A long time ago I was trained on how to use an AED (artificial electronic defibrillator). The training was actually really fun, but sadly I don’t remember any of the life saving skills. Only that I had to do mouth-to-mouth rescusitation on a dummy. The wacky part is that it was almost better than my first kiss back in 10th grade.
To Be Yourself
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Just another random Tuesday till I found out the Duck Dynasty family recently finished an “I Am Second” video… awesome! If you haven’t scrolled through the folks that have already recorded one, you might be surprised just like I was. Josh Hamilton. Tommy Bowden. Josh Turner. Jason Castro. Trevor Bayne. Bethany Hamilton. So many more heart-wrenching yet uplifting stories of hope. Pretty cool.
Then I came across Christine Petric. She’s Korean so I can’t relate to that part of her story, but my Vietnamese niece can. It’s about growing up around mostly non-Asians. As I listened to Christine’s story, my heart beat faster. I know one day my cute little niece will wonder why she’s “different.” She was adopted in 2006 (for more on that, click here), so she’s about 7 now and last summer, my sister said she started asking questions about her skin color. It’s only a matter of time till a rush of emotions come over her and man, I would do anything to keep it from making her feel bad about herself! I believe with my whole heart that my sister and her husband saved a little girl from a life of hurt, struggle, and missed potential. But how do you make a child understand that yes, they are different, and isn’t it beautiful?! Of course, it’s all about perspective, too. She only notices the difference because she’s in Ohio and not Hanoi. Maybe that’s the topic of another post. But anyway, I know Ava’s going to continue with her curiosity about being different, but I hope she discovers quickly that so many people spend their whole life trying to stand out. Trying to separate themselves from the crowd. But her? She’s already there! God created her to be where she is now, and it’s just awesome. Actually, I can’t wait to find out how different she’s going to be!
Movember Day 19: And Then There Were Two
I Have an Etsy Site!
So I opened an Etsy store a few weeks ago. If you’re as interested as I am pumped, just click here. Or you can click here. 
Or you can go back and click the word Etsy in the first sentence. Lots of choices but they all bring you to the same place… which is here. I like that having an Etsy store (you can click here to check it out) combines the excitement of owning a business (without actually owning a business) with the adventure of treasure hunting! Most of my treasure hunts are actually called estate sales, but wow, the wide range of items you can find is as imaginative as you can think! You have to forget that your shopping through stuff a dead person/people left behind and just know this is what they would have wanted. I say that somewhat jokingly because every time I hear “that’s what they would’ve wanted,” I think, “I think they would’ve wanted to keep on living… I think. Or at least for you to cry more!” 
But seriously, I do think they would have wanted to pass along these historic items to future generations. Here’s a recount of one of my estate escapades. And a recurring thought I have is that they just don’t make things like they used to. Yeah, I’m old. I tried getting on the Facebook the other day and was lost. A short break on an old wing back wrapped in an afghan brought my heart rate safely down. I’ve gotten off the point. The point is, I have an Etsy site. And I’m excited. Oh, and if you’re wondering, you can check it out here.
Or here.
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 