Humanity

Charity Matters Inspiration June 3, 2020

When the Landslide takes you down….

“I took my love and I took it down. I climbed a mountain and I turned around.”

Landslide, Stevie Nicks

The events of the past few months have been almost surreal, a script that no one would believe had it be written. Amidst all the chaos the song Landslide has played and always in a moment when I needed to hear it most. Have you ever had a song that shows up over and over almost like a theme song for your life? In the craziest moments, a song that comes on out of nowhere? For me that song is Landslide. It doesn’t matter which version, Fleetwood Mac, Dixie Chicks, any version, anywhere it stops me. It makes me pause and like the lyrics, it literally takes me down. Whenever I hear it, I know there is change, loss, and growth…in the air.

I sat down to write this morning about the pandemic, change, the chaos we have seen, and the life lessons learned, and as I was scrolling mindlessly procrastinating through Instagram there it was…Belinda Carlisle singing Landslide….and I realized that once again I was meant to hear these words and really listen ….

I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around

And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
‘Til the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?

Can I sail through the changin’ ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
Mmm

Well, I’ve been ‘fraid of changin’
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder

Even children get older

And I’m gettin’ older, too

Well, I’ve been ‘fraid of changin’
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I’m gettin’ older, too
I’m gettin’ older, too

Hearing Landslide, my thoughts shifted to what life feels like for many of us right now. Change and landslides occur in all of our lives, however, it is that rare occurrence when all of humanity experiences a landslide of global proportions. When we collectively experience fear, loss, uncertainty, anxiety, and wonder if we,”can sail through the changing ocean tides, can I handle the seasons of my life?” What happens when humanity experiences fear and now anger together? We are all watching it unfold….

We are all afraid of change and yet we are all faced with it because somehow the script we wrote for our lives is disrupted. The plan and vision we had shifted and the clear path we thought we were on has been blocked by a landslide.

The high school or college graduation didn’t happen to script, the wedding planned went off script, the job went away and our lives all went off-script. The reality is that as much as we try to script our lives, it just doesn’t always work that way. Life does not follow our scripts. When that happens we feel loss, grief, sadness because we saw so clearly in our minds how it was supposed to be…..and it just wasn’t.

As “Time makes you bolder, even children get older” I have realized that the gift of loss is growth. The earthquake brings rebuilding, the forest fire renews the soil and the forest, while death, grief, and loss bring rebirth. WE, humanity, are ready for a rebirth. The rebirth is happening inside each of us as we gather to pick up our pieces and attempt a try at a new script, a new normal. “Mirror in the sky, what is love? Can that child within my heart rise above?”

What more will come from our rebirths?

As we dig out from the landslide and begin to climb the mountain once again….

CHARITY MATTERS.

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Ways to make a difference October 3, 2017

Somethings happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear…

I think we will all agree that this week has not started off as intended. While I had planned a fantastic story to inspire and lift you up, rather than share that now, I think it is so important to take a moment and recognize what we are all dealing with. We are living in a crazy time. Somedays it is truly hard to focus with all the pain and suffering in the world.

In the past month alone we have had multiple hurricanes with thousands left homeless, the earthquake in Mexico City, terrorism across the globe and now this horrific tragedy in Las Vegas. None of it makes any sense. It is simply impossible to wrap your head around what is happening around us. It is scary, so shocking that it doesn’t seem real, and the sadness is palpable.

We all feel it together and come together. We help brick by brick, and unite to support one another.

While I wish I had the answers, but sadly, I do not. However, rather than focusing on the chaos, the sadness and all that we can not control, I thought I would share a few thoughts on what we can control. We can talk to one another about how we feel. We can give blood, smile at a stranger, be kinder, hug our children and tell those that we love how much they mean. We can live fully and without fear. More than that we can love with abundance. That is in our control.

When the world doesn’t make sense, I think of this quote from Leo Rosten, “I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think that the purpose of life is to be useful, responsible, to be compassionate. It is above all to matter, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.” We can make our lives matter, the choice is ours….

This is dedicated to all those who lost their lives too early and to each of you who strive to live a life that matters.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes July 29, 2016

“When we recognize our love of humanity, we do whatever has to be done to express that love to and with others. That is called service.”

John Roger

Traveling the past two weeks and seeing how people live, both past and present, was a renewal in my appreciation for humanity. Our creativity, dedication, fortitude and love for one another. The story of love and kindness simply never gets old.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2016 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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What Matters? July 27, 2016

The gift of perspective

Everybody needs a little time away…or so the song says. Time to step away from our everyday routine, the busy rush of our lives and a time to relax…..something we ironically never have time to do.

Once we take that first step out, a whole new world opens up before us. Travel, learning about other people, both past and present, is an endless source of inspiration for me. This recent trip was no exception.

To celebrate some big milestones in life, we celebrated with a big adventure, which started in Venice, Italy. A city so rich in history, culture and a feast for the senses. In Croatia, seeing remnants from the Bosnian war and learning how the reminder of that war still lingers with so many. Visiting tiny fishing villages in Greece and seeing the beauty of nature and the joy of simplicity. Then in the chaos of Athens, will all the financial uncertainty, the kindest of strangers who saw I was lost, walked me to the store where I was looking for a gift. The couple ordered it in Greek taking 20 minutes from their Sunday to help a lost American.

In all my travels, the reminders of kindness, compassion and humanity are and always will be the most beautiful of all.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2016 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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