So just curious on how everyone’s holidays were. What did you do? Who did you spend them with? Do you have any special holiday family traditions? I just love the holidays. To me it’s time to spend with my family and friends and celebrate. I have been through a lot in my life living with my disability so having time with family and friends means so much to me. I can’t think of many traditions we have other than every Christmas Eve my mom sits down with me and we read Twas The Night Before Christmas together. I know it doesn’t sound like much but it means the world to me. I look forward to it every Christmas holiday. This year was extra special to me because I got to spend it with my boyfriend Chip who I met on myspecialmatch.com. I can’t believe how happy we are together. If it wasn’t for starting this site I would have never met him and my life would be so different. So, he came and spent the whole holiday with me even New Year’s Eve. I was so excited to finally have someone to kiss at midnight. I know that sounds funny but I am sure anyone living with a disability or special need knows that having a boyfriend or girlfriend is not that easy. So, we kissed at midnight and danced. It was so much fun. I can’t wait to see what 2017 brings for us both. I must thank my parents and my mom’s friend Victoria for helping me with this site. It has changed my life for the better and I hope it can help find love and friendships for other people living with a disability too.
Starting the new year off what are your plans? I am thinking I am going to give back. I have been very fortunate with the support of friends and family throughout my life so far and looking at the world as it. is today I am saddened by the lack of love and support going around. So, my challenge to myself is to give something to someone each month this year. So, what does that mean? Well I have thought long and hard and I think it is the little things in life that people remember the most or are touched by so with that in mind here are some things I have come up with. Maybe giving clothes to the homeless. Did you know that socks are one of the most needed items by the homeless? So maybe buying socks and taking them to a homeless shelter or warming shelter this month. Next month I was thinking of going to an assisted living home for ten elderly and playing games or reading to them. Here in Michigan it is cold in February and for that reason alone the seniors are trapped indoors. I am sure they get lonely and would love to spend time with people.
Some other ideas I had was to help with urban gardening for the homeless and low income families. Maybe taking senior citizens on walks, when the weather gets better that it. How about helping raise money for charities by selling baked goods. I am sure there are a lot of local charities in need of assistance. Looks like I have my work made out for me this year giving back. I know my disability limits me as to what I can do to help people but I am going to do what I can. I think we can all do our part in making this world a better place. I would like to work with the people who train the dogs for the blind but I know with my disability that would be hard so instead I volunteer at an animal shelter for homeless dogs and cats. I can’t work with the dogs yet I guess it takes a lot of experience but I get to sit with the cats and play with them and I like doing that. So, I think we can all do something to help. Now it’s your turn. What are some of your ideas you have? What would you do to give back to the community you live in? I would love to hear from you.
Now that the weather is nice what are some things you could do outside that could give back to the community? Do you live near a park? Maybe you could volunteer to help clean the park one day to help the community? Do your neighbors have dogs that you could volunteer to go walk while the owners are at work? Maybe there are little kids in your neighborhood you could play with while their parents are cleaning or something. Anything that you could do to help make the community a better place is a good thing. Maybe there is a school near you that you could volunteer at to help the teachers out during the day. Getting out in the community is always a good thing because not only will you be making the community better, but you’ll have fun doing it. Get a group of people together and decide what you can do to make the community better together. It’s always better to do it with people you know instead of by yourself.
Set aside one weekend this year or this month where you get a few people together and decide what things you could do together for the entire month to make the community better. If you set a plan you are committed to it and you won’t give up on it until you do it. Maybe every weekend you and your friends could do some volunteering together and that way every weekend you are giving back to the community. Make poster and hang them up around the neighborhood and that way if people need your help they can get ahold of you and that way you’ll also know where and when you should be somewhere.