Please help a friend in need!

Prayers for Carie

I’ve known Carie since we were in elementary school. I can say with total confidence that she is one of the sweetest, kind hearted people I will ever have the privilege of calling a friend. Although she and I don’t see each other often, when my father passed away last September, she and her husband, Tim, helped when we were cleaning out his apartment, and trying to raise money for his memorial, by buying a shelving unit of his. She also came to the memorial with her daughter, Norah, when none of my other friends were able to. Her support meant more than she’ll ever know.

Now, she needs help. On Christmas morning last year, Carie had a stroke. Within the past couple of months, she’s been improving significantly; she began speaking, and has recently been able to hold herself in a seated position, and has a little movement in her arms and legs. She’s still unable to open her eyes on her own. She still has a long way to go in her recovery, and her family is in need of financial assistance to pay for the treatment she needs.

A friend of the family set up an online fundraiser to help pay for those accumulating medical bills, and has raised almost $4,000! To make a significant impact on the cost of her hospital stay and therapy, though, that amount needs to be, at least, doubled. So, I’m asking you, if you’re able, to give a little to this wonderful family. If you’re unable to donate, please share the link to the fundraiser on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or whatever social media you use most! The more we can get the word out, the more money we’ll be able to raise. Click on the photo above to read more about Carie’s story and progress, and to learn how to donate.

Gentle hugs,

Chels

 

 

 

A picture of Fibromyalgia

Here’s a good info graphic to share with new FMS patients, and friends and family wanting to learn more about Fibromyalgia.

Of course, this is just basic information, and there can be much more to the illness, especially when you have other health problems, but this is a good place to start!

What do you tell people when they ask you to describe Fibro?

Gentle hugs,

Chels

Abercrombie & WhoGivesACrap

Overly sexualized ads geared at young people. Clothing that rarely fits a body that has curves, or that is tall, short, or anything other than built like an average-sized wooden dowel. The same 4 colors everywhere you look: blue, pink, red, green. (To be fair, there’s white, grey, black, and brown, too.) Often uninspired design. And now, this: http://elitedaily.com/news/world/abercrombie-fitch-ceo-explains-why-he-hates-fat-chicks/.

I mean, really. Does this guy want to run his business into the ground? What parent in their right mind could support this kind of business ethic? After all, it’s mostly parents buying clothing for their children, or giving money to children for them to buy the clothing, that keep this business going. Yes, we get it, your brand is exclusive. Every brand markets to a target audience. It’s smart to define your clients in a way that makes to you, so that you can better sell to them. It’s not smart to be a jerk.

That said, Abercrombie isn’t the only brand that seems to perpetuate the idea (mostly aimed toward women) that being thin is the only way to be beautiful, cool, wanted. They also perpetuate the idea that men have to be buff, virtually hairless, and tan. Goodness, aren’t we hard enough on ourselves already? We have to grow up too fast, go to college, get a degree, find a career path, marry, have beautiful children before a certain age, make more than a million dollars to be able to retire, enjoy an active lifestyle, eat healthfully, maintain and acceptable number of relationships, have interesting hobbies, and strive for youthful beauty at all costs the whole time? No thanks. I’m not buying it.

I think we could all use a little more of this in our world.

More of this.

And this.

This, too.

So, spread it around.

And, for goodness sake, genuinely compliment someone on something other than their physical beauty. It’s nice to be admired for the way you look, but we’re all so much more than that. We’re intelligent, emotional, passionate creatures that deserve to be recognized as beautiful for who we are.

Oh, also – shop at thrift stores if you’d like to stick it to the man. You can score Abercrombie & Fitch (and any of the other big brands that demand we submit and conform to their standards of beauty) for a fraction of the ridiculously high retail price, and support a worthy charity at the same time.

Gentle hugs,

Chels