BeadforLife...

Good things, good people, good times all rolled into one...the Community Partner gathering for BeadforLife.

Those of you who know me, know that I am a volunteer with an amazing organization called BeadforLife (yes, all one word!). We recently had our semi-annual gathering in Boulder, Colorado and it was wonderful to see all of the lovely women (and one guy) who are community volunteers. (The photo is all of us on our last night together.)

If you don't know BeadforLife, please check us out. The organization was founded by three ladies who wanted to help the women in Uganda. (The photo above is me with one of the founders, Torkin). We empower these women by providing them with a viable way to earn a living while teaching them lifeskills to lift themselves and their families out of extreme poverty.

When you start looking for holiday gifts (no it isn't too early), I urge you to look at gifts that give two-fold such as BeadforLife.

And why you are at it, why not volunteer in honor of someone you love as well?

Of course, Sept. 11th is on everyone's mind this week. Our world was turned upside down that day.

I'll never forget my daughter, Eliza's quote the next day as I took her to school. It was a beautiful fall day here in Western Pa. and she looked at the blue sky, her school and everything around us and said, "Everything is the same, but nothing is the same."

We were relatively untouched in our lives - we didn't lose a loved one or friend, our routine stayed the same. But our hearts ached for those not so fortunate.

This weekend, let's all pause in our lives. Maybe you want to visit the Flight 93 Memorial, maybe you can visit New York and pay your respects, maybe you will just honor a moment of silence for everyone who lost their lives that day, for those left behind.

For all of our shortcomings, all of our faults, everything we lack, we are still a country that stands proud. Let's remember that.

And give your loved ones an extra hug this weekend.

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