March of Dimes Walk America

‘The purpose of life is a life of purpose.’ -- Robert Byrne

This past Sunday was the March of Dimes Walk America here in Michigan. Our family has supported this organization for many years. For the past five, our coffee roastery has provided the coffee service and breakfast for the walkers and Mike and I serve on the Walk steering committee.

This was the best year ever. First of all, it was gorgeous weather, some years we’ve been out there in the cold and rain and sometimes snow. That translated into almost 1000 walkers!!

It was especially fun this year because one of the high schools I work with manned one of the check points and had walkers. They had over 30 kids out at the park by 7am (for those of you that don’t have high school kids, that’s AMAZING!!), and when you figure the high school only has 175 students that’s almost 20% of the school enrollment (for a high school that’s INCREDIBLE. ) I was so proud of the kids.

What makes Walk America so special (rain, snow sleet or hail) is that our whole family, Mike (husband), Aaron (18 on Saturday) and twins Adam and Jacob (16 this summer) really look forward to this event every year. Nothing would keep the boys from it. It’s a crazy fun day and we all come home after 12+ hours exhausted and happy.

Why do we support the March of Dimes??

1. It’s a great organization that uses it’s funds well.

2. Our twins (and I) benefited from research funded by the March of Dimes, that prevented them from being born 10 weeks early. At 4 weeks early they were still over 6 lbs.

3. In 2000 I got to tour the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA as part of a training I attended. It was amazing and further cemented my commitment to this organization (Jonas Salk=polio vaccine =March of dimes to collect money for research to eradicate polio)

”Every day millions of students arrive at American classrooms in search of more than reading and math skills. They are looking for a light in the darkness of their lives, a Good Samaritan who will stop and bandage a burned heart or ego.” Jim Trelease

I survived and they didn’t eat me/us alive. In fact the whole conference exceeded our expectations. They are leaders and educators in schools that want to make a difference in the lives of kids. It’s going to be hard work for the next four years. A school that is primarily Arabic in population, a school that is primarily inner city high school students from Detroit, some rural schools in low socio economic areas, etc….. It’s a nice melting pot of diversity in this fine state. And the bottom line is they all are kids and if they don’t have a parent at home that can connect with them -- that can guide them, their next best hope is a teacher (JAMA 1997).

And after it was over, I came home to a house that was in BAD need of cleaning, flower beds in desperate need of getting rid of winter yuck and three teenagers with places to go and people to see….. I love being a mom!!!!

A Big Step

I’ve been lurking and viewing blogs for about a year now. I’m not sure I really have time to keep it up to date, but I’ve always thought it would be fun – and interesting.

What’s with the name? Seems like I’m always so busy with work and life (isn’t everyone) that I don’t take enough time to just have fun. It seemed like a good title – nothing deep to the meaning at all – I just had to come up with a title… it may change

I really love quotes; I collect them and use them a lot in my work. This is my favorite, it motivates me and it sobers me.

“There is no more delicate matter to take in hand, nor more dangerous to conduct, no more doubtful of success, then to step up as a leader in the introduction of changes” Niccolo Machiavelli

It’s bold to initiate change in my own life, it is bit daunting when change introduces itself all on its own. But even when I’ve been resistant to change, it without fail, lands me in a better place than where I was before.

It is down right scary to initiate change for other people. It is sort of what I do for a living, you’d think by now I wouldn’t be daunted, but I am. People are really comfortable with what they know, with what is familiar and something new tips them off balance.

But here I go again, ‘off to change the world’ ---- a few schools at a time (7), a few teachers at a time and a few students at a time. I want to make a difference, I want to help them make a difference and I’m so blessed that my journey in life has brought me here to do it.

Problem is – I’m scared to death……. Therefore my thoughts on the Machiavelli quote today….