University of Missouri Football Strike

[SigKapSweetie]

Good for them, and good for her for standing up for herself!

[aephi alum]

aephi alum likes Whitney.

[SWTXBelle]

SON OF A BIGOT -
His dad founded the infamous Westboro Baptist Church. Nate Phelps is dedicated to reversing that legacy of hate


Nate Phelps is the sixth of Fred’s 13 children, and he has the scars to show for it. He describes his father as verbally and physically abusive. When he was 18, Nate ran away from home and from the fundamentalist Calvinist religion in which he was raised.Now in his 50s, Nate finds himself publicly squaring off with his father and siblings to reverse their legacy of intolerance. He lives in Calgary, where he has become a public speaker who champions LGBT rights and raises awareness about the connection between extreme religion and child abuse. He is currently writing a book about his life and is the subject of an upcoming documentary.



http://www.salon.com/2012/09/25/son_of_a_bigot/

[ASTalumna06]

Teen picked for Homecoming Court as prank shines at ceremony:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012...ite&ocid=msnhp

[KillarneyRose]

Good for her! After (mumblemumble) years on this earth, it can still amaze me what a$$holes people can be.

[SWTXBelle]

fb post from a former student:

"
I have to give props to one our patients! A new patient of ours overheard one of our returning patients talking. The son and dad were quietly trying to figure out if they could afford the visit since they had just lost their insurance. After they were taken back the new patient approached the front desk and asked if he could pay for the boy's visit. And this was not a cheap appointment!! His only request was that the family not be told right away as he didn't want to embarrass them. This goes beyond a random act of kindness!!! His sincerity and genuine concern for this family touched all of us and I just had to share!"

[AGDee]

Given the events in CT, I think this thread needs a bump, to remind people of the good in the world. This story never made the news, but it made a huge difference in my life, during one of the lowest points of my life.

Eleven years ago, I was a newly divorced mom, very sick with Crohn's Disease (undiagnosed at the time of the story). My kids were 5 and 7 and I was working full time. For six months, I had subsisted on popsicles, jello and Gatorade because anything else gave me excruciating pain. I had lost 65 pounds in that time period. I was weak, exhausted, in pain most of the time and trying to make a living and raise my children. I wasn't even sure I was going to live because they hadn't figured out what was wrong with me. I was also adjusting to living on one income instead of two so things were very tight financially.

I was at the grocery store with both kids, after picking them up from latch key, to pick up a few things for dinner that night. My son saw the Hallmark Kissy Bears display which said "Free with the purchase of three cards." My son said, "Can we get these? They are free!" At age 5, he couldn't read all the words, but he knew he saw "FREE". I sadly explained that we had to buy three cards to get one free and we didn't need three cards, nor did we have the money for three cards. And then we'd only get one of the bears, not both. There was a woman near us who heard the conversation. My son was sad, but he accepted what I said.

We checked out, went to the car and both kids got in the car while I loaded groceries into the back of the car. The woman who had overheard the earlier conversation came up to me and thrust a bag into my hand and said "Merry Christmas". She had gotten the Kissy Bears and gave them to us. I instantly teared up and said Thank You. I got in the car, crying, and my daughter said "what's wrong?" and I said "Nothing is wrong. We have a Christmas Angel" and I showed the kids the bears, telling them the woman gave them to us. My daughter said "Why are you crying momma? That was a nice thing to do." And I said "These are tears of joy, sweetie."

This woman couldn't know what I'd been through that year.. the divorce, buying a house, my illness. She just knew she saw a tired mom who couldn't afford those bears for her kids. She had no idea that her random act of kindness was so much more than just giving someone a couple bears she got for free.

Each year, as we put the Kissy Bears on the fireplace hearth, I tear up again, thinking about how that woman made such a difference in THREE lives. We remember the story each year and I believe her small action helped to make my children the thoughtful young adults they are today. I wish I could thank her again and again, but the only way I can do this is by doing similar random acts of kindness.

[MaryPoppins]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Each year, as we put the Kissy Bears on the fireplace hearth, I tear up again, thinking about how that woman made such a difference in THREE lives. We remember the story each year and I believe her small action helped to make my children the thoughtful young adults they are today. I wish I could thank her again and again, but the only way I can do this is by doing similar random acts of kindness.

Thank you so much! I haven't smiled as much, as I just did reading your story, since Friday morning.

[lovespink88]

Beautiful story, Dee.

BuzzFeed has a few different lists:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/...th-in-humanity

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/momen...umanity-this-y

[AGDLynn]

Dee, I am so proud you are my sister!

[NinjaPoodle]

AGDee, **HUG**

Hope you are doing much better.

[AGDee]

Thanks I am doing great, I've been in remission, for the most part, off of all meds for five years.

[NinjaPoodle]

Each year, as we put the Kissy Bears on the fireplace hearth, I tear up again, thinking about how that woman made such a difference in THREE lives. We remember the story each year and I believe her small action helped to make my children the thoughtful young adults they are today. I wish I could thank her again and again, but the only way I can do this is by doing similar random acts of kindness.

Yes.

[MysticCat]

This thread needs a bump, and this is a good one:

Tennessee Homecoming King Nominees Give Crown to Another Teen

Three Tennessee homecoming king nominees made a unanimous and touching decision that no matter who won, they would give the crown to a beloved student with a genetic condition.

Students Jesse Cooper, Drew Gibbs and Zeke Grissom were all nominated for homecoming king at Community High School's basketball homecoming ceremony.

The teens got together and decided that the winner would turn over the honor to junior Scotty Maloney, who has Williams Syndrome, a neurological disorder that inhibits learning and speech.

"I've been blessed with so many things," Cooper told ABC News' Nashville affiliate WKRN-TV. "I just wanted Scotty to experience something great in his high school days."

"He's always happy, so he deserves some recognition for who he is," Gibbs said.

Cooper won the popular vote for king, but when the official announcement was made at a Friday ceremony, the principal told the crowd what the nominees had decided to do. . . .

The crowd erupted with cheers and Maloney got a long standing ovation, WKRN reported, as he was awarded his "King" medal. . . .

There's more at the link above.

[honeychile]

This really made my day! I'm working by myself for the next week, to keep a nervous breakdown at bay (not mine!) and DH should be arriving in Nebraska at any time now for a tournament. I've been up all night so I could drive him to his school to catch the team bus, and haven't been able to sleep since. So, that article was the right thing at the right time! Their parents should be very proud of them!