Service

What does it mean, “live each day as if it were our last?” It seems rather vague, doesn’t it? Do we jump on a plane to some far off sight we’ve promised ourselves to witness before we die? Do we call everyone we know to make amends or let them know how much we care? Do we eat everything in the refrigerator and not feel an ounce of guilt? All of these things sound wonderful but chances are, the next day, we’ll still be around so…what then? We might feel a little silly having been so impulsive. Basically, this statement is meant to make us stop and consider the way we are living our lives. Whether we are living life for ourselves, as today’s society would have us believe is correct, or for others. Are we selfish or selfless? Not an easy question to ponder, is it? Yeah, I didn’t want to either.



The world is an imperfect place and will be until this world passes away. We cannot change that. Utopia is not an option. That doesn’t mean we can’t live to make it better. The world was created to change. To progress. Better for us to help that process along and look back on our lives with a smile knowing that we did all we could to help others. That’s what life is all about. And this is not simply my opinion, it’s a truth. We were created to help those less fortunate. It’s our job and we should take it seriously.



I’m not saying it’ll be easy, it won’t. Sometimes it will be really hard and we won’t want to but those are the times when our choice really makes a difference not only in the world but in our souls. We have been given so much. We are blessed beyond measure though we often forget within the monotony of everyday life. Helping others and offering ourselves as servants, yes, servants, is the best way to show thanks.



You may be thinking, “Hey! I’m less fortunate. People should be helping me!” I’m right there with you. I’m definitely less fortunate then many but I’m also not a fool. I live a very privileged life when compared to the world as a whole. Not to mention, people do help me, all the time. Even if it’s just lending a listening ear while I vent, putting in a good word with a potential employer, or simply calling to tell me how awesome I am despite the fact that I am already well aware of that fact. All of these things help me and make my life a little easier. People help you too, think about it.



Interesting fact: when a teacher suspects a student has lost motivation to perform to their potential due to lack of confidence in their ability, they will send that child to help in a lower grade-level. A fifth-grader who struggles to read and therefore refuses to practice, often times feels immensely intelligent when they help a Kindergartener pronounce the word “cat.” They are able to see how far they have come and that they are capable of progressing even further. They feel helpful and this in turn helps them. Hmmm.



There are innumerable opportunities to serve, some of which are listed right here on my blog (ie. Standupeightclothing.com) so there are no excuses for inaction. That goes double for me. The thing about this blog is it opens up so many opportunities for me to be a big, fat hypocrite. Feel free to keep me in check.

-Age

Victim of Praise #2

Maya Garcia-Bacon endured one of life’s greatest tragedies. In 2007, her son, Kyle Robert, died at the age of 15 from a very long and tragic illness. After this senseless and backwards misfortune, Maya’s heart was broken and she was never the same. But she was not defeated. She did not wallow endlessly, allowing herself to become lost in her sorrow. Like it’s said, “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” This is not only true of romantic love but of all loves. The love of a friend. The love of a brother. The love of a mother for her son. My next Victim of Praise is a mother who counts her blessings and knows that though much has been taken from her, much has been given.

Maya Garcia-Bacon is a Language Arts teacher at a Terrace Hills Middle School in Grand Terrace, smack-dab in the middle of this great Inland Empire. She is the mother of two adorable little girls, the newest addition being merely days old, and one late son, Kyle Robert. Upon her son’s death, of a reoccurring brain tumor, she started something that to this day has changed the hearts and wrists of many within our community. She has given bracelets made of small beads, each a different color.

You may be thinking, “What’s the big deal?” You would, of course, never say this out loud as it would seem callous and unfeeling. Don’t worry. It’s not a big deal. They are just beads after all. The same type that can be found at any craft store, dozens for only a few dollars. It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it represents that makes Maya and The Bracelet Project, as she calls it, so influential and inspiring.

The origins of these bracelets is a bit mysterious as the creator chooses to remain anonymous, referred to by Maya only as “The Bracelet Lady”. During Kyle Robert’s rosary service a friend gave her one of these bracelets as a gift and Maya instantly fell in love with the strong yet simple message it gave. The colors of these beads each represent a different type of cancer: pink for breast cancer, grey for brain cancer, red for blood cancer, and so on. Amongst this ring of colorful beads is a single charm. One we are all quite familiar with, the entwined ribbon that reminds all who see it that we are still searching for a cure. This ribbon is not meant to sadden us as a reminder of tragedy but to offer hope. Hope that we are getting closer. Amazing people are out there raising money, researching, experimenting, and drawing us all nearer and nearer to a day when we will no longer fear the loss of a friend, parent, sibling, Aunt, Uncle, grandparent, or child.

At first, Maya offered these bracelets as a thank you to family. Then she branched out to close friends and co-workers. Eventually, all who had touched the life of her son and all who had been touched by his precious life were given a bracelet. She has had to order them in mass quantities at times as the list of people continues to grow and grow. She wants Kyle Robert to be remembered; not as a boy with a sad story and a life that ended too soon but as a boy who smiled often, loved much, and filled those around him with happiness and hope, even now.

Through this project, Maya realized the extent of influence one life can have, especially on their community. “Kyle Robert is everywhere…even though he is no longer with us, I still love to talk about him,” admits Maya. He left his mark on the City of Grand Terrace and Maya has made it her mission to ensure that his memory lives on. She, like Kyle Robert, is seldom seen without a smile and her warm and generous nature influences all she meets.

Truth be told, it is not only Maya that I find to be influential but Kyle Robert as well. He lives on in our hearts and memories and reminds us that life is short. We should do all we can with it, living as if today is all we have. I know that is a major cliché. But cliché’s are cliché’s for a reason. They often prove to be overwhelmingly and breathtakingly true and yet we still manage to ignore them. Shrug off the idea that we may not see another gorgeous sunrise. Don’t let this happen to you. If you are lucky enough to live to some ripe old age or another, make sure you are able to look back and know that each day was lived to it’s fullest.

There is a brand new pocket park in Grand Terrace on the corner of DeBerry and Mt. Vernon with a bench dedicated to Kyle Robert’s memory. If you have a chance to visit this bench, take a seat, close your eyes, and let the sun shine on your face. Be thankful. You are here. You are alive and the world is your oyster. I don’t know what oysters have to do with life but you get the idea. Live.

-Age

Birds, Pots, and Stones

“Kill two birds with one stone.” Curious expression. Killing birds with stones, it seems so prehistoric. Not to mention, was there a time in history when there was a shortage of stones a surplus of birds and this was actually necessary? What about “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?” Have you ever actually held a bird in your hand? They don’t like it. They will bite you. I say, leave ‘em in the dang bush! They obviously like the bush. They have friends in the bush. Should I stop talking about bushes? And what’s with the obsession with bird metaphors anyway?



What about “a watched pot never boils?” Untrue! It does! Try it.



I also have issue with the whole “glass half full” expression. I don’t think it’s a matter of how full or how empty a glass is, I think it comes down to what’s in this glass that counts. For instance, I wouldn’t consider myself or anyone else a pessimist for expecting more than half a glass of beer. In fact, if a friend said that a glass of Stella was half full as opposed to filling that sucker up to the brim we would no longer be friends. I’m that serious. I may not be bright and sunny and full of naïve optimism, but I do have a full glass of Stella every time so…bite me Expression Maker-Uppers!



I apologize for getting carried away. I just wish there were more applicable expressions for my life out there. Ones I might actually use like…a meal in a paper bag is worth two in the oven or…get two free drinks with one smile or…a watched brownie never lasts. Those make sense to me. They also make me seem like a 300 pound Sumo Wrestler. I actually feel that a 300 pound Sumo Wrestler and I may have a lot in common so don’t judge.



Despite appearances, I mean this to encourage. We should create our own rules and expressions and dictate our life in a way that makes sense for us. In this current economic state it may seem as though we have control over little in our lives. Everything seems to be dictated by supply and demand. We begin to focus on what we lack and how we are being held back as opposed to being thankful for what we have and noticing all the areas of our lives that are ours and cannot be taken from us. Remember what’s real, what’s important, and what is yours.



“A friend who helps in a time of need is a friend, indeed.”



“Family is forever.”



“Love is all you need.”



“In God We Trust.”

-Age