Gazing across
a row of 70 sunflowers
Yesterday
I had the great privilege of hosting my mother, Jan Honig’s
70th birthday party. I had been planning it for several months
and wanted everything to be “just right” for her special day.
The invitations. The champagne toast. The roast. The medley
of Broadway show tunes. The centerpieces. The table seating
arrangements. The funny place cards. All of those special details
that transform a gathering into a memorable experience.
And
it was. We laughed. Toasted. Cried. Sang. And celebrated. My
mom has an enormous heart and is always there for everyone else.
She’s a big champion of Soaringwords and has been seen at many
events working with gusto alongside the 20, 30 and 40-something
year old volunteers. On a personal note, she has proof read
many a document, book draft, grant proposal with the love and
care of, well, a mom.
 
Photos:
Celebrating at the party, a couple of weeks ago in London.
Three
days before the party, a few things happened. Her back went
out. My aunt broke her shoulder and could not come. My mom’s
cousin who was going to be flying in from North Carolina had
to cancel the day before because her husband was hospitalized.
Then I “got it.”
It’s about all the things we do each and every day to make a
difference and to celebrate the blessings and meaning in the
moment. As we move from the breezy days of summer into the more
boisterous energy of fall, I want to invite you to join me on
the Soaringwords New Orleans Healing Mission Nov. 30- Dec. 1
and to share a Soaringwords experience at your office, school,
community group, and with friends and family for the holidays.
Click
here to get more information and sign up. Check
out the new Soaringwords
New Orleans video on YouTube.
One of the magical parts of the New Orleans experience will
be mentoring thousands of New Orleans children -- at their schools
and in the local hospitals -- to inspire them to “Never give
up!” There will be a special awards celebration for all volunteers,
a day at the New Orleans Museum of Art working with children
from the community, and fun activities in New Orleans.
Stephen Bennett, a world-renowned artist, will be on the trip
leading the SoaringSmiles hands-on art program as our Artist
in Residence. In August, we shared a SoaringSmiles program with
hospitalized children at Montefiore Medical Center. The hospitalized
children learned how to make self-portraits in five seconds…
working up to 30 seconds. Then we spent an hour creating one-of-a-kind
portraits that brightened up the pediatric lounge and the children’s
day.
Speaking
of special kids, we shared a hospital visit with Hailey and
her family. Throughout the summer, she had shared Soaringwords
projects at her camp. Last week, she had the honor of visiting
with dozens of children at the Montefiore Medical Center to
deliver the special SoaringQuilts and SoaringPillows to the
hospitalized children in celebration of her bat-mitzvah.
Soaringwords
was honored by Children of Gandhi, a non-profit organization
based in India that recognizes people and organizations that
implement initiatives that support Gandhi’s motto, “You must
be the Change you wish to see in the world. “
I am excited
to share the progress on my upcoming book, Soaringwords 10 ways
to Overcome Life’s Pain and Obstacles. In the meantime, if you
know anyone who can be featured in the book, please drop me
an email or give me a call.
Wishing
you strength and soaringwords.
Much love,
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