I'm usually pretty much the poster child for cynicism, sarcasm and sometimes pretty much just being an asshole. I rarely believe what I hear without doing some research and I question everything. I think for the most part, we as human beings, are brought into this world bad and we prove it throughout our lives. We are genetically programmed to be greedy, selfish and disconnected from anything that isn't the same as us. When people get sick, other's true colors come out. Some people go through the motions and do what is expected. Incessant calls (like the quantity is what is important), ridiculously large flower bouquets and boxes of chocolates. These are guilt gifts and we all have succumbed to the mindless effort it takes to show compassion. True compassion on the other hand is a beautiful trait and rarely needs attention.
Yesterday, I saw something that made me happy. Two friends from high school are on Facebook and they posted that their daughter was setting up a lemonade stand for two hours and was donating all the proceeds to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which is a foundation for pediatric cancer research and care. I had heard about ALSF a few years back and was brought to tears by the story. Immediately I donated whatever little but I could. I didn't donate because I felt that this charity was any more important or any better than any other charity, but because of who started it. The charity was started by a little girl, Alex Scott, who was undergoing care for cancer at age four. She told her mother "when I get out of the hospital, I want to open a lemonade stand and give all the money to the doctors so that they can help other people." When I read this, I sobbed uncontrollably. Without judging anyone as a parent, can anyone honestly say that their kids would do the same at age four? This child was special. Not only because of the words she said, but because of her determination and her selflessness. Most parents crumble under such pressure, but her parents had obviously showed her complete strength in moments of need and she never felt like the victim. She only wanted others to have what she had. Alex opened the stand and as word got out, she made $2,000. Today I watched a video on the website and it has gown to a multimillion dollar a year charity. Alex, died a few years ago, but the charity she started, at fve years old lives on.
So, my friend's daughter and her friends did their part. They raised $142 in two hours and are donating it all to ALSF. I posted this on my facebook page for everyone to see, because it's a beautiful gesture when I see anyone, especially kids doing for others. I also felt guilty that I couldn't be there to stop by and tell them how awesome I thought they were (and buy some lemonade!). The thing that made me so happy was that it brought back one of the greatest moments I've ever had working with kids.
I was running a tennis camp in Greenwich a few years ago. It was my third year doing the camp and many of the kids were return campers. There was a brother and sister who had visited from Germany the summer before and I was actually surprised to see them back. The brother was 10 and the daughter was nearly 12. The daughter was one of those kids who you assumed would grow up to be famous somehow. She was a beautiful kid, respectful and quite bright. She had long blond hair that reached her waist and always looked like a mini fashion queen, with her tennis outfits. On Friday, she told us that she couldn't wait to come back next week. On the following Monday, I sat greeting the new kids and the returners. These two kids weren't there. I did a head count and there were twenty. We were missing them and the two kids they were staying with. I divided the instructors and kids up and we went to our courts. Suddenly, the four children appeared from an SUV and ran to the courts. The little girl with the long blond hair walks up to me and asks which court she should go to. I stood, mouth agape and stared. She ran her fingers through her new hair cut, which was shorter than her brothers. I asked "what happened to your hair?" "I got it cut," she replied. Normally, I'd have a sarcastic retort, but I was astonished. During a break, I asked the instructor on her court what happened and she said the girl wouldn't say. We all stopped for a break and a bad feeling came over me. I thought that maybe this was some sort of awful punishment her parents had inflicted on her. I pulled her brother aside and asked him what happened to her hair. He smiled and said "oh she donated it to charity!" I paused and asked, "Locks of Love?" He nodded and skipped off to play. Later in the day, I walked over to the young girl and I said "your brother told me that you donated your hair to Locks of Love." She nodded. I then asked "why didn't you say anything before." She paused and looked up and said "because I did it Saturday and everyone is telling me how great I am for doing it, but I don't feel great. I feel bad." I assumed she was being a normal little girl and missed her flowing locks and this new look, but then she explained "I feel bad, because everyone is making a big deal, but I'm not sick and I can always grow my hair back. I wish everyone made a big deal about the little kids in the hospital. Why doesn't everyone with long hair do this?" I really didn't know what to say. I just looked at her and fighting back the tears, I told her "because it takes a very special person to do what you did. Not everyone in the world is as kind as you are." She smiled and asked if she could go back to play and ran off.
At the end of the week, I was talking to her mother and telling her what an honor it was to have such a great kid in the camp. She thanked me and when her daughter came over I told her I'd see her again. I explained to her that my mother had cancer and when she was younger she had long hair also, but now she had no hair. I explained that what she did made someone very happy and that I appreciated what a generous gift she had given. She smiled, told me she'd see me next summer and walked off to the car. A few weeks later, my mother passed away. She had barely, if any hair left. I remember the last time I ever saw my mother, I leaned over and kissed her head.
Not a day goes by I don't think about my mother. All the operations, chemo and the pain she had to go through. I remember that last moment vividly, but for some reason I had forgotten the story of this wonderful child. Ironically, Alex Scott died one week after my mother. I hadn't heard about her until a a few years later, but when I read about my friend's daughter, it brought back the memory of Alex, my mother and the hidden memory of the selfless little girl with the long hair. Thank You Lauren and all your friends who gave up a little of your summer for a wonderful cause.
Yesterday, I saw something that made me happy. Two friends from high school are on Facebook and they posted that their daughter was setting up a lemonade stand for two hours and was donating all the proceeds to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which is a foundation for pediatric cancer research and care. I had heard about ALSF a few years back and was brought to tears by the story. Immediately I donated whatever little but I could. I didn't donate because I felt that this charity was any more important or any better than any other charity, but because of who started it. The charity was started by a little girl, Alex Scott, who was undergoing care for cancer at age four. She told her mother "when I get out of the hospital, I want to open a lemonade stand and give all the money to the doctors so that they can help other people." When I read this, I sobbed uncontrollably. Without judging anyone as a parent, can anyone honestly say that their kids would do the same at age four? This child was special. Not only because of the words she said, but because of her determination and her selflessness. Most parents crumble under such pressure, but her parents had obviously showed her complete strength in moments of need and she never felt like the victim. She only wanted others to have what she had. Alex opened the stand and as word got out, she made $2,000. Today I watched a video on the website and it has gown to a multimillion dollar a year charity. Alex, died a few years ago, but the charity she started, at fve years old lives on.
So, my friend's daughter and her friends did their part. They raised $142 in two hours and are donating it all to ALSF. I posted this on my facebook page for everyone to see, because it's a beautiful gesture when I see anyone, especially kids doing for others. I also felt guilty that I couldn't be there to stop by and tell them how awesome I thought they were (and buy some lemonade!). The thing that made me so happy was that it brought back one of the greatest moments I've ever had working with kids.
I was running a tennis camp in Greenwich a few years ago. It was my third year doing the camp and many of the kids were return campers. There was a brother and sister who had visited from Germany the summer before and I was actually surprised to see them back. The brother was 10 and the daughter was nearly 12. The daughter was one of those kids who you assumed would grow up to be famous somehow. She was a beautiful kid, respectful and quite bright. She had long blond hair that reached her waist and always looked like a mini fashion queen, with her tennis outfits. On Friday, she told us that she couldn't wait to come back next week. On the following Monday, I sat greeting the new kids and the returners. These two kids weren't there. I did a head count and there were twenty. We were missing them and the two kids they were staying with. I divided the instructors and kids up and we went to our courts. Suddenly, the four children appeared from an SUV and ran to the courts. The little girl with the long blond hair walks up to me and asks which court she should go to. I stood, mouth agape and stared. She ran her fingers through her new hair cut, which was shorter than her brothers. I asked "what happened to your hair?" "I got it cut," she replied. Normally, I'd have a sarcastic retort, but I was astonished. During a break, I asked the instructor on her court what happened and she said the girl wouldn't say. We all stopped for a break and a bad feeling came over me. I thought that maybe this was some sort of awful punishment her parents had inflicted on her. I pulled her brother aside and asked him what happened to her hair. He smiled and said "oh she donated it to charity!" I paused and asked, "Locks of Love?" He nodded and skipped off to play. Later in the day, I walked over to the young girl and I said "your brother told me that you donated your hair to Locks of Love." She nodded. I then asked "why didn't you say anything before." She paused and looked up and said "because I did it Saturday and everyone is telling me how great I am for doing it, but I don't feel great. I feel bad." I assumed she was being a normal little girl and missed her flowing locks and this new look, but then she explained "I feel bad, because everyone is making a big deal, but I'm not sick and I can always grow my hair back. I wish everyone made a big deal about the little kids in the hospital. Why doesn't everyone with long hair do this?" I really didn't know what to say. I just looked at her and fighting back the tears, I told her "because it takes a very special person to do what you did. Not everyone in the world is as kind as you are." She smiled and asked if she could go back to play and ran off.
At the end of the week, I was talking to her mother and telling her what an honor it was to have such a great kid in the camp. She thanked me and when her daughter came over I told her I'd see her again. I explained to her that my mother had cancer and when she was younger she had long hair also, but now she had no hair. I explained that what she did made someone very happy and that I appreciated what a generous gift she had given. She smiled, told me she'd see me next summer and walked off to the car. A few weeks later, my mother passed away. She had barely, if any hair left. I remember the last time I ever saw my mother, I leaned over and kissed her head.
Not a day goes by I don't think about my mother. All the operations, chemo and the pain she had to go through. I remember that last moment vividly, but for some reason I had forgotten the story of this wonderful child. Ironically, Alex Scott died one week after my mother. I hadn't heard about her until a a few years later, but when I read about my friend's daughter, it brought back the memory of Alex, my mother and the hidden memory of the selfless little girl with the long hair. Thank You Lauren and all your friends who gave up a little of your summer for a wonderful cause.
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