spark

word of the day 59/365: agonizing

Head colds and car trips.  Fortunately, only one of us is actually in agony.

word of the day 58/365: peace

I'm learning a lot about the process of transforming malignance into benevolence.  Sometimes the peace process looks anything but peaceful.  6 parents, 8 children age 5 and under, 5 pizzas, 2 laptops, and a whole lotta dumped toys and capless Mr. Sketch markers.  Some of us ended up with headaches, but we knew it was very worth it. 

We are feeling enthusiastic about how our kindness mission is catching fire among friends.  While supporting our community, we're creating new bonds among our husbands and strengthening our own tribe of women.  There is really, really, really great energy around this. You know there has to be because I don't normally talk about "energy" around things. ;o)

Griff is interested in picketing and is brushing up on his protest symbols. I have so much to share about talking to children about social activism, responding to negativity, and creating positive change, but will leave you with his simple symbol for now:

kindness changes everything

Pennies of love - a blog entry from KindnessGirl

fist dance

If I had a daughter, I would be grateful if she had even a fraction of the moxie that Ruby has! I love this girl.  Check her out in all her taekwondo/flamenco-inspired glory:

word of the day 57/365: covet

I caught her in the dark, staring longingly at the screen through one glassy eye.  Oh, how she dreams of resting her body in plush lavender, arriving at exciting new destinations in daring red leather.  She jealously eyes the others in their finery and sighs, thinking of her own drab, overcrowded situation.

love in action

This project was born last night in a conversation among four friends.  It went live this morning.  Less than twelve hours later, Pennies in Protest has earned over $1,000 in donations from people who want to show their support for organizations targeted by Westboro Baptist Church and its message of hatred and intolerance.

I am so, so humbled by what kindness can do...and this is only the beginning.

 

If you are one of the kind and generous people who has been a part of this - donating your money, sharing our link, telling your friends, planning your protests - THANK YOU. You are awesome. You are standing up to bullies and telling them that they may not treat their fellow human beings with disrespect. YOU are making a difference in the world, YOU are making it a better place to be. Keep being your wonderful, loving selves! (And keep forwarding our link, let's make our kindness grow!)

what the world needs now is YOU

Anti-gay, anti-semitic Westboro Baptist Church is planning to picket locations in Richmond, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Porstmouth, VA this week.  There is much debate between friends and in the Twittersphere over how to respond.  Ignore them? Rick-roll or stage other such jokey comebacks? Shout back? Kill 'em with kindness? Join hands in song and show the world that love will prevail over hatred?

I am joining three other Richmond mothers in taking a page from Manhattan's Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, who took pledges from supporters for every minute that WBC picketed their synagogue.  The 50-minute picket resulted in $10,000 in donations.  We have established Pennies in Protest RVA in emulation of their efforts.  We hope that those of you who share our disgust with WBC's message of hatred (and we believe that most of the loving, good-hearted world does!), that you will consider pledging pennies - or more - in support of the very organizations that WBC is targeting. 

Stay tuned for more ways to spread love to the world and counteract the haters.  It may be too early to plant your gardens, but it is never the wrong season to sow a little kindness.

Please visit us and spread the word!

Pennies in Protest RVA information and donations

Pennies in Protest Facebook page

save our schools!

The rally last weekend was an excellent start! Let's keep up the good work and continue to encourage the Virginia Senate and House to protect our schools in the face of huge proposed budget cuts. 

Join Virginia PTA and the Virginia Education Association this Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon on the Capitol Square Grounds for a grassroots rally sponsored by the Virginia Education Association in support of K-12 Education Funding.

Stand up for Education

word of the day 56/365: snarky

Snarky is how I feel about a "guns save lives" sticker next to a "body piercing by glock" one.  Ok, actually, snarky and also a little "wtf?"  I'm not really sure what they're trying to say here, but I'm getting that they like guns more than they like Obama.  To think, without the miracle that is bumper stickers, I would be left in the dark about their opinions on these matters.

Dan has been voted "most likely to be caught with a snarky look on his face" and Griff was happy to document a classic Dan expression.  Staged.  Or so he'd have us believe.

I don't think I used enough quotation marks up there.  "Here" are some "more."  If it doesn't hurt yet, I'm not doing it right.

And while we're on the subject of snark, don't make me come after you lurkers.  Would it kill you to comment? (Or leave a word or two, the hat doesn't fill itself.)

word of the day 55/365: wit

swiper, no swiping!, originally uploaded by theloushe.