Tie A Ribbon On Your Wrist

My son is not an easy child.

He does not want to play with the other kids. He doesn't want to go outside. He is chubby and serious. He doesn't like sports. He never stands still. His indoor voice can be heard indoors at the neighbor's house. People don't have much to say to him. Mainly this:

1. Did you hear what I said to you?!
2. Sit down!
3. Be quiet!

And then a lot of repeating patterns like 2, 1, 2, 1, 2 or 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1.

Sometimes, he drives me nuts. He is almost always on red at school. He sits on the toilet for 45 minutes at a time. He doesn't listen. To anyone.  Me, included.

But I never get mad at him for the way he plays. He has great adventures with the characters in his head. He wages battles, usually winning, with his superpowers. He is an expert on magic powers, robots and spirits. He runs back and forth, talking to him and zapping unseen bad guys. He protects our souls inside crystal circles and talks to our spirits. He does it all without telling us. He believes 100% in his powers.

This morning while the other kids ran around with iPods, leaving a trail of stuffed animals and game boards, listening to Bruno Mars and begging to go do something, my son paced back and forth, talking to a turquoise blue ribbon. He tied it in knots and made it zap things. Back and forth he paced, finally tying the ribbon to his wrist. "Zap!" He pointed it at the wall.

I asked him to explain the ribbon to me. It's name was Zap. It had powers. Thunderbolt powers to freeze anything. Zap. I asked if he wanted me to write Zap above the ribbon. He smiled SO BIG. So I tatted up his arms. He beamed. "This is exactly right, mama". He quickly froze me, then giggled. "It was just a little thunderbolt, mama, it will only hurt for a minute."

He looked me in the eyes and as clearly as can be, with full attention, he said "thank you."

And then he ran away, quick as lightning.

Sometimes, I am scared I am contributing to his weirdness. Sometimes I think I need to be the adult that instills the ideals of reality in him. The person that teaches him how to interact without superpowers. But here's the thing: I believe him. And I want someone around to zap away the bad guys. So, rather than break him down, I build him up. And I help him design his costumes.

Maybe we should all tie on a ribbon and feel the power of being special.

Wonderful Wednesday 3/20/13

What Quote or Saying Has Helped You Get Through Darkness?

McTip's Snips Part Two

Read McTip's Snips Part One

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Fear becomes me.

Am I scared to be bald? You bet ya. But every 3 minutes another child around the globe is diagnosed with cancer. THAT IS SCARY. Imagine those parent's fears? If they can do it, if they can wake up each day and put on a smile and a superhero cape and maintain HOPE and SPIRIT, for their children, then surely I can handle a temporarily bald head.

Fear motivates me to OVERCOME.

 

3/4/13

I decided that each day I would share the story a child off of the St. Baldrick's website.
 
1 child each day.
1 child to remind you.
$1.
1,000 people.
30 days.
=Why I am shaving my head.

Cari Jane Hadac's Story

Last night we passed the $250 goal, thanks to a generous donation from Isaiah Hankel. Which means my daughter has to shave her head too. Imagine that strength, she is 12! She is scared to death what her middle school peers will say. 

So, this morning we decided to go from FREAK to ICON.
 
I'm meeting with her counselors and principal this week. We want to make this a school wide event. Where she is a mascot. She is getting her own sign-up on team McTip's Snips. She is also going to use the experience to coincide with her new anti-bully page.

The Universe hears you. Sometimes you just gotta scream. 
Make a bald move.

Dr. Isaiah Hankel
Kid's Against Bullying 

Donate to McTip's Snips 

3/5/13

1 child each day.
1 child to remind you.
$1.
1,000 people.
30 days.
=Why I am shaving my head.

 Linsey H.'s Story

 


 















My daughter was trying on scarves tonight. She is the most powerful 12 year old I know. She is absolutely strong. Well, we are TOGETHER. Her dedication to service comes from deep within. She has a BELIEF that she CAN make a difference. She believes good triumphs over evil. She believes in sacrifice. Now if I could only get her to clean her room...

3/6/13

1 child to remind you.
$1.
1,000 people.
30 days.
=Why I am shaving my head.

Berand's Story 

 

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Don't Judge A Status by What You Want It To Say

The other day I made a comment on Facebook about how I was sick of seeing Marijuana called "harmless" on the internet. I was frustrated that because of the push towards legalization, my children are constantly seeing misinformation and propaganda regarding a drug with potentially harmful side effects. I was met, as Facebook lovingly will greet all posts more controversial than a smiling puppy, with both "thank you's" and malicious attacks. I never stated my opinion about using marijuana or the legalization of the drug. I, in fact, clearly stated that I had many good friends who used marijuana, both for medicinal and recreational use. Beyond that, my father is a licensed grower and I, personally, have completed the paperwork for patients to obtain medical marijuana. I have used it and that, is how I discovered I have a severe allergy to it.

My point though, was this, this drug has definite psychological, cardiac and pulmonary affects. The fact that the amount of THC can vary so immensely and is poorly regulated, can create major discrepancies in use. There are risks. There are both psychological and physiological risks to marijuana use. These side effects or potential for allergy need to be acknowledged and recognizable.

This was not a debate on whether marijuana is safer than cigarettes or beer. This was not a debate of whether your husband with cancer should be made to suffer. This was not a debate on how major pharmaceuticals have destroyed the market for safe drugs. Or a debate whether marijuana is even a drug. This was not an exploration into the possibility that there could be healthy uses of marijuana.This was not a debate on whether, you, as a grown adult, should be allowed to smoke a joint with your girlfriends on a Saturday night. This was me, standing up, saying I will not tell my children something is harmless when it is not harmless. 

The internet has created a world where the misinformed come armed with memes, cheap one liners and reactionary tactics. It is the problem we come across when facing any political discussion these days, whether it be gun control, drug use, equal rights, economic policy or foreign affairs. We scream foul politics and beg for bi-partisanship, then turn our computers on and "share" one-sided misinformation. There is no room for moderate discussion. All the while, our CHILDREN are watching, and learning how to resolve conflicts with sarcasm and greet debate with misinformation.

It is irritating that we can have access to so much information and come armed with so little.

McTip's Snips Part One

I knew things were going on today for Donna's Day. Goodness, I had read Donna's story on Mary Tyler Mom months before. My heart had wept for their beautiful family. But I'm always so busy, and what could I do? I didn't really look deeper.

I know the statistics. About 1 in 300 children will experience cancer. I know it costs them more. I know from my meetings with our AFLAC rep that treatment costs more for children. And I know funding for research on pediatric cancer is terribly low. I sat down at my desk and started filling out patient paperwork.  I completed the FMLA paperwork for a patient with recurrent breast cancer and stapled it together with my pink ribbon stapler and noticed the post on DeBie Hive. She was cutting her hair.

I don't have anything to give financially. Not right now. But I have all this hair. So much hair.

I have been growing my hair out since I started my life over. It, for some reason, makes me feel pretty and feminine, despite the major weight I've gained or wrinkles I've found over the past several years. A daily ponytail has become my staple look. And when I let it loose, or let it drip long and wet, down my back, I feel like a goddess. I feel beautiful.

Could I cut it?

I texted Mr. Perfect "would you still love me if I shaved my head for childhood cancer awareness?" 

"I will always love you" he replied. And 10 minutes later he added, "Maybe I'll do it too."

I felt a wave of strength, like we could do this. We could make a difference.  I went up front, with the office scissors and asked the girls if they wanted to cut off my hair. No guts, no glory, we needed enough for Locks of Love. We measured and found I had well over 10 inches, about 12 or 13 in fact, in my ponytail. So, we cut.

 

And I was left with a really cute cut and a lot of hair to send to Locks Of Love. Then, something else happened. My Sudden Attack Of Conscience sent me a message and asked me if I wanted to drive to Chicago at the end of the month, to attend a Saint Baldrick's Event in honor of Donna. And I said ABSOLUTELY.

I knew this meant some heads were going to get shaved. And I knew I'm always down for a double dog dare. So, I went to the St. Baldricks website and set up a team.

McTip's Snips DONATE HERE!

If $50 is donated, Mr. Perfect will shave his head.

If $250 is donated, Mr. P and Eldest daughter will shave her head.

If $1000 is donated, all 3 of us will.

All it takes is 1000 people to donate ONE DOLLAR.

Will you be part of this?

 

http://www.acco.org/Information/AboutChildhoodCancer/ChildhoodCancerStatistics.aspx

http://www.newswise.com/articles/parents-update-pediatric-cancer-myths-facts

McTip's Snips DONATE EVEN A DOLLAR HERE!

Donna's Cancer Story

Mary Tyler Mom
My Sudden Attack of Conscience

McTip's Snips Part 2