We're All in This Together

First of all, let me offer an enormous thank you to all of you for your birthday wishes. From comments to emails to phone calls, I was overwhelmed with love! Thank you, thank you.

Besides my birthday, I just discovered that yesterday was Nie Nie day. After poking around from link to link for the details of what it all means, I am left with a big dose of perspective and an overwhelming sense of gratitude that in this sometimes surreal world of bloggering we are all connected.

Case in point- tragedy pulls us together in a way that is beyond inspiring. It is life changing. We don't know each other in many cases but our stories, or joys, our struggles are universal. We relate to and respect one another. We are a community of people that openly share our lives with one another with honor and courage and love. It is a privilege to be a part of something that authentic and powerful and it is, among countless other things, what keeps me blogging.

Design Mom is holding a silent auction in honor of Stephanie (Nie) and her husband Christian, to offer financial support for the Nielson family during these difficult days. I felt compelled to share it with you so that we continue the circle of the true community we have created, where we take care of one another because it's not only what we do, it's who we are.

The Ultimate Gift

An amazing group of my mom friends have come together to provide some relief for a needy family this season through Heifer International. I find the gesture particularly moving; providing families a way to sustain their households by giving them something as valuable as livestock which provides a long term solution instead of short term relief. Heifer Internationals mission is inspiring, ingenious and successful.

I have decided to have a Heifer campaign here and post about it at my many online homes and see what comes of it. One thing I've learned is that a blog is a great place to bring awareness to good causes and there are plenty of them. Heifer International is the one I'm choosing to support this season. Check out the my new button over there (in the right sidebar) with my fundraising meter. It's oh so exciting as I have never had a direct fundraising effort on my blog before. If you are looking to give a little something extra this year, I encourage you visit my fundraising page. If we reach the $500 mark, we can provide this for someone who could really use it. And even if we just gather a fraction of it, we can still help by providing this, this or this. Sweet.

Soon, there will be another good cause to share as the compassionate people behind it, but for today, read all about the lives that have been changed by one Heifer cow. And if you're inspired, blog about it.