Looking outward at a skewed society changes nothing. Blaming the world for atrocities it can no longer bear changes nothing.
Finding balance in a shifting world is only possible if we continue seeking the resources of our own peaceful center of truth.
It starts within.
It starts with me.
(Kankakee River, November 2016)
Love, and hope…
It begins within.
It begins with me.
Peace, love, and hope…
Tomorrow, as Americans vote in the 2016 elections, it would be easy to do nothing and wallow in the unrest and division of our nation.
Instead, vote with an informed mind, and be a voice for peace and unity.
Hope and love…
Believe it.
Peace and hope…
So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable. -Christopher Reeve
Today is Sports Day at Taft Shool. Abraham decided he would represent his t-ball team “from when he was young,” and Anthony Rizzo’s team, the 2016 history-making, pennant-clinching Chicago Cubs.
Some people dream of winning it all. Others seek international fame or great wealth. I envision a kinder, healthier world for our children and grandchildren. If you ask eight-year-old Abraham Daily about his dreams, he will tell you, “I just want to be able to grow up, and I want to have a job where I can make other people smile-like a writer or a comedian.”
So let it be.
The realization of any dream originates somewhere in the mix of intention, determination and application. Oftentimes, the pursuit of that dream may seem unreal. We may feel the world or the odds are against us. Plus, we cannot simply will our dreams into place.
But dreams can come true.
To get past our doubt and to embrace our vision, we must believe; we must work; and, we must persist. Though first and foremost, we must be willing to dream.
Why bother when so many dreams cannot come true?
When we work towards the possibility of fulfillment despite the scarcity of chance, a single dream actualized could result in an extraordinary life.
Wishing you a week of wisdom, delight, and possibility…
Never give up; for even rivers someday wash dams away. -Arthur Golden
Last night, Chicago Cubs First Baseman Anthony Rizzo answered a full count, a Baez fastball, and a two-for-29 hitting slump with a solo homerun over the center-field wall.
In the sixth, he hammered again to center for a two-run single.
In the eighth, he singled to left as the Cubs momentum ignited and the team blazed a 10-2 victory in Game 4 of a best-of-seven which tied the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers.
There was also a telling moment in the 7th inning where Anthony apologized to the umpire, Angel Hernandez, for having voiced his displeasure about a strike called in the 5th. That humble act alone shows that we are all human, but how we choose to express our humanity defines us.
A year ago today during Abraham’s first round of chemotherapy, we met Anthony Rizzo at Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Anthony had Abraham sign his jersey:
That day, The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation gave us hope. Meeting a compassionate, strong, and dedicated athlete who went through his own battle has stayed with us and continues to fuel Abraham’s recovery.
Anthony realized during his own battle with cancer that no matter how difficult fighting cancer was for him, it was even more difficult for his family. Anthony believes that an individual does not battle cancer alone, but that the whole family battles it together. The Mission of the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation is to raise money for cancer research and to provide support to children and their families battling the disease.
Much of the battle against any disease is in the mind set. When we stay positive and believe in a strong future, the days become tolerable and the journey becomes meaningful.
We are grateful today and everyday for individuals like Anthony Rizzo whose efforts model perseverance and positivity on both a personal and national scale.
Peace, love, and strength…
Two years ago today, we found out that Abraham’s cancer had returned. One year ago, we received these customized shoes in the mail from a small NFP in Farmington, NM that brings hope to children living with critical illness or disabilities by putting compassion into action.
The kindness and love that found our family moved me, and I’ve tried to promote their mission ever since. Everyone has the power to make a positive change in this world, we just have to find our own unique way. The kindness hustle is real, and I am proud to be a part of the Peach’s Neet Feet tribe.
It is Hustle Kindness Friday and today’s hustle is for Kaj, a strong little boy who has battled hard to overcome many obstacles, surgeries, and hardships after an accidental car fire.
How do we grow compassion for kids like Abraham and Kaj?
From our roots.
Kindness begins at home. All families are different, and respecting those differences is best learned through example.
Today, be the voice of kindness for kids who can get overlooked during their struggles, but deserve to be seen just like everyone else. Include those who are otherwise left out, and talk to kids about diversity in appearance so they learn to see beyond skin or scars or baldness; and into the body of love.
Peace, love and hope…
Provide an atmosphere of well-being for others and you will delight in its lingering yield.
Peace, hope, and joy…
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. –Leo Buscaglia
There is rarely a day without doubt, but that should not chain us to low expectations or a misguided acceptance of today’s status quo. What I am starting to see is that doubt carries with it a safety of sorts. It provides a shift to Plan B when hopes fall through or efforts fall short.
This morning, the part-time grandma who works at Abraham’s school met student after student as they exited school buses. Her 8:30-9:00 goal each school day is to assist the children from bus to building in a safe and orderly fashion.
Today, instead of her no-nonsense standards of “Good morning” or, “No running,” she greeted each child or group by saying, “Today is a day to smile!”
I watched that single sentence work its way into several young hearts. I saw sad children quietly walk up the sidewalk, and by the time they reached the building a belief in ‘what could be’ showed in their posture and gait.
Young souls captured the elder’s energy like a camera, and it flipped the possibilities of their day. Doubts about getting through whatever personal battles they have were partially lifted – maybe for just a moment – but hope worked its way in, and that is what matters.
A few extra children walked in to a school happy today. That easier, low-conflict start could end up restoring an empty world for any one of those kids or perhaps, even for one of their teachers with whom they spend so much time.
Sound dramatic? It’s not.
The shadow of doubt can cover the glory in our day, but a single ray of hope can alight thick shrouds of insecurity with texture and certainty: providing a grip of hope to keep a life from slipping away.
We can be that hope for others. All we have to do is gloss our actions and words with tolerance instead of criticism. Unless we are personally responsible or invested (parent, officer, official, or mate), there’s little chance our disapproval will affect the listener at all anyway; so why bother?
Instead of complaining today, we can, for free:
Give a smile to those who don’t have one.
Offer simple sentences of hope to those in need.
Notice what people do right especially during times of struggle.
Listen to listen and not to reply.
Be somebody’s Plan B.
Why?
When we make any of these changes within us, we give others around us a chance to thrive instead of wither: nourishing the personal landscape of our world instead of draining it.
Peace and hope…
Directions Wellness 
