The Giving Pledge

I have always admired Bill Gates for his spirit of giving. I first heard of Gates' generosity when he donated computers to every library in North America. He continued to give to many different charities and organizations over the years. His latest "project" is his most generous, and he is inspiring other billionaires to give away some of their money! Gates and his friend Warren Buffet have created a new organization called "The Giving Pledge". It consists of only billionaires and they must pledge to give away at least half of their total wealth to charity during their life or after their death! The extremely wealthy in the USA are impressed, and the new organization is receiving an incredible response! Billionaires are beginning to have important conversations with their families about their wealth and how to use it. There are so many poor and struggling families in North America, it is admirable that Gates and friends would help out in this unique and generous manner. Although Bill Gates could live in his own world of comfort and excess, how refreshing and wonderful that he continues to want to help those who have not been as fortunate as he. A super nice pledge from the super rich . . . it's a good thing!

My Step-Dad

My step-dad passed away early this morning. And while we are heart-broken at the loss of this wonderful man, we were so fortunate to have known him and to have had him in our lives. He was a wonderful man with a huge heart, a mischievous smile and a great sense of humour. He was a widower when he married our Mom, herself a widow. He had nine grown children, Mom had three, plus three step-children. He became a much-loved grandparent to our children, most of whom were too young to remember their biological grand-father. Over the years, we all grew to love him very much and he became an important part of our lives. He was kind, loving and always willing to help out. Yesterday, as we sat and waited with him as he began the process of dying, our two families together in grief and love, it struck me that this dear, quiet, unassuming man had taught all of us - his children, step-children, grand-children and step-grandchildren - how to love and how to be a family and how, in the end, nothing matters but the love of family and friends. I am so happy that we had the good fortune of having him in our lives. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to know a truly wonderful man . . . it's a good thing.

Green High Heels

When I was about five years old, my Mom had a pair of olive green high heel shoes. I loved those shoes! I would wear them around the house every opportunity I had. I made Mom promise me that she would keep the shoes for me until I was old enough to fit into them. She promised that she would. I would periodically check her closet to make sure my prized green heels were still there, waiting for my feet to grow into them. In my "little girl mind", I would envision how beautiful I would look wearing them, and how lovely they would look on my feet when I wore them to the ball. Of course, I did not really know what a ball was, but I knew that princesses in beautiful shoes danced at balls. Mom kept her promise and saved the shoes for me. However, by the time I grew into them, my friends and I were not wearing heels. Platform shoes and boots were in style and so the green shoes sat in Mom's closet. Eventually, she moved them into the "dress-up box" for her grandchildren when they came to visit. I never did wear those shoes as an adult, but I always loved them. Over the years they have disappeared, but I remember every detail of those green high-heel shoes. Perhaps I remember them so well for two reasons: the first because I loved them so much, and the second because my Mom loved me so much that she stored them for all those years. Beautiful green shoes fit for a princess - and her mother - to wear to the ball . . . it's a good thing!

Put On A Happy Face

Who can look at a "Happy Face" and not smile? Even after all these years, after seeing it time and time again, we still love its little yellow face! There are so many variations from the original yellow face to various colors to pencil-scrawled faces. Have you ever wondered where the Smiley Face came from? Well, I decided to do some research to see what I could find out about my little smiling friend. Contrary to popular belief, the Happy Face was not invented by Forrest Gump! It turns out that the original happy face was created by Harvey R. Ball, who was a freelance artist. He created the iconic symbol in 1963 for an advertising campaign by the State Mutual Life Assurance Company in Massachusetts. He never copyrighted the symbol and this has resulted in its being in the public domain and it has been used and modified over the years. Wal-mart even took the smiley face to court in 2008 in an attempt to trademark it for their use only! Wal-mart lost its case and the ruling stated that Wal-mart did not own the rights to the Smiley Face. However, since the late 1990's, the Happy Face has been put to good use by its creator, Harvey Ball. He formed the World Smile Corporation and began licensing the smiley face to fund charitable causes. The corporation also sponsors the annual World Smile Day to encourage "acts of kindness". How perfect is it that the smiley face should be used in the pursuit of kindness? Using the Happy Face to encourage people to do acts of kindness . . . it's a good thing!

Ice Cream -You Scream - We All Scream

Growing up in the country, I was envious of "city kids" who had the opportunity of having ice cream trucks drive down their streets to deliver goodies to them. I wanted to be one of those kids running after the ice cream truck in anticipation of its frozen treats! I loved everything about the ice cream truck: its bell, the friendly driver (of course, he was friendly - he was selling ice cream to kids!), the treats themselves and the whole idea of a vehicle driving to you to bring you treats. We didn't have that down on the farm! There were a few times that we happened to be visiting in the city and an ice cream truck came down the street. I felt such excitement and anticipation at hearing the bell call out to the children and all of us chasing down the truck until it stopped. I don't think it was the treat so much as the experience that I enjoyed - I don't even remember if the treats were tasty or not. I knew that city people had milk, newspapers and mail delivered, but nothing caught my imagination and envy like having ice cream treats delivered. As a adult, I continued to live in the country so I continued to miss out on the "ice cream truck" experience. I now live in the city and it dawned on my today that there are no longer ice cream trucks going up and down neighborhoods - at least not in this city. I wonder if they are a thing of the past? I wonder if health issues and safety concerns have meant that kids no longer chase after ice cream trucks? Whatever the reason, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to hear the ice cream truck bell and to chase down the truck with a dollar in my sweaty little hand to buy a treat. Memories of a musical bell calling out to all the children in the neighborhood that their treats were on their way down their street . . . it's a good thing!

Parade Passion

I went to my city's annual parade last night. The parade is the kick-off for the week-long Exhibition held here each year. Hundreds of people lined up along the parade route and children waited impatiently for the parade to get to them. What is it about a parade that attracts people? I know for children, it's the entertainment and the candy thrown out to them, but what is the attraction for adults? You see many adults without children along the parade route with huge smiles on their faces as they enjoy each float and vehicle as it goes by. My step-dad is in his eighties, and he still loves a parade! He will sometimes even travel to neighboring towns to watch their parades. I'm not even sure what attracts me to this parade, but I rarely miss it. I love the marching bands.Every time one goes by, I find myself with tears in my eyes. I don't know why, because I'm not crying. I always feel a burst of emotions when a marching band goes by and I get teary-eyed. Of course, when a group of bagpipes go by, that universal question always comes to mind: "What do they wear until those kilts??" People from other cities who take part in our parade are always amazed at the enthusiasm and the sheer number of people in the crowd. In a summer where we have had some rain everyday since the beginning of June, last night the rain stayed away for the entire parade. From miniature horses to bands, mascots and clowns, a parade is time to enjoy and appreciate the work put into each float by our neighbors and cheer them on. Enjoying a summer parade . . . it's a good thing!

Twin Revelations

Yesterday we got to visit with our twin niece and nephew (oh yeah, and their parents too). B and B turned one in February, and it is amazing to watch them growing. We have never had twins in our family, so I have never had the opportunity to watch twins develop and grow. When I was growing up, I had friends who were twins, but that was different because we were all growing up at the same time. To watch twins grow up together and watch the interaction between them - even at one year old - is something everyone should have the opportunity to do. People who know twins often talk about a special bond between them, a bond that even brothers and sisters do not experience, and now I know what they mean. These two little people are as different in appearance and personality as can be, yet you can already feel the bond between them. Even at this young age, you already know that they are there for each other and they will be watching each other's backs forever. That is not to say that they won't fight and have disagreements, but no matter what, they share that special connection that only twins have for each other. It really is wonderful to see. Having the opportunity to witness the special bond between twins . . . it's a good thing!