I am always doing something and all of the time, I am wired to do what I can to make things better in this world. My daughters know this, and have never known anything besides dedication to helping others for the greater good. * See definition of Philanthropy below.
Doing nothing is unfathomable to me. I hope you will read this in its entirety, to hear a plea that feels like the plea of my life thus far. Then, I hope you do something.
I’m going to straight up tell you that I’m about to turn 50 years old, and only wish for one gift. Also, I never ask for gifts. Ask my Parents or my kids. They’ll tell you.
Will you help me make a positive impact in this world the minute you stop reading this post? Lives depend upon it.
Yesterday, I started to write a letter for my eldest daughter, who will turn 13 at the end of this week. My younger daughter will turn 10 on December 13th, and I will turn 50 on December 21st.
13, 10 and 50. Milestones, I think.
As I started to write a post for Juliette, (my almost teenager), I became so overcome with emotion, I couldn’t get through it. I stopped and shifted to a letter for Charlotte, (my almost double-digit-er), but I had to stop that one too.
At this point in my life, I don’t cry very often and especially the type of “balls out” cry I experienced yesterday, trying to write posts for my daughters. Plus, I’m an “ugly crier” which really sucks.
Since my daughters were born, the three of us have had so much to contend with. In short:
- divorce
- cancer
- career twists and turns
- moving homes, schools, and communities
- other severe illness
All the while, I often remind the kids and myself that we’re evolving and that none of these perceived hardships happen by mistake. I’m not sure they’ve bought into this, but based on the way they live, very much outside of their “bubbles,” my guess is that they have total buy in. They have been raised outside of their bubbles through difficult challenges, without a lot of whys or wherefores –
Amor Fati.
Throughout my entire life, and in how I have raised my daughters, through many scrapes and through tragedies, I have always understood that I am responsible for doing all I can to help make humankind better. This is what my children have grown up with. They have grown up ensconced in philanthropy and in framing things with a “what’s best for the community as a whole?,” vantage point. I’m not only talking money here. Philanthropy, by its literal definition:
noun plural -pies
I want to help students and schools all over the world for ORT America, and specifically in the former Soviet Union. I believe that it has an enormous impact on the greater good. Plus, I want you to feel good and giving feels good.
I’d like to tell you that my daughters only want donations to this “CHAI to Pam at 50” campaign for their birthdays. C’mon. They’re going to be 13 and 10. The truth is, while they want the campaign to be successful, have both donated to it, and want the world to thrive, Juliette wants a corn snake and Charlotte wants shoes. MANY pairs of shoes.
As I write this plea, I have been trying to understand what made me sob yesterday as I tried to write to my daughters…
I think my tears were mostly tears of joy in how I’ve chosen to raise them. From the time they were born, they have heard and embraced, “ONE.”
One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
BrothersOne life
But we’re not the same
We get to carry each other
Carry each other”
While I physically carried both of my daughters, as we, the three of us hit these milestones, I am keenly aware that my daughters carry me and others, and that we collectively carry our communities as they carry us. We are all responsible.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN CARRYING EACH OTHER… DONATE NOW
Thank you in advance. When this campaign concludes at the end of 2016, I hope we can all meet somewhere, outside of our bubbles, and celebrate being agents of change.
