Love Stories

One of the reasons I write a blog is to tell stories.  Because telling stories is important.  Because we all have stories.  Because I want my kids to know their stories.  Because I want to remember their stories--I want to remember how I felt when the kids were little, I want to remember when Wade couldn't say all his words and he said "backbard" instead of back yard, I want to remember the kitchen dances and even the tween eye rolls.  It's our story.

Since I started this blog, I've had the privilege to help tell other people's stories.  This past weekend, I was part of an event full of amazing people.

It was a night full of love stories.

This event was for an organization called Charlotte's Wings.  The story behind this organization is a story of loss, a story of grief, a story of friendship,and hope and compassion and love.  My friend Jo, lost her daughter to a rare genetic disease.  Her friends rallied around and supported Jo and her family.  In the midst of their grief, Jo and her husband donated books to an area hospital in honor of Charlotte.  Inspired by their generosity and compassion for other families in hospitals or hospice that needed comfort and distraction, those friends rallied again, and together they all started a nonprofit--Charlotte's Wings.  Today, they have donated over 20,000 books to Michigan hospitals and hospices.

For the past six years, my husband and I have gotten dressed up and gone to the benefit. (Click here to read about last year's Charlotte's Wings benefit.)  It's for friends, it's to help, it's at a fancy hotel, it's all good.

Part of the story of the night was in deed the fact that it was a date night for us.  Tim and I were posting Instagrams of ourselves all dressed up and I was ordering pre-event cocktails in the hotel bar.  We were laughing and enjoying being grown-ups.  

"I got a room for you," he said and I nearly spit out my drink.  

"What are you talking about?," I asked.

"You need time to yourself," he said as he took my hand in his.  "You always say how nice it would be to get away, so do it.  I'll go home when the dancing starts and take care of the kids, you stay, dance and then get a good night's sleep."

Silence.....and then....

"Um, no way, I can't, but, what about? how? isn't it too much? it feels wrong. are you sure? oh, wait. can I?  oh man, I'm ordering another drink," I said all at once feeling so loved and in love.

We walked hand in hand to the ballroom to our table.  I was full of giddy excitement about drinking and dancing with my buddy Steph, and then sleeping in a king size bed alone.  He was full of giddy excitement that he got out of being bored while I danced for three hours straight.  It was working out so well for both of us.

Part of the story of the night was about a video.  A video I made to help tell the story of the impact of Charlotte's Wings. 

A couple months ago, I visited a children's hospital and met the sick kids and the parents who were using the books Charlotte's Wings donated.  I heard stories of their heart-aching, unwavering, superpower love and unimaginable strength.  The video was a love letter to my inspiring friends at Charlotte's Wings and to those parents that I met at the hospital.

I was nervous.  I wanted people to get it...feel it...

As the video started, Tim once again reached over and grabbed my hand.  He knew the weight of responsibility I felt to tell this love story the right way.  "People will feel it honey," he whispered.  "They'll get it," he added and squeezed my hand tightly.  

Charlottes Wings 2013 from Jumping With My Fingers Crossed on Vimeo.

I held my breath while over 600 people in the room watched.  

Some people cried. Some people hopefully spent more at the silent auction.  Some people got it, I hope.

Because we all have a story.  We all have a love story to tell.  The love story of a husband's thoughtful surprise.  The love story of old pals dancing away their worries in a hotel ballroom.  The love story of friends supporting each other, lifting each other out of sorrow and grief.  The love story of strangers donating money to a charity.  The love story of parents reading books to their sick children in the hospital.  

It's holding hands tightly, it's smiling through the tears, it's finding the joy and the beauty.  It's appreciating the good in our lives and the incredibly tough times we get through, it's about the stories we will remember.

To find out more about Charlotte's Wings, click here.

Mothers in the Hood

I had this idea last week.  It was an idea for a party.  It was an idea for a movement.  It went something like this....mothers coming together to celebrate our diversity, our passions, our dreams, our businesses, our art, our politics.  Mothers coming together to talk about how becoming a mother can feel overwhelming at times, but also empowering.  

This party was also a way for me to stop being a hypocrite.  A way to drop the curtain.  

It has become very easy for me to sit in my kitchen office and write a blog about how I keep it real with my messy house and unruly kids.  But real life?  I didn't want anyone to walk into my unorganized home and witness it first hand.  I didn't want to host a party because my cabinets in my rental house are mismatched and I still have boxes that are unpacked a year after moving in.  

It has become very easy for me to sit in my kitchen office and be on my computer and tell my stories and never talk to real people.  People in my neighborhood.

So, I dropped the curtain and invited mothers from my hood to my mismatched, unorganized home.  

I also invited two organizations that involve amazing mothers to educate and inspire the movement--Moms Clean Air Force and Charlotte's Wings.

My friend Vee from Moms Clean Air Force (MCAF) came to talk about how mothers can become activists for clean air.  We watched videos from celebrity mom activists involved in MCAF Juliane Moore and Jessica Capshaw (and of course now we KNOW them, right?).

We discussed energy standards, emissions, fracking and more.  We talked about personal responsibility.  We talked about global warming and legacy.  We talked about how mothers can be at the forefront of making effective change in policy and beyond.


Maybe there will be a mother from my hood that goes all Erin Brockovich on us and uses her mother power to change the world environmentally one petition at a time.  And maybe not and that's okay.  It was just one part of the movement.

Charlotte's Wings is an organization that at serves the state of Michigan.  They provide books and nooks to children in hospitals and hospices.   It was founded by women, mothers, who came together to help children. Their story is about coping with grief and finding ways to make a difference. I wrote about the benefit I attended last year and how it inspired me here.  

Everyone that came to my house party, brought a book to donate to Charlotte's Wings and then they watched this video to learn more:


Maybe there will be a mother from my hood that goes out and starts a life-changing nonprofit organization or maybe they'll go to the gala benefit for Charlotte's Wings in May.  And maybe not and that's okay.

This "mothers in the hood" movement idea is not about judging what inspires or speaks to women, it's about celebrating it.  It's not about feeling less than or more than, it's about feeling wiser, prouder and stronger.  We are mothers hear us roar kind of thing.  More Helen Reddy less Sarah Palin.  But if you love her, that's cool too, no judgement, I mean it.  No mommy wars here.

And hey, the movement also included wine, cheese, my famous guacamole (I'm the only one that calls it that, but I'm trying to change that), cookies and more wine.  

These mother people are a group of intelligent, compassionate, funny, serious, complicated, passionate, courageous women.

In 2008, I got involved in the presidential campaign and met so many amazing women and mothers.  We had a blast working together and organizing together.  Even though I'm still involved politically, I have a lot of Republican friends.  Friends that will never campaign with me.  Friends that I want to hang out with, friends that I want to find commonality with, friends that if nothing else we can bond over a good bottle of wine.

My first party was a success.  Books were donated, seeds of activism were planted, wine was poured, appetizers were eaten and good times were had and maybe a movement was was started.  No one mentioned my mismatched cabinets or dirty floors.  And I'm already plannning my next party.

What are the mothers in your hood doing that inspires you or interests you?  Ask them.   Invite them over.  Tell me about it in the comments.  

All the pictures were taken by my ahhhhmazing friend and fellow mom-of-four club member Liane.  She is uber talented and I love her.  Check out her awesome photoblog, my dusty glass, here, her pictures are incredibly beautiful.

Click here to find out more about Moms Clean Air Force.

Click here to find out more about Charlotte's Wings.

A Good Cause and What I Know For Sure (This Week)

It's been kind of a long week, emotionally.  I went a little dark, but I'm over it.  I took care of myself this week--went to bed early, ate right, cut back on the wine, cried when I needed to cry and chilled when I needed to chill.

The best way to get out of a funk is to get outside of yourself.  The best way to get outside of yourself is to serve others.  I am in charge of spreading the word about Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF at my church.  

I love it for a lot of reasons.  First and foremost , because it's a kick-ass charity that provides clean water, medication and other supplies for children around the world.  But also because it is so retro chic.  Do you remember trick-or-treating for UNICEF?  I do.  

My family was a sporadic church going bunch.  My parents would feel the urge to join a group and we would follow.  One church we went to participated in the Trick-or-treat for UNICEF and I never forgot it.  I also never forgot the Sunday I walked into the sanctuary during the silent prayer, after singing with the children's choir, looking for my parents.  I was wearing black patent leather shoes that clip-clopped all the way down the aisle until I found my parents sitting in the front row.  To this day I ask myself why couldn't I have waited until the silent prayer was over to walk down that clickety/clackety aisle?  

That church was the last church my family attended as a family.  Before my parents split up.  I sang in the choir, got a special introductory Bible, had a role in the Christmas pageant and trick or treated for UNICEF.  I was full of happiness, hope and the idea that I could make a difference in the world.

Fast forward through a lot of years of questioning, doubting, disappointment, anger, more questioning and quiet (and not so quiet) reflection.  Now I am a member of a church where I am mostly full of happiness, hope and the idea that I can make a difference in the world (there's still some questioning and reflection of course).

It's a full circle kind of thing. 

Bottom line, reaching out and helping others, having hope and working to make a difference really is the magic cure to getting out of any kind of funk. This I know for sure.

It's not too late to get involved, click here if you want to trick-or-treat for UNICEF.  

Here's some other things I know for sure (this week):

• This time of year is fun because costumes can show up anytime.  Here's a cute, I mean scary, wolf-man doing homework. Gotta love Halloween.

• It's not a great thing when the neighbors know you as the "house with the escaping streaking baby."  Wade keeps running outside in his underwear.  WTF? I don't get it. Many an evening, I can be seen chasing the underwear clad baby Wade running through the neighbors' yards.  Not a great sign for his future. Time for an Old School clip:

• Amy Poehler is a goddess.  Have you checked out Ask Amy?  If you have a daughter (tween/teen/early adult) you should slyly forward this site to them.  I know if you plug it too hard, they won't want to watch it.  But it's awesome.  She is awesome.  She is the cool aunt I always wanted to have around as a teenager.  Check it:

• Politics=crazy.  All I want to say is....vote.

• I really don't drink beer, but the song in the Heineken commercial is the bomb.  Here's "Love Letter" by Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes.  Love it.

• As much as I love it, I'm glad social media wasn't around when I was a teenager/young adult.  I can't even imagine it. And I can't even begin to  imagine how to parent it. The end.

• My daughter has a mad sense of style. 

• This movie looks good.

• I'm getting closer to my goal--1,000 by Christmas.  That's my Twitter follower campaign, it may not be UNICEF, but it's still pretty important. Okay, it's not important at all, but it's fun.  If you aren't on Twitter get on and follow me (@AngelaYBlood).

• I love it when my kids bond, but the little ones are ganging up and calling me "stupid."  Not cool little ones, not cool.

• Come on over and like my Facebook page. 

What do you know for sure (this week)?  Come on, tell us what you know.  Leave a comment here or on Facebook.