Smile Bound- Thank you Guatemala and Operation Smile- Luke found his home

 I've been home just over a week now and it's been hard finding the right words to articulate this journey with Luke . I was given the honor of taking Luke to Guatemala to find a new home and I wondered how will I ever know who the right child is..and how could I only give to one child. All those worries in the grand scheme of this journey  I now realize were trivial. 

How lucky the world is to have such kind, caring and compassionate people who volunteer their time and skill to help others, and how lucky and grateful am I to have spent 7 days with this Operation Smile team to work and learn alongside them.  You can never forget people like this. The Dr's and nurses who came from all over the world and the local Guatemalan team at the hospital and volunteers who came together was a beautiful thing. 

Luke made friends all over the place , receiving lots of hugs and at times playing an important role in providing comfort and smiles when needed the most. He followed the route each child and parent followed during screening, he visited the pre-op area , the OR, and hung out in post op. First hand he got to experience the journey a child went through once arriving at the hospital. 

I came across a quote this week.." I don't know how to do this but something inside me does"  which embodies when you know something deep inside it leads you in the right direction. I am so happy it did.

Screening Day

Handing over the Peace Candle my parents gave me from Keswick United Church during a special mass

Colgate volunteers and PIT team

Medical records set up time- Luke helping out

Luke hanging out in in the PIT

Awesome people

Luke getting checked over by Nurse Cathy and Lucy

Luke following the same route as the kids during screening

In Pediatrics

Speech therapist Erica was busy talking to parents and kids

Hematology

Luke making friends everywhere he went

Dentist visit

Open wide Luke

Hanging in the Electronic Med Rec area

More friends 

Jess and Luke hit it off

Sister Gabriela loves Luke

In the crib 

Putting on his scrub hat

Child Life Specialist and Luke helping the kids to understand what will happen when they enter the OR

Sweet volunteers

After 2 days of screening, time for our team day which brought us to Antigua. The gifts I  found there were in the most unlikely places and they were not material items.  

Local artisans

Volcano beauty

Antigua 

Beauty everywhere

After 7 days what did I learn from this journey:

When you have faith and hope you find the courage to face even the scariest of things and we are never alone

Courage 

The overwhelming sense of unconditional love , kind , compassion and giving of yourself to help others brings joy from the inside out and its the most amazing feeling in the world. We are all humans connected..

The next time I  think I need something...I know I will be pausing and reflecting. 

Before you judge a book by its cover...explore the story inside

Material things are not the path to joy

Be yourself ..take risks..let the walls down 

Love

 On day 2 of surgery Luke found his new home. It wasn't a difficult decision at all, in fact we both knew he belonged with Yesamin. She was as beautiful inside as her story which represented exactly what Operation Smile is about. I am grateful and blessed to have met her and her mother Mary Elizabeth. 

Luke found his home with Yesamin and I know he will be loved

 When I left, Jim, Andrea and I never knew one another, other than the fact we were J&J colleagues. After 7 days we returned home friends and forever connected by sharing in this life changing experience.  Not to mention the friends made along the way  

Photo bomb

 Guatemala and Operation Smile I came home a much better person grateful and blessed for having this experience and the gifts you gave me are forever in my heart. Gracias! 

Thank you

Live in Courage or Crawl in Fear

It's Saturday morning , I am enjoying a peppermint mocha latte in the comfort of my home and reflecting upon the last few weeks. Call me crazy but that's what I do these days. Maybe that is what you are supposed to do in your 40's I don't know, but I am compelled to do allot of it. I'm OK with it. I shared my thoughts on this with a trusted friend and she encouraged me to write about it here. I write from my heart not from the pen of an eloquent writer so please forgive me if you find a spelling mistake or literal blunder! 

So what can I share in this blog post that may have some meaning this morning to anyone who takes the time to read? 

To keep it simple, in my opinion there are two paths in life for us to follow… LIVE with Courage or Crawl in Fear.. the path you choose you can FEEL the difference inside … POWER of Choice determines the path and the feeling.  How in the heck did I come to form this opinion? Well aside from my over all life journey..there was one week this past month that particularly struck me that lead me to this message.

In the span of a week I was blessed to have dinner with a man who has turned his passion not only into a career but a mission that inspires young and old alike to believe and challenge themselves beyond what they ever thought possible. Passion that explodes so addicting that it lights an internal spark within. You know because you can feel it in your gut and the energy his aura creates is invigorating. His resolve and courage

That same evening I am announcing a special memorial award in honor of a colleague who lost her fight with cancer in front of her parents. Their resolve and courage

Next day I learn my Aunt has passed away. One of the kindest and gentlest lady's I ever met. She cried when she saw you coming and she cried when you left..always tears of joy on both occasions. My last memory with her was at her daughters 60 birthday party in August where she hugged me and of course cried. My sister and I had our picture taken with her as did all her family that day. With each picture she cried as she posed. I felt then, they were not tears of joy but the realization knowing it was probably the last photo’s she would take and the last birthday she would celebrate with her daughter. She was right. Her resolve and courage

 It hit me , the  special people who made up the bulk  of my childhood memories are dying off. What is left are the memories.  You take these people for granted when you are young. The thought that one day they will be gone doesn't  enter your mind. Somehow we believe they will live forever. Then you hit  the age when you realize forever means something totally different. 

Thursday I am at a youth group home painting. A place that is home to kids their backgrounds each different and unique , in some cases the only thing they have brought with them is the clothes on their back. This place is a safe haven compared to where they have come from. Their goal if they choose to stay is to graduate high school or secondary education, learn life skills so when they leave they can make it on their own.  What might be running thru their young minds , how they cope, how they carry on, their perseverance to rise above the stereotypes and the struggles they face are all questions I have. Their resolve and courage.

Hearing about a young man in my community who is losing his battle with a heart condition he has had since birth. Thinking about what his parents must be feeling knowing they are going to lose their only son..it’s overwhelming.  This young life was placed on earth for a purpose. He is here to fill HIS purpose and from day one everyone knew his life was limited. From the stories I have heard and read , from seeing him myself,  this little man through his young life has inspired many lives. He probably doesn't even realize it. He sure has inspired the power of prayer, people praying who may never thought of such an act. The fact he still smiles while he is fighting says a great deal about his character. His resolve and courage.

Ending the week helping a friend who was having a rough week. My role in that moment was to listen, give a hug and hold his hand. Tell him someone does care and someone does understand. Tell him, what he is feeling..he is not alone and it’s OK to break down every now and then..there is no judgment.  In that moment, I wasn't there to judge I was there to potentially save a life.  His resolve and courage.

Am I crazy for thinking about the impact these experiences had? I like to think I am lucky enough to value these moments to really feel the lessons that I myself are being taught. I like to think they are powerful enough to share.

Resolve and courage.. …..feels like a powerful combination. In each experience I thought about what if FEAR replaced the courage? What could the alternative meant? It's pretty simple to figure out based on my own choices and based on what I see going on in the world.

Power of choice ...time for me to pay attention to that. I think without even realizing it, my whole life I have always had that power..it may be what has gotten me through all my ups and downs! 

The trick is realizing we are never alone, people do care. There is something to be learned from every experience and the beauty of it is..we can always change what path we go down 

..The POWER OF CHOICE!

Dancing keeps you young at heart?

I am amazed at the things people are posting on utube these days. In fact, if I think about it too much its a scary thing as I see how people are using the technology to bully, embarass and do harm to other humans. What good comes from that?
Then there are those few video's  I come across that inspire me and restore my hope that technology can be a tool used to inspire and bring happiness into the lives of others. A viral video like the one I am sharing today. I hope it is ok that I am sharing this, it is everywhere on the internet so I like to think I can. I take no credit for it, just want to share the joy.
This 88 year old Nana who loves to dance as she gets into her granddaughter's car. I won't say anymore because I think the video really says it all about how young at heart this lovely lady is and how inspiring she is to her family.
I've always believed music is the conduit to joining people together,  to keeping ourselves young at heart whether we are singing loud in the car to the tunes or dancing around the kitchen with our kids or if you are single , the trusting broom that is always there when you are ready to whip around the floor!
In fact, music is so powerful it can alter any mood and is one of the greatest gifts we are blessed to have available to us!

On this fine Saturday morning as I sit and watch Nana and listen to the oldies I am inspired to get my mojo moving and do my own little shake rattle and roll routine as I head out to my car!

What do I have to lose except for a few extra pounds ?

Life is stressful at times  and guess what ,we all need to lighten up every now and then.
Take a few deep breathes ..let yourself go and then pause for a moment and check in with yourself and see how you feel!

Peace..and remember " if you light a lantern for another, it will also brighten your own way" Nichiren Daishonin

Dear World...A Christmas to Remember

On December 14th the unthinkable occured. A tragedy occured in a little town that touched the hearts of a world. What is supposed to be a magical time of year filled with the joy of children's laughter , excitment of Santa's arrival, hugs and kisses was replaced with tears and sorrow for this little town. For the past week , as news stories begin to settle down and the families directly impacted begin their journey of healing I began to wonder what is becoming of our world. It is up to each of us to keep the spirit alive...to be a little kinder, a little more compassionate..understanding and most of all when these lost souls commit acts of violence that we do not allow ourselves to take on their cynical view of the world that caused their hearts to turn cold. It is up to each of us to keep the magic of Christmas and the magic of everyday alive... So this year I wish you all peace and joy ...and this year enjoy your families and your friends that little bit more...don't be afraid to say I love you..smile a little more and gosh darn it..hug a lot more..all these gifts are free and we all have it within us to give these gifts anytime of the year. 

 I wrote this poem called Dear World as I started to think about what positive could we find in such a terrible action.  

A tragic thing happened to us all today
Innocent lives taken carelessly away
No rhyme or reason for this unthinkable violent act
Saddened to the core that is a somber fact
Little angels and heroic souls their futures now gone
How do we make right this terrible wrong?
Families are grieving their pain all too real as we approach Christmas day
The questions of why are being asked by so many, but what do you say
When someone you love is taken so dreadfully away?
Now is the time for our love and humanity to shine through
Is this too big a prayer to ask of you?
Are you up for the challenge to open your heart and not be lead astray?
Don’t let this steal our peaceful spirits or darken our souls today
Give us courage to find comfort and good will
Support one another and in honor fulfill
What peace on this earth means
As each life held purpose during their time on this earth now angels above
In spirit they share their love

Charlotte, Rachel, Olivia, Dylan, Dawn, Jesse, Ana, Anne, Emilie, Noah
Jessica, Lauren, Mary, Victoria, Daniel, Josephine, Madeleine, Catherine, Chase
James, Jack, Caroline, Avielle, Benjamin, Allison

Dear World
We must not forget the lives that were lost, shed a tear if you must as you remember a name
Then use wisdom and compassion to make changes instead of getting caught up in the circle of blame.
Tracey (Dec 2012)



                                                                                                                       

Momism's!

How do you measure a mother's love? Perhaps described as the greatest deepest love ever known.
Each year that passes I am grateful for my mom, and I appreciate her more and more. As each year passes I am grateful for her words of wisdom when I was confused or troubled, her hugs just because , when I was not feeling well, or when I really screwed up and just needed a hug, her scolding words at times when I was out of line, her ears to listen each and every time I needed someone to talk to, even when I didn't want to listen...even now that I am older and a mom myself..she is my dearest friend...in a nutshell her unconditional love I know I always have.

I realize the older I get just how special a mom really is...being a mom myself to a wonderful son, the bond between a mother and her child is one of the greatest blessings and I cherish every moment. Unconditional love is so powerful.

On a funny note..I was also reminded of all the great wisdom our mothers pass on to us and how we use it on our children...you know those "momisms"..how many of these do you remember? lol

•Money does not grow on trees.
•Don't make that face or it'll freeze in that position.
•If I talked to my mother like you talk to me....
•Always change your underwear; you never know when you'll have an accident.
•Be careful or you'll put your eye out.
•What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?
•You have enough dirt behind those ears to grow potatoes!
•Close that door! Were you born in a barn?
•If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
•Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been!
•Be careful what you wish for, it might come true.
•Don't eat those, they will stunt your growth.
•If you don't eat those, you will stunt your growth.
•What's meant to be, is meant to be. (Mom only used this when something bad happened or when you experienced a disappointment.)
•It doesn't matter what you accomplish, I'll always be proud of you.
•I hope that when you grow up, you have kids "Just Like you"!
•Because I'm your mother that's why.
•This is why we can't have nice things.
•If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times.
•Eat your vegetables, there are poor children out there that would be happy to have some broccoli to eat!
•If you fall out of that tree and break you leg , don't come running to me.
•I brought you into this world and I can take you OUT !!
•Honestly... You'd lose your head if it wasn't attached!
•Children should be seen and not heard!
Bored! How can you be bored? I was never bored at your age


Do you have momism's you would like to share? Go ahead would love to hear them!!

Happy Mother's Day!

xox