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Running Until My Son Comes Home From War |
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By Vivian White
Posted May 26, 2009
 I'm a 51-year-old mother whose 20-year-old son is serving in Iraq.
When Brian left last January it was very hard for me to say goodbye, especially as he was going off to war.
So, in order to feel closer to him, and stay connected with him, I decided to run the distance from where I live in Illinois to where he's stationed in Iraq, 6,436 miles away, and to run it in one year - sort of like I was running to bring him home.
Once I completed the distance, his tour would be over and he would come home.
Even though I'm a runner, 6,436 miles was huge - so I've enlisted my husband, and a few other family members to put in miles for Brian as well. So far, after 4 1/2 months, we've reached almost 2,000 miles! And we're still running....
We run not only to honor my son, but for all the soldiers overseas, and the sacrifices they make every day for our country, our flag, and all of us.
Susan notes: I asked Vivian about others donating miles. Here's what she said:
Susan, We are accepting miles. Not only do we want to accumulate miles, but also give others who are touched by our story a chance to contribute and be a part of it. So, certainly if you want to post a blog that'd be great. You could just direct them to email me directly if they'd like to contribute miles or share similar stories about their soldiers, I'd really like that. Thanks again!
Vivian (
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)
Related links:
On War, Soldiers and Being Apart
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Grateful For Pain That Led To Passion |
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By Loretta A. Cella
March 31, 2009
I grew up in Canada, in a Vancouver, BC suburb. My parents are of
Italian decent. They knew what it was like to grow up poor, so they did
all they could to prevent their children from having to experience the
same stresses with which they had struggled as kids.
I was placed in a system of structure and faith from a very young age.
I can safely say that from the age of about six years I knew I was
different.
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Who In The World Is Natalie McIntyre? |
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Natalie McIntyre (aka Macy Gray) is touted by many to have soared to
musical stardom at the end of the 1990s. And in some ways she
definitely did.
However, I recently read an account of her story in Fitting in Is
Overrated, a wonderful book by Leonard Felder (a psychologist,
counselor, author and occasional contributor to my favourite publication
Ode Magazine), in which her seemingly meteoric rise to celebrity is
cast quite differently.
Felder’s gives a more human, and I think more interesting account of
Natalie McIntyre’s youth than other articles I’ve read, and describes
how she stumbled in fits and starts into a career as a successful
singer songwriter.
Here’s a short version of Macy Gray’s story, based on bits and pieces
taken from a section in Felder’s book, as well as others found at the links below:
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Ann Njeri (Change Agent) Takes a Pledge of Peace |
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 A few years ago my family, was kicked out of our home after some tribal
clashes. My family is from the Kikuyu tribe and we have often been at
war with another tribe the Kalenjin.
The clashes always cause a lot of innocent deaths and suffering. The
hate between the tribes keeps on spreading. In January last year, more
than a thousand people were brutally killed and hundreds of thousands
internally displaced.
Even before my family was kicked out of our home, I already hated all
Kalenjins. I had been fed with a biased frame and prejudices against
them. When my family was thrown out of our home, my hatred grew. I
wanted everyone to hate them. I kept passing on the seedlings of hate
to all willing listeners.
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The Bridge Builder |
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By Wanda Sommerfield
The mother frantically searched through the house calling to her
young child. Finally she dashed out into the cold January night, and
stopped dead in her tracks.
‘What are you doing out here?” she said in alarm.
The child stared up at the night sky, eyes searching, and solemnly
replied: “They said Mrs. O’Sullivan went up to the stars – but I can’t
find her Mommy – I can’t see her anywhere.”
The mother’s heart broke a little. She gathered the child into her arms, and took him inside. It had been a very long day.
Judy O’Sullivan was a bridge builder.
She created wonderful long-standing structures and solid foundations
throughout her lifetime. Building enduring structures takes a lot of
time, energy and intelligence. But instead of bricks, metal and mortar,
she worked with stronger elements - light, enthusiasm and encouragement.
Judy built bridges of love.
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My Mother |
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By Silvia Natale
This is the simple, story of my amazing mother, Christine Serini, who
was born in Germany. When she was 30 she traveled to Italy, and there
she met her husband. She has lived in Italy for almost 40 years; she’s
now 69 years old.
Christine remembers the most challenging situation on her life. When
she was living in Germany, after the war, it was a very, very difficult
time for the country and for her family. Her father – who was an
engineer – lost his job and he couldn’t find another one for 10 years;
he was often very sad.
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Beads For a Better Life |
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By Susan Macaulay
 Comfort Amanor is a single mother of four who dreams of one day opening
a school to teach underprivileged children the art of beadmaking.
With her courage and determination, she might one day realise that challenging goal.
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