{"id":7250,"date":"2017-01-16T08:01:52","date_gmt":"2017-01-16T14:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/?p=7250"},"modified":"2017-01-16T08:01:52","modified_gmt":"2017-01-16T14:01:52","slug":"let-no-one-tell-you-what-is-worth-saving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/2017\/01\/16\/let-no-one-tell-you-what-is-worth-saving\/","title":{"rendered":"Let No One Tell You What is Worth Saving"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOne life, one love<\/em>
\n One voice<\/em>
\n And that is enough,<\/em>
\n One heartbeat, two hands to give<\/em>
\n I got one shot and one life to live<\/em>
\n One life to live.\u201d<\/em>
\n-Switchfoot, Live It Well<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

I confess: I don\u2019t kill spiders, and I save drowning bugs in pools. Ever since I could walk, I\u2019ve had a heart for animals, insects, and creatures of all kinds. I was quiet about my animal rescue missions until I heard my older daughter talking to her friends a couple years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom doesn\u2019t kill spiders,\u201d Natalie said after I heard screams from the basement. \u201cIt\u2019s just a Daddy Long Legs. I can get it,\u201d she said calmly.<\/p>\n

From my hidden position in the stairwell, I heard the door open and shut. The spider was free. My heart felt free too. Maybe saving spiders is nothing to hide.<\/em> I thought to myself.<\/p>\n

I knew exactly where my apprehension to share my empathy for animals derived from \u2013 I was five years old, and I was watching television with my dad. A heart-wrenching ad came on the screen about abused and mistreated animals. Images of starving dogs with pleading eyes and terrified cats with matted fur flashed before my innocent eyes. As my heart broke wide open, my dad scoffed at the T.V.<\/p>\n

\u201cSave the animals? Let\u2019s save the starving and abused children first,\u201d he retorted.<\/p>\n

I quickly composed myself before he could see the emotional reaction I was having to the disturbing images on the screen. I was old enough to understand the reason for my father\u2019s words. After serving in the Peace Corps, he became a social worker. His life\u2019s work was dedicated to equipping college students to lift the marginalized and equip the disadvantaged. My dad was passionate about the empowerment and liberation of humankind, not animalkind.<\/p>\n

I would soon follow in his footsteps.<\/p>\n

I became a special education teacher. Advocating for beautifully unique and often undervalued children (as well as their parents) was a fulfilling calling, but it didn\u2019t produce the same peace I had when I was saving animals. So behind the scenes of my teaching mission, I continued my animal rescue mission\u2014freeing trapped lizards in garages and lanais, lifting stuck turtles to safety, retrieving puppies tossed in trash bins, and feeding starving cats along my walking route. My animal-loving heart radar was always up, spotting creatures to help on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

While teaching special education students was my obvious mission, saving animals was my quiet mission \u2013 and I honestly don\u2019t think either approach was any less effective or any less worthy; extending love, care, and support to a living, breathing being is always worthy.<\/p>\n

To save a life is to save a life <\/strong><\/p>\n

To ease pain is to ease pain <\/strong><\/p>\n

To speak for the voiceless is to speak for the voiceless<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

And one is enough \u2026 <\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

One saved, comforted, or positively impacted is enough.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As I watch my growing daughters cultivate their own heart-led passions, I\u2019m glad I\u2019ve experienced both approaches to saving because there is a vast difference in the way my daughters advocate. Natalie writes letters to Priscilla, the unsmiling child she selected<\/a> out of an array of much cheerier children in need of a Compassion<\/a> sponsor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to give her a reason to smile,\u201d explained then seven-year-old Natalie when she picked up Priscilla\u2019s card that others had quickly looked over. Natalie eventually taught herself Swahili so she could communicate in Priscilla\u2019s native language. When I pointed out Priscilla has a translator, Natalie\u2019s response was: \u201cI know, but I don\u2019t want the words to come from someone else; I want them to come from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When a friend is going through a tough time, Natalie is the first to write an encouraging note. She sends valentines to recently widowed friends of my mom. She is not afraid to walk up to homeless people on the street and hand them money from her pocketbook. Yes, she wants love to come from directly her, one to one, and she wants to do it quietly without recognition, fanfare, and fuss. At age thirteen, she already knows she is called to reach one at a time … that one is enough \u2026 and that no one needs to know except that one.<\/p>\n

My younger daughter, who had no issue taking the stage at age four to captivate an audience with \u201cAmazing Grace\u201d on her tiny ukulele shares her passions outwardly. Last Spring, she officially declared herself an advocate for the Noticers of the world<\/a>. With sidewalk chalk she wrote in big, bold letters: \u201cI Am a Noticer! Noticing is GOOD!\u201d<\/p>\n

She has since made a point to do everything she can to encourage people who feel more, see more, and hear more\u2014to support those who respond compassionately to sadness and pain because of their heightened awareness to the world around them. Avery doesn\u2019t want Noticers to hide their gift just because they might seem a little different from rest.<\/p>\n

Avery recently had the chance to film a short video about being a Noticer that would reach a wide audience. When I told her someone could play her role in this video if she didn\u2019t feel comfortable, her response was this: \u201cI want to do it. I was born to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m quite certain we are all born to do something. We all have a tug on our heart towards certain issues, groups of people, ideals and causes. Lately I\u2019ve noticed more and more people being vocal about what matters to them. I have watched people I know and love speak out on really tough topics, only to be met with silence or condemnation.<\/p>\n

I stood in the hallway of my home with one such advocate. Because of her ancestry, this woman\u2019s heart is full of passion and pain for her Native American brothers and sisters. Although vocally addressing the issues her people face puts her in a vulnerable position, exposed to criticism and rejection, she does it anyway.<\/p>\n

When I told her how proud I was of her, she began to cry.<\/p>\n

I understood her reaction. When we are fighting for the things that break our hearts wide open, we often grow weary \u2026 our skin hurts from the pushback \u2026 our soul is bruised from being exposed to harsh elements.<\/p>\n

But like Avery said, we are born to do this. And whenever I read my friend\u2019s words<\/a>, I\u2019m certain she\u2019s born to advocate for her people and bring awareness to government officials, fellow citizens, and the entire world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What I said to this beautiful activist the day we stood in my foyer may also be helpful to you. So just\u00a0in case you\u2019re feeling a pull on your heart to fight for something worth saving, here is my encouragement to you:<\/p>\n

Let no one tell you who or what is worth saving. <\/em><\/p>\n

Let no one tell you your way is the wrong way to advocate. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Let no one tell you you\u2019re in over your head, out of your mind, or living in a dream world. <\/em><\/p>\n

Let no one tell you to move on, be quiet, or accept this is \u2018just the way it\u2019s going be.\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

Let no one tell you it won\u2019t make any difference. <\/em><\/p>\n

They are wrong. <\/em><\/p>\n

They are dead wrong. <\/em><\/p>\n

To save a life is to save a life <\/em><\/p>\n

To ease pain is to ease pain <\/em><\/p>\n

To speak for the voiceless is to speak for the voiceless <\/em><\/p>\n

And if you touch one life through your loving hands or shaky\u00a0voice,\u00a0one is enough. <\/em><\/p>\n

Dear ones, listen closely to what your heart is telling you is worth saving. Don\u2019t listen to naysayers\u2014save your energy for those you are fighting for. Keep walking in your purpose and let love fall at the feet of those who\u2019ve been waiting to hear your voice. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/em>Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.\u201d \u2013Martin Luther King, Jr. <\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to speak \u2013 whether it\u2019s in a letter, a bullhorn, a one-on-one conversation, or whispered in a furry, tattered ear. <\/em><\/p>\n

Your heart cracked wide open is the sound of hope. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And it\u2019s just what the world needs now.<\/em><\/p>\n

****************************************<\/p>\n

My dear friends of The Hands Free Revolution<\/a>, my heart is full\u00a0from your\u00a0overwhelming\u00a0response to the ONLY LOVE TODAY<\/a>\u00a0launch team invitation for my forthcoming book (release date: 3\/7). Although my publisher decides who is the best fit, I read through all the beautiful comments on every application. Your words about why you want to help support me in spreading ONLY LOVE TODAY<\/a> touched me in ways I cannot explain. If you don't receive an email from my\u00a0publisher this week indicating you've been selected, please know you have already made a profound difference, and it is one I will not forget! To those who have already pre-ordered the book<\/a>, my family and I thank you. Each pre-order that is made for this book indicates to my publisher that my work is\u00a0valued and should continue. Writing to you forever would be my greatest blessing. Thank you for walking beside me and lifting me again and again.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cOne life, one love One voice And that is enough, One heartbeat, two hands to give I got one shot and one life to live One life to live.\u201d -Switchfoot, Live It Well I confess: I don\u2019t kill spiders, and I save drowning bugs in pools. Ever since I could walk, I\u2019ve had a heart […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1754,1753],"tags":[663,1755,700],"gutentor_comment":9,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/DSC_0593-e1484497248254.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1fUJF-1SW","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7250"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7250\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}