Become Passionate!

What an exciting time of year!  I love spring.  I love the flowers and the trees blooming.  I love the warm weather; not too hot and not too cool.  However, here in Loganville (Atlanta area) it gets pretty hot compared to what I'm used to in Tennessee.  Not too much difference, but just enough.  But spring is typically 70-80 degrees weather.  It's perfect weather for walks!  Last year was my first year for doing a walk...well, since I was in 3rd grade when I walked for cancer I believe it was.  It was a very enjoyable experience and very satisfying.  I have never really had a particular charity that I was passionate about.  When I did the walk, it made me feel good to do something for the Preeclampsia Foundation.  I know that the money raised will go toward helping finding a cure or at least help stop the deaths that occur as a result of Preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome.  I was directly affected by Preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome - you can read my story by clicking here.  Friends of ours, Kristy and Richard Olds along with their son Drew, walked with us as well.  Kristy was also affected by Preeclampsia among other complications.  Click here to read her story.

As we all know, the economy is not in the best shape and hasn't been for a few years now.  There has to be a light at the end of the tunnel!  We pray anyway.  Because of this, we are more reluctant to give to charities, even those that we would normally give to.  Unfortuantely, we may have even cut back on how much we give at church.  There's nothing wrong with that, it's just the way it is.  In a book that I read by Kate Gosselin (the mother of the twins and sextuplets), I Just Want You To Know: Letters To My Kids on Love, Faith and Family, Kate tells the story of how much they were struggling financially.  There was something that Kate wrote a check for even though they didn't really have the extra money, but she felt compelled to help (even in her situation).  When she went to put the check in the mail, there was a giftcard from a random stranger in the exact amount of what she wrote that check for.  I hear different stories a lot like that from different people occassionally.  Now, having said that, I'm not telling you to just give, give, give and you will get it all back, LOL, I just think it's a very inspiring story.  Give to a cause that you are passionate about.  Depending on your budget choose a day in the year or every 6 months or even once a month and give a particular amount to that cause on that date or occassion.  It doesn't even have to be a large amount.  It could be as little as $5.  Since Hailee died, Matt and I have decided to give to the March of Dimes every year on her birthday.  We also wanted to do something for the Preeclampsia Foundation and that is what started us participating in the Promise Walk.  2010 was the 1st annual Promise Walk and it was, as I said before, an extremely sastifying experience.  Afterwards, I felt so good about it and I felt like I did something great for Hailee.  We even raised the most money as a team for the Atlanta area.  I hope to be able to do the walk every year and that it will just get bigger and bigger!

Starting this walk I think also started something bigger.  Our friends Kristy and Richard Olds, who walked with us in the first Promise Walk, have just went full force!  After walking in the Promise Walk, Kristy and Richard signed up for several other walks.  Just to name a few, they have walked for Autism Speaks, March of Dimes and Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer.  (You can check out our upcoming walks by clicking the link here.)  Not only are they raising awareness to some wonderful causes, Kristy has lost over 100 pounds and is still going!  She is truely and inspiration.  She not only exercises regularly, she has changed her eating habits.  The idea is to not "diet" but to change the way you eat for life.  She is a great example of being passionate! 

So I hope to have inspired you to get out there and be passionate about something!  Give to a great cause, maybe even volunteer.  Just do it.

If you would like to donate, you may do so by clicking this link.  DONATE HERE

Love you guys!