Love in Action from the heart of a child and the heart of a mother

I feel a need to take all of the love, hopes, and prayers in my heart and turn it into some kind of action. So, I’m donating all profits from my inspiration card decks from now through July 4^th for the children.

In response to recent events and with the heart of a child, I feel for all the children anywhere in the world separated from parents. I was 34 when my mom was physically taken away from me due to ovarian cancer. I didn’t know a person could cry such a river of grief before that. I can only imagine being much younger and separated from my parents. I am also a mother to twin 13 year old boys that were born 3 months early. I remember hoping and praying that they wouldn’t be taken away from us in those first few months when they were in the neo-natal intensive care unit. We’ve been fortunate to get the chance to get to know and love them and see them grow. With the heart of a mother, I feel for all the parents unable to tend, hold, provide for, protect and see their children.

The politics baffle me when our Mother Earth gets sliced up with lines on maps. I don’t have political answers and don’t belong to a specific political party. I’ve been registered as ‘independent’ since I could vote and I try to make wise, kind choices as best I can. I’m not on any political side. I’m on the children’s side. It cracks my heart to witness children torn from loving families. I think about my own heritage and family stories. My paternal grandmother was an orphan. Her maternal grandparents went to the orphanage to get her when they found out she existed. She was two years old. I remember her lifelong very deep fear of rats due to the conditions of the orphanage when she was young. If she was the correct child, then the stories her grandparents told her of ancestors on the Mayflower would apply to me. Supposedly, one of my ancestors was born on the ship during the crossing. There were no immigration laws like today back then, but I cringe to think of the treatment of the natives since then. If that had been a few hundred years later fast forwarding to today, would the baby be taken away? There are so many orphans in the world already that it seems so sad to think of children being forcibly taken from parents that love them in any situation. I have the song “Better Together” by Jack Johnson playing in my head.

In addition to all of the strangers seeing their families shattered, my cousin’s family is going through their own completely different situation that has shattered the family picture they once knew. My cousin’s 16 year old son had brain surgery for a tumor in December, 2017. It seems that he had a stroke during the surgery that caused neurological damage impacting his ability to recover. He hasn’t been able to return school due to his challenges with memory, processing, etc. They are trying to find tutors and healers that can help.

I feel a need to take all of the love, hopes, and prayers in my heart and turn it into some kind of action. As a homeschooling mom with no consistent income, I’m donating all profits from my inspiration card decks from now through July 4th to Together Rising and all profits from July 5th through July 20th to my cousin’s family.

All profits from any inspiration card decks will be donated to TOGETHER RISING and to my cousin’s son to help cover living, educational, and medical expenses. About TogetherRising.org: “Whether it’s pulling children out of the sea outside the refugee camps in Greece, helping abandoned kids on the streets in Indianapolis, or establishing the first opioid recovery home for pregnant teens in New Hampshire — Together Rising identifies what is breaking the hearts of our givers as they look around their world and their community, and then we connect our givers’ generosity with the people and organizations who are effectively addressing that critical need. 100% of what Together Rising receives from every personal donation goes directly to an individual, family, or cause in need – not one penny from an individual donation goes to administration costs, unless a donor specifically authorizes that use.” If you prefer, you can give directly to them:  EVERY PENNY THEY RECEIVE FROM THIS LINK WILL CONTINUE TO GO TO CAREFULLY VETTED ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WORKING TIRELESSLY TO REUNIFY CHILDREN WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

So, you can help me unleash generosity and put love into action and receive a tangible reminder of the love through the cards that can provide inspiration and soul food for years to come. I originally made the decks because I had a health scare and was afraid of being taken away from my children. I wanted them to have some tangible way to hold my love and presence. May the art continue to heal from my heart to yours and any children and families nurtured as a result along the way. Thank You!