Children
Remember to Teach Your Kids Peace
Nov 11th
I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, ‘Mother, what was war?‘” -Eve Merriam
Remembrance Day for many is a day of reflection and a day of thanks for all those that gave their lives in the name of their countries.
Today I was reminded of something from my 4 year old son about Remembrance Day it’s not just about war but about peace. He didn’t learn about the war we honour on this day but instead he learned about peace.
If we teach our children about peace we won’t have to remember those that have died in past wars. Our children could be the generation that won’t start the wars but practice peace.
Could there really be such a world? Will you give your children the gift of teaching them about peace?
Today’s post is to share the message that my son shared with me today. A message of peace pasted to a poppy he made in school. We should send this message around the world in hopes one day we all choose kindness, consideration, giving and peace.
A poppy made by my son in school
Poppy
Poppy we are but children small
We are too little to do it all
Children you may do your part
Love each other is how you start
Play without fighting.
Share your games and toys.
Be kind and thoughtful,
To all girls and boys.
The Happiness Pill: Find the Secret Here!
Oct 28th
We all have times in our life when we go looking for happiness.
We want that magic pill that will suddenly make the world light up in front of our eyes.
Some think its money that will bring happiness: The ability to buy happiness in the form of a new pair of shoes, a new house or maybe a long vacation would be the key. .
Some think it’s the “perfect” romantic love in your life: That feeling of a first kiss, a first date, the flutter of your heart as it falls head over heels “in love.”
Some even think fame is the magic pill to happiness: Being recognized by millions, your name shouted from a red carpet or fans clamoring to get a picture.
We look so far out of ourselves for happiness. We look to others, we look to possessions, we look for that secret remedy to feel happier about who we are on the outside in hopes it will make us happy on the inside.
What if I told you I found the remedy? The secret to happiness!
The one thing in the world that no matter when you do it, how often you do it or who you do it for will make you feel happy. I will tell you this, it’s addictive and it’s a feeling you will want every day once you start. It doesn’t matter what your race, religion or sex.
We can all have happiness every day in our lives.
I recently took stock on the happiness level in my life. How could I possibly be more happy than the day my 2nd adopted son came home just a few weeks ago. Talk about happiness! The happiness my husband gives me every day or the glorious place I live in the world. (Vancouver, BC).
But there is one thing that became my focus every day for 365 days. It is the magic – it is the happiness remedy. I am truly happy from the inside out when I am giving.
It could be volunteering, using my fundraising expertise to help not-for-profit organizations, working with the homeless on the street, even picking up garbage at my local beach.
My magic pill is simple. It’s called the GIVE pill – a natural remedy that doesn’t have to cost you money.
It is being of service to others, knowing you did something in your day to help another living creature, whether it’s a human being, an animal, or our planet. The greatest thing about giving is it makes you feel good on the inside. It doesn’t matter what you look like, how much your income may or may not be, how big your house is or what brand of shoes you are wearing.
Giving will make you feel happy – every day.
So if you are looking for that “thing” that will make you jump out of bed in the morning with a spring in your step – find a way to GIVE. It will bring you the happiness you have been looking for – after 365 days of giving I can guarantee it works.
What is your favourite way to give? Share your happiness pill with us.
Need some inspiration. Check out any of the last 365 days of giving. Let us know which is your favourite.
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give. - Eleanor Roosevelt
Day 365: The Final Give: Raising The Roof for a School in Uganda
Oct 16th
It’s Day 365. I did it. I gave back to the world every day for 365 days.
Crack open the bubbly it’s time to celebrate! After a year of giving and blogging the day has finally come to post my final give. It has been quite a journey of learning, hope, compassion, excitement, frustration (being hacked was not the highlight of the year) and pure happiness. When I began the 365give journey there was nothing more I feared than social media. I didn’t know what a blog was, I had never Tweeted or Facebooked and I would have laughed at you if you said I could edit a video for YouTube.
I tackled my fear and the learning curve of social media to accomplish my mission. I wanted to share my giving journey by engaging people all over the world. I wanted to inspire them to give more in their lives. I wanted people from all walks of life to believe they could make a difference and create positive change in the world. You don’t have to be Oprah or Bono to change the world. We can all do it every day by honouring the planet, by being kind to each other, and treating all inhabitants of our planet with dignity.
This is my story, my lessons, the future of 365give and my final give.
Find Your Inspiration
My Inspiration
If you had asked me on Day 1 if I could complete 365 days of giving (and blog about it every day) I would have lied confidently and said absolutely. I had a great source of inspiration. My 3 year old son Nicolas. 365give was started in honour of his 3rd birthday. I wanted to teach Nic to give naturally in his life even at the age of 3. Now after 365 days of giving (in which he completed many of the gives with me) my now 4 year old is a generous, kind child that understands the meaning of giving and how each of us can support each other, animals and the planet.
He inspired me to keep going even on the days I didn’t think I could. How could I ever tell him or the children of the world I wasn’t willing to do everything in my power to make the world a better place for them?
Let your inspiration push you further than you ever thought you were able to go.
What I Learned
Now I have completed 365 days of giving I can tell you what I have learned.
1) You can give every day.
2) You can be the change you want to see in the world.
3) You can influence, motivate, inspire and teach philanthropy by being a leader.
4) Giving makes you happy.
5) Giving makes others happy.
The Greatest Give of a Lifetime
On Day 353 (The #1 Reason to Drop Social Media for a Day) I announced the homecoming of my second son, Tyler Way. It has been my dream since starting 365give to adopt a second child. My son came home on the exact day that 365give should have been completed (due to hacking it was not the case) and on my oldest son Nicolas’s 4th birthday.
Tyler was our second miracle. The greatest “give” a person can every receive -a child. As my social worker likes to remind us, we “won the lottery of babies twice.” Tyler was not a private local adoption nor an international adoption. Tyler was a local little boy that needed a forever family. His life journey started in Foster Care. Did you know there are over 30,000 children right here in Canada that are in need of a forever family? We feel honoured that we have been able to provide 2 children with a forever home.
I wanted Tyler’s adoption into our family to leave a living legacy. I wanted to support just a few of the thousands of children in Africa whom have lost their parents to famine, AIDS and war. I have been given so much in my life through my children I felt a deep desire to give some of that back. This takes me to my final give.
The Final Give: Day 365
I wanted to give something that would truly make an impact for my final give. One of the “every day heroes” I met via 365give is a gentleman by the name of Moses that runs an organization call Hands of Action Uganda. I posted his story on Day 284 and a volunteers story, Marcia Bojold on Day 299. Moses has touch my heart with all he does for the lost children of Uganda. I wanted to make a lasting impact to these children and their education.
Moses wrote to me a few weeks ago and is in desperate need of a new roof for his school. As you can see from the picture what he really needs a new school but his request is just for a new roof.
The cost $360 US. He requires 30 iron sheets to cover the roof at $12.00 a sheet.
On Day 4 of 365give my son and I started a donation jar for the money we would collect by returning every recyclable / refundable bottle we could find. Our estimated total for our returns was to raise $32.50. After 1 year of recycling at the “bottle depot” we exceeded this amount and raised $82.00!
The $82.00 will be the first donation made to get Hands of Action for the new roof of their school.
I am asking you to help me reach the $500 fundraising goal.
Just click on the “GIVE” button on the right side bar and please make a donation. $5.00, $10.00 or any amount would be appreciated. Let’s show the children in the Horn of Africa we care about their education, we care about their future. Let’s give them hope and let them know there are people that care.
What’s Next? Is It All Over?
365give is not over it has only just begun.
The new vision for 365give is under way. It may be a little slower to get up and running based on my new role as a Mom x 2 but it is just the beginning for 365give. Over the course of 365 days of giving I learned so many new ways to give every day. The new 365give will help you discover how easy it can be to be a philanthropist. There are unlimted ways to give all over the world right at your fingertips. You don’t have to have money, you don’t have to have hours of time to volunteer – it can be as simple as a click and your give is done for the day. There is a new philanthropy in the world and 365give will be the place you will be able to find how to embrace it and to give instantly.
While the new site in under construction I will be running a contest that will give you an opportunity to donate $365 to your favourite charity or cause. We will be updating you on world movements, reviewing causes, guest posts, every day hero stories and more.
Follow along to see it all unfold. I am a committed giver big and small for my life time and I look forward to inspiring you to give more in your life.
“Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.”
Time Commitment: 2 minutes for the donation and a commitment to Give for A life Time
Cost: $100 to Hands of Action Uganda
What Are you Saying?