their gratitude frequently. Now it comes in the form of a family text thread, the most recent from my 21-year-old “be thankful that we are all healthy and alive”

I think that is a great place to start….

Charity Matters.

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What Matters? November 16, 2016

Inside vs. Out

Once upon a time I dreamed of living in a big beautiful house on top of a hill, driving a beautiful old car and having four boys…..and all of those dreams became a reality. As a little girl I did dream those dreams and as an adult they all came true, with the exception of having 3 boys…. but sometimes my husband does counts as a fourth…just sayin!

Last year, when we moved from the house up on the hill for all to see, to a house down a very steep hill for no one to see, my wise friend Wendy said,” Your old house was all about the outside and this house is all about the inside.” A comment I have chewed on over and over since she said it.

The other day I wrote about living an external life vs. an internal one. As I reflect, it really is no different from living in that house on the hill. We bought that house because we fell in love with it, it was falling down in disrepair, it needed us and it was across the street from one of the most beautiful parks in Southern California….and with three little boys at the time…it was heaven on earth…not about being “seen.”

And yet, I would be lying if I didn’t admit to being house proud. Zillions of hours gardening, painting, fixing, moving rocks, and in general loving that house. I did want everyone to see our masterpiece and our home. We didn’t do all that work for people driving by, we did it for ourselves and for our family. If I had it to again I would not change a thing.

As I reflect on my new home hidden from the world, from the street and from all who try to find it. I reflect on Wendy’s words. This house and this time in my life is about reflecting inward and not about what is seen from the outside.

So, while the thousands of influencers try to fight for your attention and impress you externally, I will sit in my glass house alone in the canyon and hope that these thoughts from within resonate…from my insides to yours.

Charity Matters.

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Technology that Matters November 14, 2016

Being an influencer or just being real

I recently watched a segment on 60 Minutes about “influencers.” Yes, Kim Kardashian and a host of other people I have never heard of all trying to gain favor amongst advertisers for surprise…guess what….our attention…which of course equates to dollars. I get it, I do.

I don’t write for myself, well kind of, I do… but truth be told I write to inspire people to want to help others. Sounds crazy I know…but the more people who are inspired the more that are helped..it is just that simple. So, in watching the 60 Minutes piece, I probably should have been inspired myself but somehow I felt the exact opposite. The reason being, is influencing others from their vantage point, does not feel authentic, but rather feels sad.

Of course people want to be entertained, they want to watch others glamorous lives, none of this is new. Yet, the need to win over others for something external, is where I am having an internal struggle. How can I judge the Kim Kardashians of the world, when in reality the more people I “influence” the more people I help. That makes me as much a part of this ugly system as the people featured on the show….and for whatever crazy reason, I am having a hard time with that.

No, I am not better or worse than the Kardashians, the youtube makeup artist, the international sensation who does the splits around the globe or a funny guy who cranks out 6 second Vine videos…each person brings their own talent to the world and each of us vie for the same thing…attention. Honestly, a painful truth to admit.

I must confess, for me, it’s not about your “eyeballs” it’s about your heart and your soul. If one person is inspired to do a kind thing for another because of what they have read here…well then my heart is full and my job is done….influencer or not…that is the real deal.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes November 8, 2016

Presidential birthday

“The most important political office is that of the private citizen.”

Louis Brandeis

I know that today is an incredibly important day. It will hopefully be a day to remember and celebrate. It is a day that each of us need to exercise our freedom and come together.

I have cast my vote and am proud that I live in a country where each person has the privilege to do so.

So, while our country glues themselves to hear the outcome of today’s election, I will be celebrating another historic moment…my husband’s 50th birthday.

A day to remember for sure, and a day to celebrate life, love and liberty.

Charity Matters.

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Ways to make a difference October 24, 2016

Filing a dream

filing-a-dream

This past weekend, I had the rare itch to clean out some old files and office clutter. In the process, I discovered a notebook from 2012 where I journaled about a television show called Charity Matters. A show that would tell the stories of amazing and inspiring people who change our world through their service to others. I found a dream that had been filed away, literally.

Truth be told, I did forget about the notebook but not the dream. When Charity Matters began, it did begin as a dream….one that woke me up in the middle of the night, it was so real. I was so awakened that I grabbed my journal and wrote this vision down.

In the weeks that followed, I researched writing television shows. I reached out to friends in the industry on how to register an idea and a tv show with the writers guild…all of which I actually did. Then I thought, what am I doing? I don’t have the first clue how to actually do this. Then again, I didn’t know how to start a non-profit either and figured that out….. but somehow this seemed a dream a bit too big.

So, that is when the dream was altered, scaled back to become this blog. Something else, I also didn’t have the first clue about, but like most everything, I just did it. As I sit here hundreds of posts and followers later, it still seems like a dream. The incredible people I have met, interviewed, been inspired by and all of you…who constantly cheer me on along the way.

As I look at this dusty notebook, it feels like it might be time to dust off the dream again. Why not? Filing dreams away doesn’t keep them alive, dreams are meant to inspire, motivate and energize us. If there is one things that makes me happy it is all of the above….so here is to dreaming big!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration October 19, 2016

When two worlds collide

Don’t you love it when your worlds collide? As many of you know I have been a passionate supporter at an all boys school in Watts, called Verbum Dei, also referred to as “The Verb.” The Verb is a school where young men come from poverty, are given a white-collar job one day a week and attend school the remaining four days. One hundred percent of these amazing young men are accepted to four-year colleges.

Another school, that I am a passionate supporter of is Texas Christian University, also known as TCU. A school that has incredible connection culture and a spirit of kindness. The other day, it was brought to my attention that one of our Verb boys is at TCU playing football as a Quarter back, his name is Caylin Moore.

Caylin was raised in poverty by a loving single mother. He went to Verbum Dei High School, where he was a star student and athlete. This past week he was recognized for his community service work as the founder of SPARK, which stands for Strong Players Are Reaching Kids. A TCU Student organization whose mission is to, “Inspire the youth to rise above their circumstances, build bridges to success and ultimately spark a change in their communities.”

Caylin and his fellow TCU athletes are traveling around the Fort Worth community inspiring children to reach for their dreams, regardless of where they are starting. Caylin uses his own story to encourage others. As he said, “I’ve seen how important education is and how it can change a life.”

One amazing young man and two incredible institutions collide to create a SPARK of goodness for so many.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration October 12, 2016

Love is a decision.

love-is-a-decision

Have you ever heard a speaker who left you thinking? Really thinking? Two weeks ago, I attended an event down at USC that left me deep in thought. The talk was given by a local priest who had worked with Mother Teresa years ago in Calcutta, when he was on a year’s sabbatical. The Monsignor spoke about being lost and shared his journey of self discovery during his time in India serving the poor.

He spoke about feeling, ” so alive and on fire” about his time there and the work he was doing with the poor, the sick and the dying. This feeling had him, at times, contemplating staying permanently in India. The priest shared this idea with Mother Teresa, who told him to, “Go home.” The priest in turn told each of us,” that we must all find our own Calcutta and that love is a decision.”

Something to think about for sure…..

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration October 5, 2016

St. Sebastian Project

The Gurbach Family

As fall kicks into gear and we all begin to settle into our new school year routines, one thing that I always look forward to is watching my boys participate in sports. There is nothing more fun that sitting with a group of parents who are all cheering their children on.

A few weeks ago, I sat down for lunch with an amazing woman and non-profit founder, named Clare Gurbach. Clare has two daughters that are college athletes and her youngest daughter seems to be following in the family footsteps. We talked about our children, sports and the moment that all of those came together to inspire Clare to help so many children keep playing sports.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start your non-profit?

Clare: “In 2007, I was watching our oldest daughter play volleyball and seeing the disparity in resources between our team and one we were playing. The other team did not have nice uniforms. Some of the girls had masking tape on the back of their shirts for their numbers. Many did not have knee pads or proper shoes. Our team had everything and a professional coach as well. Winning that game 25-2 was not a good outcome for anyone.

We were called to action to “level the playing field” in providing uniforms, sports equipment and resources for under-resourced Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. We named our non-profit The Saint Sebastian Sports Project after the patron saint of athletes.”

CM: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

“Seeing the huge impact we are having as we have grown. We know that sports help children in so many ways. Beyond the obvious physical benefits of playing sports, children also learn sportsmanship, commitment, and leadership and have fun at the same time. Our students must maintain a minimum GPA to play on their teams so they are incentivized to work hard in school.”

CM: When do you know you have made a difference?

“When we see the smiles on the faces of all the children we serve. When we visit the students at school and bring the schools’ funds and equipment to support their sports programs. When students attend our various tournaments, camps and college visit days at USC and LMU. Many of our students are now trying out for their high school teams that never would have had this opportunity in the past.”

Tell us what your impact been?

“During the 2009-2010 academic year, we were able to support seven sports programs. This academic school year we will assist 39 schools with grants and will serve at least 2,500 students this year.

There are 100 schools in Archdiocese of Los Angeles that need funding. We hope to find more foundation money and person donations to fuel additional growth in the future.”

Now that is a win-win for everyone.

Charity Matters.

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Cancer September 26, 2016

Cancer Support Community

When actor Gene Wilder passed away a few weeks back, I was reminded of his beautiful love affair with Gilda Radner and their subsequent involvement in cancer support. Wilder’s death coincided with a lunch catch up with a friend, who works for the organization that helped Gilda Radner through her battle with ovarian cancer, Cancer Support Community.

As I caught up with my friend, Meg Symes of Cancer Support Community, she told me her own story of watching her mother go through cancer in the 70s without the support, community or a place to go where it was “socially acceptable to have cancer.” When cancer struck Meg decades later, she was blessed to have the resources her mother did not. When the opportunity presented itself to be a part of supporting those with cancer Meg was all in.

Meg explained that Cancer Support Community was founded in 1982 by Dr. Harold Benjamin to provide free support, cancer education and hope. “So no one needs to face cancer alone,” patients and their families learn skills to enable them to regain control and restore hope. Patients and families can attend workshops, classes, yoga and come to a safe warm welcoming place that feels like home and gives the support needed to take on cancer.

In the Pasadena chapter alone, Cancer Support Community serves over 1,100 people a year, all free of charge. Today, Dr. Benjamin’s concept of providing support, education and hope for people with cancer has expanded to over 100 locations worldwide. Regardless if you were Gilda Radner, who attended the Santa Monica location or in Tokyo or someone here in Pasadena, because of people like Meg and thousands of donors and volunteers…..no one has to face cancer alone.

Charity Matters.

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