Archive for the ‘heroes’ Category

Focusing on the good in a beyond-tumultuous year, my heart is soooo touched by unexpected kindness displayed during the Buffalo Blizzard. When humans step up in ways that save lives, the gift is priceless. Surely there are more stories out there about unlikely heroes, but here are three stories highlighted in the news —

HEROES OF KINDNESS —

On Christmas Eve Alexander and Andrea Campagna became “accidental innkeepers” to nine South Korean tourists whose van was stuck in a ditch in the early days of the blizzard. In true Christmas spirit, The Campagnas sheltered worried tourists, resulting in an unexpected slumber party, a unique bond and a yummy Korean Christmas dinner that none of them will ever forget.

photo by Sweet Buffalo Facebook

Sha’Kyra Aughtry was home during the blizzard when she heard screams early Christmas Eve. Out the window she could see a man calling for help. After Aughtry’s boyfriend carried the freezing, developmentally disabled man, Joe White (64) inside their home. Although Aughtry was unable to get Emergency help, the fast-thinker used a blow dryer to melt ice off Joe White’s red blistered hands. She used  a grass cutter to remove White’s rings while Aughtry live-streamed her calls for help and emotional concerns for his fading condition. Refusing to let him die, she cared for him — encouraging him to keep the faith —  when thankfully one of her Facebook followers got through with a car. They took Joe White to the hospital and saved his life. Aughtry’s compassion and feisty personality led to a Merry Christmas for Joe White and his very-worried family.

photo by CBS News.com

QUICK OUT-OF-THE-BOX THINKING…

Jay Withey Jr, a 27-year-old Kenmore mechanic saved 10-24  lives after breaking into Pine Hill Primary Center school because his  truck  got stuck and he was trying to stay alive.  Before that he’d knocked on the door of 15 homes where the residents were too scared to let a stranger in. So Withey broke into the school, discovered shelter, and became Super Snowman searching for and saving others stuck in ditches. Before he left, he wrote a note to the school:

“To Whomever It May Concern: I’m terribly sorry about breaking the school window and for breaking in the kitchen. Got stuck at 8 p.m. Friday and slept in my truck with two strangers. Just trying not to die. There were 7 elderly people also stuck and out of fuel. I had to do it to save everyone and get them shelter and food and a bathroom. Merry Christmas. Jay.

Hope these stories warm your heart as much as they did mine and that we’ll all come to the rescue of strangers-in-need when the occasion arises. (I’m really into heroes, wherever and whenever they pop up.)  xx/Evie

Now that I’m back to volunteering in the ER (we still have to wear masks, ugh) I’m in extra-awe of the brave staff that sticks it out to fight super-contagious diseases from Covid to Monkey Pox… HEROES who show up consistently, day-in-day-out, and at their own risk.

We hear about HERO/COWARD contrasts daily, like…

— The Ukrainian civilians who stay and fight in face to face combat for their home and country in contrast to the dastardly Russian Soldiers who bomb schools and shopping centers randomly from far away.

— Or the heroic 25-year-old pizza delivery guy who runs into a burning house and saves five children’s lives contrasted with the spineless 149 Border Patrol, 91 State Police, 25 Uvalde Police Officers and 16 Sheriff’s deputies who do NOTHING while an AR-armed gunman assassinates 19 children and 2 adults.

— And the courageous truth-to-power Republicans like Cheney, Kinzinger, Cassidy Hutchinson, Sarah Matthews unafraid of bullies compared to the silent Republicans like the three “M”s: McConnell, McCarthy and Meadows (and so many there’s not enough room to list them) who are more concerned with holding on to power than DEMOCRACY.

I don’t know why some of us have the real stuff and others are sadly lacking. But let’s show our appreciation and support for the HEROES because they make our world safer for all of us.

I was so young when I lost my Mom that it’s sometimes a challenge to hold onto the memories. I mostly remember her through stories my Dad and Niles have told me through the years.

Mom always had a way of making life a little more sparkly. Presents would be wrapped in unexpected ways using comic books, photos, feathers, flowers, glitter, balloons — and they’d be hidden or hanging from the ceiling.

On April Fool’s Day she’d send me to school with a cardboard sandwich in my lunchbox, a note written backwards: “yad sloof lirpa yppah” and three yummy desserts.

On Halloween we cooked an entire orange dinner together: pumpkin soup in a carved-out pumpkin, carrot bread, paprika fried chicken and orange popsicles.

A Contest She Knew I’d Win

One of my best memories is our flower planting contest. I think I was about four.  I definitely remember going to the nursery and buying my own gardening gloves with yellow flowers printed on them and picking out a bright yellow watering can and a rake that was just my size. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday as I watched the Inauguration and wished with all my might that things would go smoothly and safely, my happy tears went through a box of Kleenex and I went to bed feeling peaceful. It was the first time I’ve felt that way for 4… no more than 5 1/2 years — basically ever since a certain someone came down the escalator and people thought it was funny (fyi — I NEVER thought it was funny.)

We got through it, even though it seemed very touch-and-go till the bitter end. Thank you National Guard, for protecting our country, our Constitution and our future.

Today I’m grateful to HEROES President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for bringing back —

Democracy

Hope

Unity

Optimism

Read the rest of this entry »

Man do things change! As many of you know, I volunteer at an ER at a big hospital in L.A.

When I started I didn’t want to be there — the blood…the yuck… the smells…  

But after a while I started feeling the gratitude from patients and families as I’d try — Evie-style — to make their stressful experiences a little less stressful.  Suddenly I wanted to do more, be there more, help people more… Things started to change… or was it me who was starting to change?

Working up-close-and-personal with doctors, nurses, EMTs, CPs, guards, clerks, environmental services, and administrators, I saw how hard they all worked in their shared goal to give the best patient care. I gained a new respect for them and what it took to be them.

Surprisingly, they started appreciating me too — or was it my chocolate chip cookies?

Courage In The Time of Coronavirus

But, now that Volunteers have been put on leave because it’s too dangerous to be there, I’m soooo worried about my ER family: Triage Nurse Anthony Chan, Charlayne my Supervisor (don’t tell her I said that), Miguel the ER Guard and Dr. A... especially Dr. A… They’re all putting in in 12-16 hours a day, with a shortage of PPE, surrounded by Covid 19 germs…  

From time-to-time I post about the heroes among us — ordinary humans who do extraordinary things in the life-threatening situations.

Little did I know that I’d know some…, in the scariest of situations in the scariest of times… they’re so vulner… I hope they’ll… I can’t even…

Off-White Tee says it best!

Our nation is IN AWE of the fearless, resilient, articulate PARKLAND TEENS and their #Never Again Movement. They’ve taken on the President, Congress and the NRA and trust me, they’re just getting started.  Refusing to take “no” for an answer, they have more stick-to-itive-ness and chuzpah than the Senate and Congress combined.

When Leaders Act Like Children — CHILDREN BECOME LEADERS!

While the many who’ve tried and tried to make our country safer from maniac machine-gunners pessimistically shake their heads believing nothing will ever change, things actually are CHANGING… slowly but surely… It’s kind of A.MAZ.ING!

Headlines in the last week —

Walmart will raise age for purchase of firearms and ammunition to 21

A List of the Companies Cutting Ties With the N.R.A.

Dick’s Sporting Goods, a major gun retailer, to end sales of assault-style rifles after Florida massacre

Kroger Raises Age Limits on Gun Sales, Joining Walmart and Dick’s

WATCH-OUT out NRA! Parkland Teens are the LEADERS and VOTERS of tomorrow.

Hey Congress and President Trump — Isn’t it about time you GROW A PAIR?!

(Wish I could be as fearless as the Parkland Students. Maybe I need to find something I’m as passionate about. Sigh…)

courage + resilience

Americans are experiencing a nationwide GULP!

It’s impossible to imagine what the victims of Hurricane Harvey are experiencing — losing loved ones, losing homes, losing everything, while courageously doing what they must to survive and help each other.

Hurricane Harvey IDs The Heroes Among Us

We’ll never be able to thank all of the brave men and women who are rescuing the elderly, the sick, the men, the women, the children, the babies, the most vulnerable, the pets…

life-saving basket

These floods of biblical proportions highlight HUMANITY at it’s finest. We all watch in awe as “The Courageous” risk everything to help those in need, regardless of color, race, religion or documentation.

We all can’t help but wonder —

“What if that happened to me?”

Ways to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims

Let’s send prayers and positivity and do whatever we can to help.

thankful hugs

All Hands Volunteers

American Humane

Austin Pets

American Red Cross

Americares

Direct Relief

xo/Evie