KindnessMatters

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To The Unwoke With Love

To the Unwoke with love,

I want to tell a little story. This is especially geared towards people who feel that “woke” means kids are peeing in litter boxes and gender surgery is being forced on our youth . This story is for the “unwoke,” if you will.

Before I begin, let’s get into the meaning of woke. Woke, in its original, and still held belief, means that one is aware of social injustices. It does not threaten, assume, or encourage anything besides acceptance. Woke is not against you, but rather FOR the marginalized.

Okay, now on to the anecdote. Today I took Judah to the ear doctor. A woman brought us into the room and took down some medical information. She then turned to me and whispered,

“ I hope this doesn’t sound weird but I love downs kids. Downs is such a special illness.”

My momma radar went into peak protection mode as I gently corrected,

“Yes, kids with Down syndrome can be very loving.”

The truth is, Judah is not “downs,” and Down syndrome is not an illness. To call a child by their disability, and also call it an illness, is ableism. The language is subtle and most likely benign, but the emotions are not. The innocuous words feel like they are also whispering…

“Able-bodied people are superior. If you are not, you can maybe be special too, but only if an able-bodied person deems you so.”

This lady, and most likely many other offenders, will say “that isn’t how I meant it.” And I get that. I once called something “gay” in front of a dear friend who is homosexual. She became upset and I immediately retracted by saying, “ I meant it as stupid not as an insult to gay people.” To which she replied, “ that almost makes it worse.”

My intent was not the point, her feelings were.

So how does woke relate to all of this? Woke means I learned from that experience. It literally means that I woke up from the belief that my words and actions do not have consequences. It is an understanding that our words matter and that we can cause pain by wielding them haphazardly. That's it.

I did not berate the woman who called my son downs. I did not expect her to apologize after I gently corrected her. I didn't expect her to go out and adopt a child with Down syndrome or dedicate her life to my mission. Woke is awareness. Woke is empathy. Woke is a conscious effort to not hurt others with words and actions.

But now, woke has become a slur in itself. It's a word that comes before “libs” or do I dare say “libtards” (as the party is sometimes referred to.) Woke has taken on a life of its own and somehow has become an insult?

Woke is not an agenda, it is a word. If you don't like the word, don't use it. If it makes you feel like you are handing your paycheck off to the poor, refrain. If you think the word emasculates you, keep it out of your vernacular. If you think it makes you sound weak then don't label yourself . And then promise yourself that you won’t label others either. Because actually, that’s the whole point.

#downsyndrome #SpecialNeeds #woke #Politics #KindnessMatters

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"Open your Heart To Their Suffering"

As we journey through life, we encounter people from all walks of life, each carrying their own burdens and scars. But how often do we truly open our hearts to their suffering?

In a world where empathy is often in short supply, it's easy to get caught up in our own struggles and forget that others are fighting their own battles. But what if we made a conscious effort to change that?

"Open Your Heart To Their Suffering" is more than just a phrase - it's a call to action. It's a reminder that we have the power to make a difference in someone's life simply by being present and compassionate.

So, let's make a commitment to ourselves and to others to:

Listen without judgment
Offer kindness without expectation
And to see the humanity in everyone we meet

By opening our hearts to others' suffering, we can create a ripple effect of empathy and understanding that can change the world.

*Reflection Questions:*

- Who in my life is struggling, and how can I open my heart to their suffering?
- What are some ways I can practice empathy and compassion in my daily life?
- How can I create a safe space for others to share their struggles and feel heard?

*Take Action:*

- Reach out to someone you know who's struggling and offer a listening ear
- Volunteer your time to help those in need
- Practice mindfulness and self-compassion to increase your own emotional capacity for empathy

Let's conquer our minds and open our hearts to the suffering of others. Together, we can create a more compassionate and empathetic world.

#empathyinaction
#openyourheart
#compassioninaction #mentalhealthmatters
#conqueryourmind
#KindnessMatters #listenwithoutjudgment
#bepresent
#empathyiskey
#compassioniscontagious
#makeadifference
#spreadloveandkindness

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"Goodness is not a destination, it's a practice."

Let's make a conscious effort to spread kindness and compassion every day. Let's choose to be the reason someone smiles today.

Remember, every small act of goodness counts, and together we can create a ripple effect of love and positivity.

Share your own acts of goodness in the comments below and let's inspire each other to be better every day!

#goodnessisapractice #spreadlove #KindnessMatters

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Making a not so good health day better #KindnessMatters #ActsOfKindness

Although my body felt very worn down today, muscles and joints hurting, and a great deal of fatigue, my day was made better by random acts of kindness from strangers. At Target the man wrangling carts saw me getting out of my car parked in a handicap spot and offered me a cart to lean on and told me to have a good day 😊. Then when I called to make two of my specialist appointments the two people helping me were so nice and accommodating and the one also told me to have a wonderful rest of my afternoon ☺️. It’s random acts of kindness like these that help me pick myself up when I may not be doing so well. So when you think the world maybe hopeless, just remember that kindness does matter!

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In need of a good deed

Yesterday, on my way to work, there was a homeless man standing on the corner by my house. His sign read, "I'm in need of a good deed." I gave him some money and we had a very pleasant exchange.

His sign stuck with me throughout the day. It keeps popping in my mind. I think we are all in need of a good deed.

So many people are having a hard time right now. Almost everyone I talk to says how burned out they are. Being a social worker, I hear very personal things from people on a regular basis. People are going through things that you couldn't even imagine.

We never know what those around us are going through in their lives.

Please be kind, be generous, be a listening ear, be supportive to everyone you come into contact with. Go out of your way to help others.

Because I think we are all in need of a good deed ❤ #gooddeed #Bekind #KindnessMatters #Kindness

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Be Kind to Yourself #KindnessMatters #Depression #affirmations #Forgiveness #resilience #IfYouFeelHopeless #quotablemagnets

Why is it so hard to be the best that we can be to ourselves? We suffer from chronic conditions already yet we focus our energy on others or outside forces. We ultimately suffer in the end! I feel I don’t have the energy most days to do all the things I need to do to live my best life. I saw this magnet on my refrigerator today and I lit up!

This quote makes me feel a little bit stronger.
It gives me a little more hope for today.
It allows me to look to tomorrow without fear!
A little... is a step in the right direction.

I HOPE this helps some of you, too! #fightyourfear #loveyourself

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Supporting Trigeminal Neuralgia Day #Chatspace #MightyTogether #CheckInWithMe

Hello Mighty Family n Friends 🖐

How are you all today

I do hope you are warm n tucked up inside if its anything like the weather in The UK today very wet and windy 🌧🌫

This week is international Trigeminal Neuralgia day on October 7th . As you can see by the picture the colour is Teal.

It is one of my rare diseases and by sharing this with you I'm trying to raise more awareness.

There are other facial neuralgia's but this is the most common rare one. 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️
I also have glossopharyngeal neuralgia too, I'm so lucky 🖐🦓

The best part is they make the names so hard to pronounce .
Why!!!!!!!!
Its face pain, its already hard to talk why make the disease name unpronouncable!!!!! 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️REALLY
The pain is like being hit in the face by a baseball bat or a train or an electric shot. Again n again. Over n over . For hours or minutes.
Pain meds don't work as its nerve pain. Only anti seizure meds work which come with a whole host of side effects and don't always work for each person. It never takes the pain away.
There is no cure.

Thanks for listening guys

Love n hugs Tj 🦓🥰🤗💜💙🧡🐕🧚‍♀️🦷
#Hope #Love #selfcare #Anxiety #KindnessMatters #Bekind #Chatspace #MightyTogether #Family #Friends

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Hello Everyone #Howdy #Hiya #GoodDaysBadDays

Good Morning or hiya
Hello
How are Ya Today

I love the words let go of what you cant change. It's hard to do sometimes. But boy is it good to do.

Like life right now.

Make the most of today.
Much love to you all. Hugs all round. Tj 🤗❤💞😘🌞😎😌🌹🥀🌺🤛 #NeverAlone #Alwaystogether #LIVELIFELOVELIFE #Bekind #Hugs #Love #loveyourself #ChronicPain #RareDiseases #checkonyourneighbours #Stayinghome #stayingpositive #mightywarriors #KindnessMatters #Anxiety #PanicDisorder #TrigeminalNeuralgia #kindnesscounts

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