Helpers.

So remember that Easter Bunny who visited the children at Wesley Hospital this past spring, Susan? Funny thing—she's in good with St. Nick, too!

With the talented help of her elf, Rita, Frosty (a.k.a. Susan) will be visiting Wesley Hospital again to deliver toys, goodies and good cheer!

Spirit of the season, no? Isn't this, this good, isn't this what IT is all about? Doing something kind for others? Helping the world spin in such a way that it's better off for having you here?

A dear friend of mine knows a Good Deed Doer who said that she works to have money so that she can give it away. So profound.

The dynamic Christmas duo is accepting donations for the visit by way of new toys, gift cards (gas, grocery, restaurants for the parents) and dollars. (Please no coloring books, clothing or used toys.) If you would like to donate to the effort, please send to the team no later than December 14 to:

Susan Jae Eckel
3738 S. Dugan
Wichita, KS 67215

Also, since they are covering Wesley, Susan is encouraging/inspiring any of you Good Deed Doers our there to do the same for another hospital, children's home or special need location. And these words of inspiration come from Susan, too. Count me in as one of the flakes! ;)

...you know how it takes lots of
snowflakes to come together to
actually make a snowman.

well, trust me, this is not just a
one-snowman-show.

there are many individual and unique
flakes that are being rolled all together
to enable THIS snowman to do "her thing".

each and every snowflake plays a very important role...
kinda makes me look forward to our first snowfall now.

hmmmmm...
"Frosty"

Novemberings.

Hope we all thanked and gave this November, the month that symbolizes much of our thinking here, especially last week as we reached for hugs, passed the gravy and contemplated the moment.

In the next few posts, we'll have some swell news about Kyrie Foundation happenings. Until then, though, here's something to ponder:

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.
Earl Nightingale

Thankful Thursday

The biggest Thankful Thursday of the year!!

Today I'm thankful for tradition and the wisdom that tradition doesn't just happen on its own. Somone has to make the tradition happen. Thankful for the ability to bear life and keep going, even when we don't want to. Thankful for the promise of what comes next so that gathering together means gathering all together.

Most of all, I'm thankful for friends & family, those near, far & above.

What are you thankful for?

Today.

This week, NBC's Today Show is highlighting work done at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and this morning they profiled a very young girl who was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer before she was two. Although the kind of cancer this child had was not a PNET like Kyrie's, the prognosis was just as terrifying.

If you caught the segment, you would have a seen a snippet where they interviewed Dr. Larry Kun with St. Jude's. A few months ago, the Kyrie Foundation was in touch with him, too, as we narrowed our focus for our research dollars. Good work being done there, and we're happy to say that the our monies can go to support his work and other doctors around the country just like him.

We want you to know that what we are all doing is very real, not just a black, nebulous hole of charity. If you are reading these words, you are a part of our team, a part of this real work to save little children. Thank you!

Smart, in more ways than one.

This Friday is unequivocally known as "the biggest shopping day of the year," the kick-off to the gift-giving season where consumerism is at a peak and seasonal grumpiness takes root. Here's a small suggestion: instead of the exasperating check-out lines, the mad runs on hot items, the cart wrangling, the crowded parking lots, lugging packaging to the car and trying to get them out the car without getting caught, what if you could shop wearing your fuzzy slippers with just a few clicks?

iGive(and iBakeSale & GoodShop) has been great. I ordered a few gifts two weeks ago, and-poof-they showed up on my doorstep, AND I earned money for the foundation. I even found gifts that aren't available in the brick & mortar stores. It's like an online mall--better, in fact, because you have hundreds of stores to choose from. Depending on your total, some stores even offer free shipping. Bonus! Anyone else tried it? Mind sharing your experience?

'Tis.

In 1981, a slender music teacher with cotton-ball-white, spherical hair and briliant, red-rimmed glasses taught Clearwater Elementary School's first grade class the song "Simple Gifts." Her berry-red lipstick mouthed the words over and over again as her skirt draped over the piano bench and her determined fingers plunked the ivory keys. Thank you, Ms. Ray.

A simple song written by a Shaker in the 1800s. A song that has gone on to TV, movies, Broadway, universities and even on cellist Yo-Yo Ma's CD. Now it even includes two (more modern) verses.

It is a gift to be simple, to be small and to have such impact. Hope we all remember that this week.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of o-thers what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,
(refrain)
'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

One+one+one ...

We're over $50 with GoodSearch! Wa-hoo!

This amazing tool has woven "doing good" into our days without it being a hassle, a grudge, an obligation. It's just there, like a built-in. In so many ways, we've thunk ourselves into ease: convenience foods, convenient stores, movies on-demand, personal computers, electric locks, automatic everythings. It's nice that making a positive difference can be easy, too. Love that.