| I have a confession. Although you've been involved with Make-A-Wish for decades and toldme countless wish stories, I've never been moved to tears. Until this weekend. |
| Why? Itis not like you were at Tommy Austin's 80th birthday celebration onSaturday. Almost none of the speakerscould get through their comments without crying. As you know, there would be no Make-A-Wish without Tommy, asit all started back in 1980 with him wanting to do something special for ChrisGreicius, a 7-year-old boy who was battling leukemia and wanted to be a policeofficer. |
| Those are the facts, yes. But when you invited Sawyer to join you, andemailed us the link to the storythat inspired Make-A-Wish video, it sat in my inbox until Saturdayafternoon. I was clearing emails andfound it, and thought it was a good time to watch it, especially since I knew youwere at the party. And that's when thefacts of Make-A-Wish became something so much more. |
| You may have been watching it at the same timewe were, as they used it to open the tribute to Tommy. I have known him for decades, so am veryfamiliar with the story, but it is a powerful reminder of how people cametogether to grant a young boy his wish, and how that single wish touched somany lives. |
| Yes, the ripple effect it created was truly amazing,as it led to the creation of The Make-A-Wish Foundation. But what brought me to tears, and made me gothrough more tissues than I'd care to admit, were the words of Chris's mother, "Thiswas something I was totally helpless to do" but that Tom was able to pull itoff with help from others. |
| I cannot imagine the helplessness a parent mustfeel when their child has a serious illness. |
| Trust me, hearing those words made my heart hurt. But I smiled when one of the other foundersexplained that after Chris had passed, with his wish having been fulfilledbeyond his wildest dreams, that everyone involved looked at each other and said,"There are more children out there; let's go find them" and how it snowballedfrom there. It made me want to cheer andshout, "Yes!" |
| "Snowballed" is an understatement. Now, 41 years later, Make-A-Wish has made such a huge difference …granting more than 500,000 wishes, with chapters around the world … and bringinghope and joy to the wish kids and their families. |
| I can't begin to imagine how proud Tommy Austinmust be to know that his simple desire to make one boy a little happier wouldlead to so much more. |
| The word I would use is "humble," as Tommy believes he ismerely the messenger and refuses to take any credit, explaining he was onlytrying to make Chris' life better. But,there was a room full of people who saw it differently, and told heartwarmingstories about Tommy. |
| It sounds like it was the best 80th birthdayparty ever, and he certainly deserved it. |
| It was so much more. And, we surprised him by announcing that inhonor of his 80th birthday, The Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast & Louisiana had created a"Circle of 80" to kick-off the Tommy Austin Wish Fund. |
| That's so perfect. Although I've never met him, from watchingthe video I think that the best gift one could give Tommy would be to help grant the wish of a Make-A-Wish child. For that matter, itmay be one of the greatest gifts any one of us could give … |
Whether it's becoming involved with a local Make-A-Wish chapter or simply by making a donation … never underestimate the power of a wish!
FULL QUESTION: My teenager's a slob and it's driving me crazy — their messy room, leaving dirty dishes all around the house, and the bathroom looking like a disaster area! And now they're home for the summer. Help!
| Moms everywhere know exactly what you're talking about! And although people told me not to worry, this phase would pass, that didn't make it any better while I was in the midst of it. (I wish I had understood why teenagers have messy rooms and what I could have done to manage it better.) The good news was I was able to set expectations (and help maintain them) for the common areas of the house, but dealing with their rooms was very different. Especially with my eldest daughter, since nothing would work — not bribes, not threats, not rational conversations. I tried all the tips and "tricks" without success and eventually decided to stop nagging her because all it did was get me upset while she seemed perfectly content with the mess. At that point, I realized my primary concern was that I'd ultimately need an exterminator and/or plumber (for those of you who have lived through this, you understand), so I'd periodically go in and selectively clean that which would create problems for the rest of us. The rest I left alone. Hey, if she wanted to wear smelly clothing or have a bathroom that should be declared a national emergency zone, so be it. |
| I do not have children, but there was a time when I did have stepdaughters, and, not knowing what else to do, I decided to treat them like I would new employees. I knew employees basically wanted to please management, so I figured kids wanted to please their parents, and hopefully, stepparents. I created a "Rules of the House" document (small, basic, easy things), and most of them were things to do versus things not to do. I presented the rules as an opportunity for them to achieve and succeed, not as a set of restrictions. I always found it more effective with employees, and then with the girls (and even their father), to reinforce positive behavior rather than punish bad behavior. It can be as simple as a "thank you," complimenting them on their efforts, or even rewarding a job well done. It seemed to work, and along the way, improved communications and helped us set priorities. |
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Our banter may start with two sisters, but it’s getting families, friends, and even classrooms talking.
| | In some ways, it seems like decades ago that my husband got fired. In other ways, it seems like yesterday. I had never felt so scared. So confused.So out of control. I thought he’d work for the company where he had been for years until he retired, and by then we’d have a second home and would live happily ever after. It never occurred to me that anything could change that plan. Everything seemed perfect. Then, seemingly in an instant, the future I had counted on disappeared. And my life became a living nightmare. |
| Yes, and as I told you at the time … you needed to calm down. I said that a lot. Still do. Anyway, I remember telling you to take a deep breath … and that you would get through it. And, you did, although you constantly questioned whether you could. |
THE CONVERSATION STARTERS
- Your life can change in an instant. Can you be prepared? How can you plan for the unknown?
- What are other unplanned life events?
- What's one thing you can control when life feels out of control?