One of the speakers there talked about what makes families and individuals with these kinds of trials so spectacular to be around. She made the comment that hardships in life give us a new perspective. They give us the opportunity to choose our attitudes and behaviors.
One quote I loved the most was on Attitude:
Attitude "I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90 % how I react to it." -Charles Swindoll
When a child or a family is faced with the reality of wondering how a life threatening illness or a life changing illness will affect their lives forever, it has the tendency to shift their perspective over to what matters most in life. Suddenly, the little annoyances tend to disappear and you look through a whole new set of glasses. Each new day is a gift. For some, just another day is a gift. Here is an example of some of the amazing perspectives we witnessed from wishing star recipients today.
A Teenage boy with Leukemia notices all the little smaller children receiving treatments at the cancer clinic and when asked what he would like to wish for, tells them that he's lived a good life and then asks for his wish to be granted to one of the younger children instead.
Little 7 year old Jessica, a gorgeous little girl filled with light and an infectious smile suffers with mitochondria disease that will shorten and impair her life. It is an illness that they deal with everyday. Her wish was to get more recognition out to the world about her disease so that others won't have to suffer like she has. Ohhh, and she'd like 2 barbie dolls.
Wishing Star also should be proud of their volunteers and administrators here in the valley. One family went without Christmas presents one year and spent their Christmas delivering gifts of hope to a family affected by serious health challenges that prevented them from providing Christmas to their children. The givers of the gifts delivered them on Christmas day and said it was one of the most memorable Christmas's they have ever had as a family.
I can't tell you how refreshing it is to hang out with such high caliber people who's perspective consists of testing the limits to see how selfless they can be to humanity. You won't catch these people knit picking about what kind of service they deserve at a restaurant, or who offended them today.
You will see them opening their hearts, their homes, their checkbooks, and their schedules and finding more people to help.
Recipients are gracious, none of them acting like they are deserving of any of it. Just grateful for one more day. Man, it would be amazing if we all just chose to live that way anyway.
My new challenge for the day is to treat everyone you come in contact with as if they were going to die tomorrow. Extend to them the humanity that you would if you knew their pain and their struggles. So the next time someone cuts you off in traffic, or messes up on a service you paid for, just smile and see how selfless you can be.
A Teenage boy with Leukemia notices all the little smaller children receiving treatments at the cancer clinic and when asked what he would like to wish for, tells them that he's lived a good life and then asks for his wish to be granted to one of the younger children instead.
Little 7 year old Jessica, a gorgeous little girl filled with light and an infectious smile suffers with mitochondria disease that will shorten and impair her life. It is an illness that they deal with everyday. Her wish was to get more recognition out to the world about her disease so that others won't have to suffer like she has. Ohhh, and she'd like 2 barbie dolls.
Wishing Star also should be proud of their volunteers and administrators here in the valley. One family went without Christmas presents one year and spent their Christmas delivering gifts of hope to a family affected by serious health challenges that prevented them from providing Christmas to their children. The givers of the gifts delivered them on Christmas day and said it was one of the most memorable Christmas's they have ever had as a family.
I can't tell you how refreshing it is to hang out with such high caliber people who's perspective consists of testing the limits to see how selfless they can be to humanity. You won't catch these people knit picking about what kind of service they deserve at a restaurant, or who offended them today.
You will see them opening their hearts, their homes, their checkbooks, and their schedules and finding more people to help.
Recipients are gracious, none of them acting like they are deserving of any of it. Just grateful for one more day. Man, it would be amazing if we all just chose to live that way anyway.
My new challenge for the day is to treat everyone you come in contact with as if they were going to die tomorrow. Extend to them the humanity that you would if you knew their pain and their struggles. So the next time someone cuts you off in traffic, or messes up on a service you paid for, just smile and see how selfless you can be.
"Every moment of every day I GET TO choose my attitude and perspective."
-Joan Endicott
-Joan Endicott
Jessica, having a moment to contemplate new perspectives and attitudes.
You can contribute to the selflessness of granting someone a wish that can bring them hope in a dark time by clicking the link: www.wishingstar.org or you can call in a donation over the phone: 509-744-3411. The website also suggests opportunities to serve by volunteering time to the foundation. visit the site or call the number for more info on ways you can participate.
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