December 2: Happy and Humble

Heaveno!


Well, good news!  In just 5 days we have reached $10,000.00 in pledges for P.U.C.K!  I am fiercely humbled b this because leading this charge was TOTALLY out of my comfort zone.  I have never asked a group of people for this much money so directly in my life.  I may not have done it perfectly, as evidenced by quite a  few comments that disliked this week's subject and style, but I did it.


Ready, Fire, Aim.


Again, I want to thank everyone who saw this as an opportunity worth taking at this time.  Thank you to the rest for considering, and for enduring this pledge drive.  I will be working separately with the 13 or so people that volunteered outside of this blog in a smaller, more focused community setting where we work together each week and month to support each other in reaching his or her own goals.


After tonight, I won't be discussing THIS drive on THIS blog again.  If you find at some point moved to join us, you are of course welcome at any time!  The more the merrier!  Accomplishing goals is more likely to occur when you have a community of people supporting you, so, we'll do this as the community we already are!  I will still be posting daily on this blog, don't worry, I just will move this topic off this page at least for the foreseeable future. ;-)

I learned a lot from this project!  I learned I crave people's approval more than I realized.  I thought I was able to withstand criticism and feedback better than I am.  I learned I am humble about some things (my faith) and not about others (what I think I know about others).  I was reminded I can't be all things to all people.  I learned that while there are a million other causes out there and times are tough, kids still get sick and die, and we just did something, albeit small, about that.  It reminds me of "The Starfish Story."  I'm sure you've read it or heard it a million times, but in case you haven't, here it is:

The Starfish Story

adapted from The Star Thrower
by Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference with that one!"


***

I remember when I got my first email back from an EB dad who received a copy of Bella's Blessings in his DebRA New Family Welcome Kit.  Although that book may not exactly be a New York Times Bestseller (yet), it made a difference with one dad I would otherwise never connect with.

How do you fight of feeling like the tiny pebble in the ocean?  

Remember this other goodie:  

To the world you may be only one person, but to one person you may be the world.


God night.