Reaching out to others is what makes a life a life.
Henri Landwirth, The Gift of Life
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FEBRUARY – “ESA …Helps Fight Loneliness Month”
Heart To Heart
We have begun the final 6 months of our Epsilons Sigma Alpha International Year. Still, we have lots of work to do and fun times ahead beginning with this month. Yes, February is a great month!. We have many opportunites to celebrate this month; My birthday on the 4th; Super Bowl Sunday on the 5th; Presidents’ Day on the 13th; Valentine’s Day on the 14th; Mardi Gras on 21st. Etc, etc…And this year we get an extra day on the 29th – Leap Year Day!
Let’s take the opportunity to share these days with someone else. Yes, “Make the Difference” in someone’s life this month by calling them or going to visit them on at least one of these great days this month.
You just can’t imagine the effect you can have on someones’ life by just remembering them with a card, phone call, or visit. You will bring many smiles to the faces of those who perhaps have had no real reason to smile lately. The kindness of your heart will be remembered by them for a very long time.
Invite that person to come with you and your chapter members and invite MALs in your area to join in with you too and visit someone who might need cheeering up or a visit. Bring the kids. This is something that the whole family can do together.
Let’s make February –“ESA …Helps Fight Loneliness Month.” Here are just a few things you can do.
Visit someone in the hospital, prison, or in a nursing home
Offer a listening ear to a troubed teen or a friend going through hard times
Bake some cookies with the kids and take them with a meal to that elderly neighbor and stay a few minutes just to talk
There are many, many, many other things you can do. The key word is DO. Don’t leave it to someone else. That is why ESA…Makes the Difference, because of what you DO. Share a bit of love from heart to heart.
Rose Pasillas
IC President
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| Sunrise - A New Beginning (Click on the image to enlarge it) |
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I got this from a small shop in Tarpon Springs recently and thought it appropriate to share with all of you. Lin King, Webmaster
As We Start the New Year
Consider this for 2012
- Mend a quarrel
- Seek out a forgotten friend
- Write a love letter
- Share some treasure
- Give a soft answer
- Encourage youth
- Keep a promise
- Find the time
- Forgive an enemy
- Listen
- Apologize if you were wrong
- Think first of someone else
- Be kind and gentle
- Laugh a little
- Laugh a little more
- Express gratitude
- Gladden the heart of a child
- Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of creation
- Speak your Love
- Speak it again
- Speak it still once more.
MAY YOU HAVE A BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
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Did you know that Epsilon Sigma Alpha has several Special Interest groups nationwide? Log onto www.epsilonsigmaalpha.org, select Member Center (you will need your member number and password), then select "Special Interest". ESA Online Interest Groups are:
ESA Book Club
ESA for St. Jude
ESA Travel Club
Food and Wine
Gardening for Good
Photography
The Caring Crafter.
This is a great way to improve your ESA network, get to know members from other areas, and increase/share your knowledge of your favorite interest. Check it out!!
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Learning to Dance in the Rain, The Power of Gratitude
The Story Behind the Book
From Mac Anderson, Founder, Simple Truths, www.simpletruths.com
All it took was one evening for me to see first-hand the amazing power gratitude has to change your attitude...and your life.
I was scheduled to speak to the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) and invited to attend a presentation before my speech.
Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.
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They introduced the young musician...Mr. Patrick Henry Hughes. He was rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys as he made beautiful music.
He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. About ten minutes into Patrick's performance, someone came on the stage and said, "I'd like to share a seven-minute video titled, The Patrick Henry Hughes story."
Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes and a tightening of the joints, which left him crippled for life. However, as a child, he was fitted with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, "I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he'd get it." By his second birthday, he was playing requests ("You Are My Sunshine," "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"). His father was ecstatic. "We might not play baseball, but we can play music together."
At the time, Patrick was a junior at the University of Louisville. His father attended classes with him. He was also a part of the 214-member marching band! He was a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet player; and he and his father did it together. They attended all the band practices and the half-time performances in front of thousands. His father rolled and rotated his son around the field to the cheers of Patrick's fans. In order to attend Patrick's classes and every band practice, his father worked the graveyard shift at UPS. Patrick says, "My dad's my hero."
But even more than his unbelievable musical talent, it was Patrick's "attitude of gratitude" that touched my soul. On stage, between songs, he talked to the audience about his life and about how blessed he was. He said, "God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me the ability...the musical gifts I have...the great opportunity to meet new people."
When his performance was over, Patrick and his father were on the stage together. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered for over five minutes. It gave me giant goose bumps!
If I live to be a hundred, I'll never forget that night, that smile, that music, but more importantly, that wonderful "attitude of gratitude."
I returned to Chicago and shared Patrick's story with my wife, my friends, and our team at Simple Truths. About two weeks later, I received a letter from a friend who found a quote he thought I would love by Vivian Greene:
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"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
it's about learning to dance in the rain!"
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I thought...that's it! We all face adversity in our lives. However, it's not the adversity, but how we react to it that will determine the joy and happiness in our lives. During tough times, do we spend too much time feeling sorry for ourselves, or can we, with gratitude...learn how to dance in the rain?
That experience of seeing how Patrick Henry Hughes overcame obstacles and embraced life with an attitude of gratitude was the impetus for the book that I co-wrote by BJ Gallagher, Learning to Dance in the Rain.
Today, I'd like to share one of BJ's original poems from the book, titled Weather Report:
"Any day I'm vertical
is a good day"
...that's what I always say.
And I give thanks for my health.
If you ask me,
"How are you?"
I'll answer, "GREAT!"
because in saying so,
I make it so.
And I give thanks
I can choose my attitude.
When Life gives me dark clouds and rain,
I appreciate the moisture
that brings a soft curl to my hair.
When Life gives me sunshine,
I gratefully turn my face up
to feel its warmth on my cheeks.
When Life brings fog,
I hug my sweater around me
and give thanks for the cool shroud of mystery
that makes the familiar seem different and intriguing.
When Life brings snow,
I dash outside to catch the first flakes on my tongue,
relishing the icy miracle that is a snowflake.
Life's events and experiences
are like the weather—
they come and go,
no matter what my preference.
So, what the heck?!
I might as well decide to enjoy them.
For indeed,
there IS a time for every purpose
under Heaven.
And each season brings its own unique blessings...
and I give thanks.
For more about Patrick Henry Hughes, go to www.patrickhenryhughes.com
9/18
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Women Who Light up the World
….By B. J. Gallagher
We are women
who light up the world-
with our beauty,
our intelligence,
and charm.
Our eyes sparkle
as we talk and laugh among ourselves.
Our smiles radiate warmth and comfort
to those who love us.
Our faces beam happily
when we’re engaged in fulfilling work.
We shine,
we illuminate,
we enlighten,
we dazzle.
We glow softly when contented-
and burn brightly when passionate.
We are always lighting up the world,
one way or another.
But who’s the keeper of the flame?
Who will fill our lamps
in order for us
to light up the world?
We must do it for ourselves,
dear sisters-
and for each other.
We must fill our own lamps first,
not last.
We must commit to our own well-being and self-care,
lest our oil runs low
and our flames flicker out.
For a woman whose flame has extinguished
can no longer fulfill her mission in life-
lighting up the world.
So take some time,
sweet sisters,
To rest,
recoup,
relax,
and regroup.
Take time
to fill your lamp,
The world needs your flame-
but first,
you need your oil.
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From the Membership Team at International Headquarters:
This ESA Membership Team newsletter is dedicated to sharing the latest news and best ideas and successes to help us welcome new members and grow ESA.
ESA's Great Seedling Exchange This idea is PERFECT for April, get started today! After suffering through a record breaking winter, the Oklahoma State Council meeting on March 19th was the perfect opportunity to announce the 2011 National Spring Recruitment Project, ESA's Great Seedling Exchange to our members. Everyone in attendance received the Great Seedling Exchange packet that included everything down to the last detail to host a successful event. The members were enthusiastic about the recruitment project and I believe this spring will find our ESA chapters experiencing new life not only in the seedlings, but in ESA membership as well. Hats off to the members of Omega Mu, Albany, Oregon for sharing their terrific idea!Mary Johnson,Oklahoma State Membership Chairman It's been a VERY long winter... let's grow some seeds and grow ESA. The nuts and bolts of the event involve inviting friends and members to participate in a seedling exchange to celebrate spring and get their gardens off to a treat start. Everyone starts with a packet of seeds, each participant grows a different “crop”-- lots of seedlings from their one packet of seeds. Then all participants come together for one terrific big party to eat, chat, and exchange seedling plants. At the party, introduce guests to the fun and friends of ESA, then ask them to join ESA. Everything you need to know including what to say in your invitations is packaged in the party planner, click here to get your party planner. Join the ESA Seedling Exchange on Facebook Great Ways to Start Your Seeds:Try Eggshells like Sandy Weston in Alabama
Try Jiffy Peat Pots like Kaycee Headley in Oregon
GET IT IN PICTURES!!
Our new website that debuted in April has AMAZING PHOTO and VIDEO CAPABILITIES! Capture the good friends, good works, and good times you celebrate together on film and send them to ESA HQ to help tell YOUR story.
Don't forget the ACTION SHOTS... Those are the MOST fun!
SHARE ESA TODAY…
HELP BRING MORE GOOD PEOPLE TOGETHER TO DO MORE GOOD THINGS!
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