Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Heart to Heart

I know that my writing is a gift meant to use to inspire others. My blog has made me happy for over a year. I also know from feedback that it does inspire. Perhaps it is the child like manner in which I perceive and present simple thoughts and ideas.

Several months ago I accepted a FB friend request from someone I now call jt. From the moment of our conscious connection I was aware of very strong spiritual energy between us. It is impossible to ignore. It led me to accept concepts I may not have otherwise explored. The only explanation I can find is that our souls recognize each other from another realm.

I recently discovered that I can use the love found in this Universal connection to inspire and create something I didn’t know I could. A building full of kids matched with a handful of caring adults will benefit from a project to be called “Heart to Heart”.

Last October I signed up for Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) and had hoped to be matched with a child who is interested in writing. I was very excited about the prospect. The organization has been very slow completing the background checks for those of us who are interested. It has caused volunteers to loose interest.

I was about ready to give up the idea myself when I decided to talk it over with the director of our family center. I discovered that she was also disillusioned with BBBS. As we talked I remembered that I had an unrealized dream of connecting retired people with children in our community, but I did not have the resources or tools to do it on my own.

There are many older people in our community who no longer have the responsibility of a job or raising a family. They often sit at home feeling that nobody cares about them. Many of them have special skills, hobbies etc. that is their passion. There are also children who for many reasons feel that nobody cares about them. Maybe their parents are under stress or work too many hours to have time for them.

I know from my own experience that when someone notices and appreciates that you have something special to offer it can make a world of difference in self-esteem. Every human, no matter their age, has unique gifts to share with the world. We are all students and we are all teachers.

During our conversation we agreed that the basic idea of BBBS is good, but there is a lot of baggage in the form of unnecessary paper work and rules. Realizing the program really doesn’t fit our small town, we decided to keep it simple and do it our way. The family center already has a building full of kids in their after school program. All we need is a handful of adult volunteers with time on their hands and knowledge to share.

When our idea is launched my participation will be to encourage and hopefully inspire as many kids as are interested to put their thoughts on paper. I can even see a future book written by the kids. Anything is possible when you share what is in your heart with others. The project will be called “Heart to Heart” and I am very excited about getting it going early in 2011.

4 comments:

  1. Oh Barbara!

    What a wonderful project this is!

    This is a complete reflection of the beautiful soul you are and how you make a difference in the lives of others!

    I am very happy and excited for you as this project launches off the ground and soars high into the spirits of all those who participate in it!

    Your soul shines brightly Barbara!

    xoxoxo

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  2. Thank you my friend, we aren't given gifts to hoard them. They are meant to be shared. Speaking of which, I believe you need to re-think what you share on your own blog. We both know that personal experiences are why we are here.

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  3. Sounds like a great idea Barbara, and I sure wish I was a child growing up in your town. I am certain that Mia would benefit from such a programme, as I am positive that her Mum does not have time to help her in that way.
    Keep up the good work, and keep me informed on all and any progress.
    :-) XxX

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  4. Thanks for your good wishes Marc. Our family center is the best thing that ever happened to Grants, NM, but I think it could be even better with an upgrade of ideas.

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