Well, I got paid for the ads I had on my blog earlier, which got me thinking about it again. (just in case you are tempted to try ads on your blog, its not exactly that lucrative...I made 1 cent for a loooongg time, eventually earning 10 dollars for four months of blogging- I felt rich after watching that one penny sit there for what felt like forever before creeping up to that whopping ten bucks :)) That, and all the Sandy stuff has been tugging at my heart, and I want to help, so I'm going to resuscitate the idea of giving to a children's charity each month. I hope the ads aren't too annoying. I figure now I can look at them as being there for a good cause-- helping raise money to help children with some of the opportunities and necessities of life.
If you would like to donate, go ahead. Or if you have a charity you'd like me to look at in for a different month, that sounds great, just leave me a comment or email me (5for50mom@gmail.com). :)
This month I'm just going to give to the oldie but goodie, the American Red Cross, (here). I also found this website, which has some useful info about donating in a crisis, with rankings for different charities, some which specifically help children.
This month I have been feeling extra grateful for the big things: my safe, warm home, for food to eat, and for my five beautiful and healthy children! My husband has been extra kind and attentive lately, too, surprising me with little one-a-day short text messages that have brightened my day. I'm also thankful for this project, how it has helped me enjoy those little things I was less aware of before, including the smell of my baby's head after a bath, his arms wrapped tightly around my neck, thankful for little scrawled love notes and childish giggles, for flying sleds down a white hill, for park days and preschool days and even for jumping!
And thankful to Heavenly Father for supporting me and helping me through so much.
A couple of years ago we tried something-- for each day leading up to Thanksgiving we did an act of service to show gratitude for something we had. For example, if we were thankful for our home, we'd give to the homeless shelter. To show we were thankful for our new baby, we donated some baby items to a local hospital. They don't have to be big like this, these are just some ideas that I can think of off the top of my head. We are doing it again this year, I'll let you know how it goes!
If you want to read a touching story, that will make you thankful for your little ones, give you perspective, and inspire you, read this blog written by a friend of mine who lost a baby seven years ago. She and her husband turned the experience into a positive one for hundreds of people as each year they do service to remember the 18 days he was alive. Warning: keep your tissues handy.
What are you thankful for?
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