Thursday, June 1, 2017

Countdown to my 41st Birthday

My birthday is in 10 days. There, I said it.

Birthdays are a big deal to me. They always have been. In my classroom, we celebrate everybody's birthday. The Man Beast started a tradition four years ago when I started my teaching gig. On each student's birthday (and lately, each adult's birthday), he makes homemade cupcakes to celebrate each birthday girl/boy's Big Day. During the years when I have a large caseload and multiple birthdays in a month, I choose one Friday out of that birthday month to celebrate.

This might sound a little ambitious to other teachers, but in my classroom, we celebrate life. In my classroom, I TELL my students I love them on a daily basis and mean it because there is no guarantee they will come back to me the next day. This is a heartache I choose not to dwell on for long. So, instead - we celebrate!

I will celebrate birthdays as long as I'm able. And in 10 days, I'd like you to join me in celebrating mine.

I have friends and family from all over the world (literally!). I enjoy reaching out to them through Facebook and Instagram. I enjoy seeing pictures posted and stories shared. I enjoy celebrating through technology. I would like to encourage you to celebrate with me.

Our local humane society is currently raising money in order to renovate their shelter. The Okefenokee Humane Society helps, on average, 2,000 animals a year. They boast (and rightly so!) that they are a no-kill shelter. This means that they do not euthanize animals to make room in their shelter. They do not euthanize healthy animals. In short, they do everything in their power to give animals a second chance at life to a Forever Home.

This shelter holds a special place in my heart. Seven years ago, we adopted a shelter kitty after my daughter's cat died in our pool. Last summer, our family fostered a mama cat and her EIGHT kittens. I'm not sorry to say that we are, indeed, foster fails as we kept Rachel and one of her sons, Tobi Wan Kenobi (Toby, Toby-Toby, Tobias for short). With five animals in the house, we're unable to foster this summer. I will miss it. Fostering isn't for everyone, but it despite the hard work, it is definitely rewarding.
Mittenz
Rachel

Tobi


So, how do I want you to celebrate? I want you to donate to Okefenokee Humane Society's Restoration Project in my honor. How do I want you to donate? Right here. (If you're local, feel free to donate in person). I want to take this challenge to the next step. (Women-of-a-certain-age get this luxury.) I challenge you to donate $41 if you can. Think about it: if just 10 friends/family donated, the shelter would have an additional $410. That's a lot of paint! If 20 friends/family donated (or got THEIR friends/family to donate) we could raise $820 for the shelter. (250 people would get them to their goal. That might be stretching it. But hey! This is the interwebs...stranger things have happened.)

I encourage you to take this viral. (Let's spread some decency for a change!) Animal welfare is something everyone can get behind regardless of which isle you sit, who you worship, or (!!) how old you are.

Thank you for considering this worthy project. Happy birthday to me!



Until next time,
 photo TSOP Signature.png

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