Please Help, If You Can

Most of you know that I'm an avid follower of Cake Wrecks (www.cakewrecks.com). Well, a week or so ago, Jen and John (Cake Wrecks owners) decided to start a charity drive for the two weeks before Christmas. Each day, they've highlighted a different charity and encouraged readers to give a dollar to each charity each day. They even asked readers to suggest charities and have picked some awesome ones who I truly believe are doing great things.

Today, however, is different. Today's donations are going to a 27-year-old woman who, a few days ago, lost her house, her belongings, and, most importantly, her husband and two children, in a fire. She and her 12-year-old step-daughter were rescued, but the husband died while trying to save the other children. The fire still is under investigation, but one thing is known: the rental house in which they all lived was not equipped with working smoke detectors.

So, here's what I'm asking: First, please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers; they need to know that people care. Second, if you can help financially, I'm sure that every cent would be much-appreciated; a trust has been set up for the family. Donations can be made by either linking back to this blog or to Cake Wrecks. Third, PLEASE go home and check your smoke detectors tonight. This could easily happen to any one of us.

****Please note that I do not personally know anyone associated with this tragedy, but it's really made me think about how much I love my friends and family.****

Something to Believe In

Yesterday, I went to lunch with a really good friend. As is often the case, our conversation somehow strayed to a random topic; I’m still not quite sure how our conversation stumbled upon the topic of religion, but I guess that doesn’t necessarily matter.

We began to discuss the ways that some of the ultra religious treat those who aren’t necessarily as stringent in their beliefs, as well as the opposite: how some of those who are strict atheists treat those who are Christians and are believers in a higher power. It seems to me that both sides are so totally and completely sure that they’re 100% correct and are equally sure that the other side is absolutely wrong. In turn, then, both sides judge one another and try to force their opinions on the other.

In this aspect, I fully believe that both sides are wrong. I don’t think it’s necessary to force your belief upon another person. Instead, I believe that it’s important for people to be allowed to make up their own minds and come to their own conclusions in regards to religion.

My thoughts, then, turn to this idea: wouldn’t the world be a much happier place if we all just lived by the principle of the Golden Rule? Wouldn’t we be better off to treat others as we want to be treated? If we were to treat others this way, including by not judging them based upon their belief systems, then perhaps the world would be a better place.

Home Sweet Home

I’ve never been one to get homesick. Even as a child, it was pretty rare for me to be homesick when I was staying somewhere else. It’s not that I didn’t love my family, but rather, I always enjoyed new adventures. Sure, there were a few times in college, especially my freshman year, that I longed for home, but they were very few and far between. It’s kind of surprising, then, that for the first time in my life, I’m really, truly homesick right now.

Three weeks ago, I flew to Florida for a week for work. While I was in DeLand, my phone rang and it was my mom, telling me that my grandpa had passed away. Before dawn the next morning, I was on a flight back to OKC. Once I finally landed, I hopped in my car, and within two hours, was on the road to Kansas to be with my family. After nearly a week with them, I headed back home, where I spent three nights before hopping yet another plane back to Florida…and here I sit.

The feeling of homesickness didn’t really hit until last night, as I sat in my hotel room, missing everyone and everything. I slept in an ungodly large and comfortable bed…alone. No Jason. No puppies. No one. My coworkers with whom I’m friends weren’t here yet, so I was on my own for dinner.

Why am I homesick? I live alone and usually enjoy some solitary time, but this time, it’s different. I’m guessing it’s because I’ve finally had enough time to process all of the events from the past month.

The good news is that it’s better today. I’ve been very busy and will remain busy right up until it’s time for me to head home.

I enjoy traveling for work and I like to see new things and places…and meet new people. But there’s definitely something to be said for being home for a while!

People Watching

One of my favorite activities is people watching – just sitting back and observing the behavior of people in a random setting. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve learned that one of the best places to people watch is in an airport (after all, I’ve had plenty of experience with it lately!). Yesterday morning, I had a 6:15 am flight out of OKC. As I sat and observed those around me, I began to wonder about their stories, including where they were going.

How about the woman about my age who was walking through the airport in jeans, a hoodie, a flipflops, carrying a laptop backpack? Looking at her was kind of like looking in a mirror – except, of course, for the fact that she had dark hair and was skinnier than me. Is she traveling on business, but like me, traveling in comfortable clothes because she detests flying in a suit? Is she flying somewhere for vacation? Going home slightly early for the holidays?

Was the very large, Santa-resembling man sitting in my row traveling to see his family? On business? Or does Santa fly Southwest when he’s got a horrible cold and his sleigh isn’t working?

I do know that the woman sitting next to me was flying from New Orleans to Albany, New York, because she readily told me, even though I didn’t really want to talk; she’d been to see her grandchildren. (I was annoyed with her because there was a nearly totally empty plane and she sat RIGHT beside me – not even in the aisle seat – and didn’t smell great.)

And the man in the emerald green velour track suit, with the burgundy fanny pack, and Barbie pink hat? I have NO idea and, honestly, I’m a little scared to ask!

The cool thing, though, is that airports really show you a true picture of life. You see people of all walks of life, from all different backgrounds, with all different stories. It’s just a little reminder that the world is a very big place.

A Little Less Bright

Tonight, at least to me, the world is a little less bright. My Grandpa Abe (Poppy) passed away this afternoon, just barely a month after turning 90. My heart is hurting so much right now and I want nothing more than to have a hug from someone I love. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in Florida on business right now and can't get back to Oklahoma/Kansas until tomorrow around noon.

Pop wasn't in very good health for the past six-12 months. It's been very hard for me to reconcile myself with this fact, but when he suffered his first stroke back in August, I told myself that, while I wouldn't have him here forever, I will always have my memories. And what great memories I have...

The way his bright blue eyes would twinkle when he was teasing me.

Watching and cussing KU basketball and Royals baseball together.

Seeing him be so tickled over sharing his homemade caramel popcorn with Tess.

Him coming by my house to surprise me when I was living in Emporia during college and again when I was living in Hillsboro.

The smell of his stinky old King Edward cigars and his aftershave/cologne.

Knowing that he was proud of me and, no matter how ugly I might feel, that I was beautiful to him.

Drinking wine one spring afternoon with him (and several other family members) in his living room. (He and I were the only ones who liked the wine, so, consequently, we drank most of it.)

Watching his eyes light up when I took him a can of honey-roasted peanuts last time I saw him (he was in the hospital after his first stroke and asked me to bring him "a surprise").

Him wearing and loving his "dude cap" all day last Christmas.

Oh, god, I'm going to miss him...I already do. I hate knowing that I'll never see him again...never hear his loud and sometimes gravelly voice. I'd give anything to have just one last day with him...one last day where he wasn't sick and suffering, when we could just sit in the living room and keep each other company.

I know that there are people who didn't think he was as wonderful as I did...and that makes me sad. They don't know what they were missing.

A Sad, Mad World

This morning when I was in the shower, I heard news of a death in Nichols Hills. Like many adults these days, I didn't stop to think too much about it, as I've become somewhat inured to the death that often surrounds us. What I heard next, however, stopped me, shocked me, and literally made me sick to my stomach: the deceased person was a little boy, who was not yet ten years old. That along is horrible, but what I heard next made it even worse. The suspect? His very own father.

This little boy's father, who is an OKC physician, is accused of murdering his own son in the middle of the night by stabbing him to death. The boy's mother currently is hospitalized with non-life-threatening defensive stab wounds, that apparently were inflicted upon her while she was trying to protect her son.

Why? There are so many questions out there, but the one that's absolutely foremost in my mind is WHY? Why is this little boy dead tonight, at his very own father's hand? Why?

There are so many things in this world that make little sense. This one makes absolutely no sense.

That poor little boy. His poor mom.

May justice be swift and appropriate.

But until that time, I can only ask...why?

Snap Judgements

For the past couple of days, I've been quietly watching and reading the news coverage of the mass shooting at Fort Hood. To say the least, I am horrified by what happened and feel a deep sense of sympathy for all of those who have been impacted by this senseless tragedy.

When the shooter's name was released, along with his religious preference, I knew that things were about to get interesting, with his Middle Eastern-sounding name and Muslim background. While I knew that some people would be nasty, I never thought imagined that the hate would be spread this far.

Since Friday, I've watched comments be added to online news stories and have listened to people around me, the majority of whom profess to be devout Christians, denigrate all Muslims. Comments such as, "The world would be a better place if we just took care of the Muslims by wiping that religion off of the face of this planet", completely and utterly blow my mind.

What little I know about Islam includes the thought that it is, for the most part, a peaceful religion. Yes, there are members out there who are fanatics and believe that senseless killings are necessary, but the religion, as an entirety, does not support radical violence.

So, who are some of the people making these horrific blanket statements? Many of them are self-professed Christians. I grew up in a Christian home and was taught to love my neighbor and to not judge. Apparently, these Christians choose to ignore those tenets of the religion.

This just makes me sad. I don't understand why people have to make such blanket statements and rush judgments about a person based upon his or her religion. For that matter, why is it that we have to think that one religion is better than another? Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all agreed to just respect one another and our beliefs, no matter what they might be?

The bottom line is this: more than a dozen people lost their lives in Texas one day last week. Instead of judging the accused shooter based upon his religion, why don't we, as a nation, spend our time and energy helping those who lost loved ones grieve and heal? I think it'd be a better use of time.