Music Monday

This song is a love song, but if you take that factor out of it, the lyrics can mean so much more than not giving up on love. The song talks about not giving up on "us" but us could mean more than just two people in a relationship. "I won't give up on us" could mean not giving up on humanity. Not giving up on the people who are trying to change this world. This song, if you look at it closely has greater meaning than just a boy who is saying he won't give up on a relationship.

 One of my favorite parts of the song is this:
 "I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
 I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make 
 Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
 The tools and gifts we got." 

 This song means more than just a romance. This song and those lyrics particularly talks about making a change and realizing that having people be different from one another is a good thing. We can learn from our differences and we each have our own different gifts that we can use. Don't give up on us. Don't give up on those of us who are different. Don't give up on those of us who are working to make a difference in this world. Don't give up on people. Don't give up on this world. We can and we will make a difference. "I am still looking up", good things and good changes will come. We can't give up now. I have put the lyrics that I think have wonderful meaning in bold.

 "I Won't Give Up"
 By Jason Mraz

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
Well there's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use the tools and gifts
We got yeah we got a lot at stake
And in the end,
You're still my friend at least we didn't tend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn, how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I got, and what I'm not
And who I am

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
I'm still looking up

I won't give up on us
God knows I'm tough, he knows
We got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up...

A Christmas Lesson from The Grinch

One of my favorite movies to watch during the Holiday season is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas that stars Jim Carrey. It's a funny movie with several wonderful messages. Some people may only see the message that you get near the end of the movie, and that is the message that Christmas isn't about the gifts or the presents. It's about being with the family and enjoying the time together. 

But the messages I loved are the more subtle ones. In the book, How The Grinch Stole Christmas you never get the back story to the Grinch and why he hates Christmas. But in this movie, you are told about how he was constantly bullied as a child. The Grinch represents every child who has ever been laughed at, and teased. He was made fun of for being green, for having facial hair at the age of eight, and overall - for being different. I'll never forget the scene in the movie where the kids make fun of him for trying to shave and the teacher starts to laugh as well. I don't agree with the Grinch becoming bitter towards the Who people because they teased him... but I completely understand why he would.

I've heard people use the phrase, "Oh don't be such a Grinch!" and it usually means, don't be so moody or have more fun. But after really thinking about it, why is being a Grinch wrong? Yes he was rude and he put up a wall to block his heart - afraid of getting hurt once more. But is it wrong to be different like he was? Aren't we all different? Isn't us being different what makes this world so interesting?

Cindy, the sweet little girl quotes The Book of Who (which is basically their book of laws), "No matter how different a Who may appear, he will always be greeted with Holiday cheer." This simple quote speaks volumes for how we should treat each other, even those we deem "different."  No matter how different someone is, they should always be treated with the same acceptance and compassion we would give others who we don't think are so different. 

This Christmas, lets remember that everyone deserves to be treated with love and compassion. This Christmas, lets remember that Jesus himself was once thought of as weird and different... to the point of where people killed him on a cross, laughing at him... taunting him... bullying him. So why would we do that to anyone else? 

Hope and Love,
Becca

A Tribute to All The Moms Out There

Birthdays to me, have always been a big deal. I celebrate each birthday with a sense of thankfulness and joy. This is true especially for my mom's birthday that was yesterday.

My mom has always been special to me, since the day I was brought home. Originally they were supposed to be my respite family, taking care of me while my birth parents tried to decide if they wanted to put me up for adoption. My mom told me that because they were told they already had a family picked out to adopt me, that she shouldn't get close to me because I'd be leaving. So my mom didn't put up the baby crib, instead I was supposed to sleep in a laundry basket. I guess I was just too cute though, because she said I ended up sleeping in bed with them. 

When my birth parents decided that yes, putting me up for adoption was the option they wanted, I was supposed to go to the other family they had picked out to adopt me. However, that family soon found out just how sick I was but the adoption agency tried to convince them to still adopt me, in which that family still said no. My mom told me that she kept telling the adoption agency that she and my dad would gladly adopt me. "She's our little girl." Is what my mom told the agency and after convincing the agency, they were finally my legal parents. 

From day one, my mom has fought and advocated for me; ultimately saving my life. She fought to adopt me into this wonderful family I have now. She never gave up hope when I was only given a 13% chance of living to the age of 5. She has fought with doctors who wanted to just let me die. She has fought with the insurance company to get me to see the doctors and specialist I need. She has even fought with me, to convince me to do the things I needed to do to keep myself alive. My mom is the reason I am alive today. 

And during all that life saving, she still made time for her other twelve kids she and my dad had adopted. During all that she still managed to go grocery shopping, take me and my siblings to and from school, host birthday parties and found time to cook dinner. Being a mom, especially a mom to a child or multiple kids with chronic illness and/or disabilities is not an easy one at all. And yet my mom found the energy and compassion to adopt and take care of 7 kids who have been hospitalized with some form of congenital heart defect and on top of that one has diabetes and another discovered he had Lupus in high school. All in all she has taken care of 14 kids, and that doesn't include the kids she has hosted from foreign countries while they came here for open heart surgery nor does that take into count the grandchildren she has watched over and taken care of as well. Some how she managed to make it to every doctor appointment for every child, sit by each hospital bed for every child who has been in the hospital to comfort them and then make sure the healthy kids made it to school on time and had dinner when they came home.

Being a mom is a thankless job, and when asked what she wanted for her birthday she replied with, "For everyone to get along and for me not to have to cook dinner." For someone who has done so much for so many people without ever thinking about what was in it for her and barely getting a thank you for it as well, I think she deserves so much more than that not just on her birthday but every day.

Happy birthday mom, I love you so much and I want you to know; I appreciate you. And to all moms out there who have a child or multiple children who have special needs, thank you for having the compassion and love to take care of us. We really do appreciate it. 

Hope and Love,
Becca

Such A Tragedy

26 are dead. 20 of them are children, varying from the ages of 6 to 10 years old. Words can't even begin to describe how tragic this is. On Facebook, I was astonished and bit outraged to see that some of my friends on Facebook posted status complaining about the weather, or that the line at McDonald's was so long. I'd like to share with you a status updated I posted on Friday:

On a day like this, I think it’s important that the status updates stop focusing on how bored you are, how you’re sad you didn’t get that Xbox game you wanted or other meaningless things. On this one day, how about we focus on those lives that have been lost as opposed to complaining about ours. At least we are still alive. A day like this should really make people stop and think about what is important in life. 

Have you hugged your little sister today? Did you tell your mom and dad that you loved them? How about you send a quick e-mail to your aunt across the country to let her know you’re thinking about her. Maybe drive an hour to go see your grandparents and let them know you care.

Before you complain or make a status about how your life stinks because your mom didn’t get you that knew iPhone, think about what you do have in your life. At least your family members are still alive; unlike those families whose brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, sons and daughters are now gone. Be thankful that you have not lost a loved one today.

 Too many people have died from mass shootings. It is too easy for mentally unstable people to kill massive amounts of people with these semi-automatic and assault weapons that have magazines filled of ammunition. And before you think 'Well if you have a gun, you can stop them' let me remind you of a few things: 

1. You will be taken by surprise when a shooting starts
2. The gunmen will already have the gun out and already be shooting
3. Since you are taken by surprise, you might fumble a bit to get to the gun 
4. By the time you get your gun out, aimed and ready to shoot - you are already dead 
5. You might not be able to see where the gunman is and accidentally shoot an innocent person 

 Yes, I believe we have a right to bear arms. But I don't think magazines full of ammunition and these guns that make it easy to kill a massive amount of people in the blink of an eye are even needed in our daily life. Want to protect yourself from a burglar? Great. Get a Glock.  In our every day lives, we don't need assault riffles and semi-automatic guns.

How many more people have to die before people's right to life trump the right to owning a dangerous weapon? 

Hope and Love,
Becca

As you can see, I used the color green for this post. Green and White are Sandy Hook's Elementary School colors. Please wear green and white tomorrow to show your support for the victims and their families.

Wonderful Words Wednesday

"People are who are 'different' are usually the ones that end up making a difference in the world." - Hayley Williams. 

If you don't know how Hayley Williams is, don't worry - I didn't know who she was for a long time either. She is from a band called Paramore, which I have never listened to. But either way, I was scrolling through Facebook and I saw this picture on my feed, that my friend had posted. Hayley Williams got it exactly right in my opinion and this quote to me is truly inspiring. Sure people might say you're different, but I encourage you not to view that as bad or to get discouraged. 

Lets for a moment think about all those people in history who were probably called 'different', 'weird' or 'odd' that ended up making a wonderful impact in this world. Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks, Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln (I bet he was teased as a child about his height!). 

What makes you different, can be your biggest strength. What makes you different doesn't have to be a negative trait nor should it be viewed as one. People who are different can and do make a wonderful change in this world. So embrace the fact that you are different and make a change in this world. 

Hope and Love,
Becca

The Drawing Hope Project

Do you know a child who has a chronic or terminal illness? Do you know someone who has struggled with medical issues that you find inspiring and uplifting? Want to help raise awarness for a certain illness? I found the perfect site where you can do just that! I follow a women on Twitter who posted a link to something called The Drawing Hope Project. 

What is The Drawing Hope Project? The site explains, "The Drawing Hope Project is a multifaceted creative initiative that touches, changes, improves, and saves lives. No really, it truly is that amazing." 

So how do you get involved? The child whom you find inspiring for dealing with their medical problems must create a drawing. (Hence the name!) The man in charge of this, named Shawn will then meet with the child, their family, take photos and get their story. The stories will then be put into a book that is published throughout the globe, featuring kids from all over the world and raising awareness about all different kinds of illnesses. And by doing this, gives other families hope. 

Perhaps your child could be a great story to inspire other families. Maybe your best friend or your next door neighbor. If you are interested and want to spread awareness about a certain disease/illness look at this site for more info! The Drawing Hope Project.

Help spread awareness and inspire others! 
Hope and Love,
Becca

Music Monday

Hey everyone, 

I know that I have not posted in a few days and I wanted to apologize. We had our annual winter party for families who have children with CHD and/or other special needs. It went really well and it was so much fun to see my camp friends and the CHD community. Although we have not seen each other in a year, it is as if no time has passed and we all take off right where we left off. It's an amazing community where everyone is loved, accepted and understood. You can feel the love the moment you meet this amazing group of people. And that is what inspired me to choose the song that I have chosen for today. Seasons Of Love by the Rent Cast. As we move into the Holidays, I want us all to remember that this time of the year is not about the presents or the cookies we get to eat. It's about the love that this time of year represents. Instead of "measuring your life" by what you have or don't have, measure it with love; and how much love you give to others. Even those who are different than you. And remember - there is an S at the end of the Season. It's plural. Meaning, all year round we should be sharing the love. Not just this Holiday season.

"Seasons of Love"  - Rent Cast

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, a year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love

Seasons of love
Seasons of love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan
[From: http://www.elyrics.net]
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned
Or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned
Or the way that she died

It's time now, to sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends

Remember the love
(Oh, you got to, you got to remember the love)
Remember the love
(You know that life is a gift from up above)
Remember the love
(Share love, give love, spread love)
Measure in love
(Measure, measure your life in love)

Seasons of love
Seasons of love
(Measure your life, measure you life in love)

So instead of wishing you a Merry Christmas or a Wonderful Holiday Season. I want to wish you guys a wonderful year and hope you all have Seasons of Love. By giving and recieving love. 

Hope and Love,
Becca

Music Monday

I want to thank all of you who wished me get well wishes, I really appreciate them all. I took some more asthma medications and did the breathing treatments more often, so I was able to kick this asthma problem in the butt which is good. Usually my asthma problems can last for a while but since I caught it early and started working on it, I was better in a week. Just in time to post a song for Music Monday! 

So last night I went to my little sister's church choir concert and they sang this song at the end. I was so close to tears as was my mom. I knew that I had to share this song with you. It's called 'Go Light Your World' by Chris Rice.

There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a spirit who brings a fire
Egnites a candle, and makes his home

Carry your candle
Run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, confused and torn
And hold out your candle
For all to see it
Take your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world

Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle, without a flame

Carry your candle
Run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
And hold out your candle
For all to see it
Take your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world

(hey now..nanananana)

Cuz we are a family
Whose hearts are blazing
So lets raise our candles and light up the sky
Prayin to our Father in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times

Carry your candle
Run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, deceived and
Hold out your candle
For all to see it
Take your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world

(hey now nanananana)

Hold out your candle
For all to see it
Take out your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world
Take your candle and go light your world

(hey now nanananana)

Take your candle, hold it high and help light the world. One flame can start a fire. Will your candle help spread the fire of change, love, understanding and acceptance? Will you light your candle and help bring light back into this world? Hold out your candle for all to see, and go light your world. 

Hope and Love,
Becca