Move Over Mother Teresa

Momma & I rockin finger staches

November, akin to any month, has many traditions and represents many causes. As a mustache adorer, what's not to love about No Shave November? Other important events include Election Day (this year),  National Novel Writing Month, and Thanksgiving. I value the rights and freedoms that men and women died for us to have and so every 4th November I exercise my right to vote. Writing is clearly a love of mine and November also holds Book Lovers Day along with promoting novels.

Obviously we all know and celebrate Thanksgiving at the culmination of this lovely month. Tradition holds that individuals think of reasons they are thankful during the time leading up to the giant feasts. This month I am challenging myself to give 30 people a reason to be thankful when they sit down to their turkey and mashed potatoes this year.

My favorite working his stache

Each year as Thanksgiving rolls around I find myself extremely thankful for the vast amount of blessings in my own life. But this time I want to focus on others and how to make their lives a little bit better and give others a reason to smile and be thankful this holiday. November has 30 days and so I am going to do one kind deed every day this month.

If you know anything about me, you know I love mustaches, Einstein and Mother Teresa. I am inspired by the astute wisdom of Mother Teresa, "In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love." This November I want to live out these words.

Day 1: Gave blood to the Red Cross - More than ever the Red Cross needs blood donations to counteract the large quantity of cancelled blood drives and to aid those affected by Hurricane Sandy

Day 2: I volunteered to work at the Fall Festival of the school I was teaching at during my internship. I spent my Friday night encouraging little kids at the ring toss and being silly with the other 5th grade teachers and my students. I think it is so important to show your students how much you care about them.

Day 3: I drove my intoxicated friend home at 4am. I helped convince him to not get behind the wheel of his own car. Any time we can take those few extra minutes to make sure someone gets home safe is worth it every single time.

Day 4: Bought a pair of TOMS Shoes - This organization has offered assistance to children and people in under-developed countries by providing shoes and eyesight based on their one-for-one program. I even alluded to my love for Einstein by purchasing a math themed shoe!

Day 5: I donated "kicks" to the Red Cross, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the AE Foundation and Live, Learn & Thrive. There is an app called Shopkick for the iphone that lets you earn kicks anytime you shop, enter a store, or look through deals for a store. The earned kicks can be converted into money to spend at stores, the gas station, or donate to worthy causes. I decided to use my kicks to give money to the Red Cross and to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Day 6: Exercised my right to vote. Men and women have dedicated and sacrificed their lives so we have the opportunity and privilege to participate in our electoral process. Don't waste their efforts by being too lazy or apathetic to educate yourself and help make a difference. I also brought donuts to the volunteers working the polls this morning as a thank you.

Day 7: Donated clothing and books to Goodwill to help those in need. Goodwill's mission statement summarizes their intent, "Goodwill works to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work."

Day 8: I stayed after school with some sweet tunes and a smile to clean and organize the classroom of my cooperating teacher. This is a really simple and easy way to show him that I appreciate all he is teaching me and how he welcomed me into his classroom.

Day 9: Have you ever had a teacher who changed your life for the better? I have. Mrs. Teresa Willis was my 2nd grade teacher and she inspired me on many levels. In her classroom she encouraged reading and creativity and celebrated my personality instead of being angry at me for who I was. I thrived in her classroom and she is a large reason why I want to be a teacher today. I wrote her a personal letter thanking her for everything she did as a teacher.

Day 10: Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful organization. I decided to spend my Saturday volunteering on one of their construction sites. Habitat gives families homes, but more importantly they provide these families with hope. I installed siding on this home, trimmed dry-wall, helped create the foundation for concrete steps and more. I actually worked with a woman who was getting a home of her own soon!

Day 11: My roommate and I had a dinner date tonight. I won 10% off the meal at the restaurant we went to and shared it with him. I also offered to drive. I know it is trivial, but sometimes just being the person to drive is a nice gesture.

Day 12: Donated a flock of chickens to a family in an underdeveloped country. This is made possible through Heifer International whose mission is to eliminate hunger and poverty around the world. This gift is inexpensive to maintain and provides food and a source of income for a family in need.

RJ & Bur

Day 13: Duke basketball is a huge love of mine and I took a  roadtrip with my 2 best friends (Bur & RJ) to Atlanta to watch my beloved Blue Devils play. (And yes they beat KY...just saying) Since my friend drove I opted to pay for our event parking. I was sure to thank Bur for driving and let him know I was appreciative.

Day 14: Today I had a hankering for Krystals and so I used my lapse in dietary restraint to perform another act of kindness. I paid for the couple in line behind me at the drive-thru. Only cost me $6 but having been on the receiving end of the drive-thru donation I can attest that it boosted my spirits and I hope it did the same for the couple behind me.

Day 15: Another teacher at the school I work at was going through the lunch line and was $0.50 short of the amount she owed. I gave her the extra so she wouldn't have to walk all the way back to her classroom and out to her car to find the change. It is really simple things like this that we can contribute daily. A simple kind gesture can go a long way.

Day 16: I held the door for several people behind me after school. This was one of the easiest ways to be nice and is something that almost everyone can do on a daily basis. I love simple acts that can put a smile on someone's face.

Day 17: I Walk. I Give. To Help Kids Live. This Morning HB (sister) and I walked to help raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude is an integral part of the West Tennessee community and does so much to help children. I spent a couple hours in the cold so that the important mission of St. Jude can continue to thrive.

Day 18: Clean the apartment. My roommate is taking a ton of hours this semester and as busy as I am. I am pretty neat, but he is relatively messy. I am going to clean the apartment and not mention it. The last part is the most kind. No one wants to listen to someone brag about doing something nice. I think the key element to successful giving is being silently selfless.

Day 19: Write a letter to my adopted soldier. Adopt A US Soldier is an organization that connects service men and service women to civilians in a pen pal format. Spending 5 minutes to write a letter or send a care package is a small way to thank those selfless and brave men and women keeping our country safe.

Day 20: I was at Walmart shopping and let someone cut me in line at the check out. They had fewer items and I had time to give.

Day 21: Food. Every holiday my Momma and little sister Em slave in the kitchen cooking up delicious goodies for the rest of our family. This holiday I wanted to let them have a moment to rest and enjoy the meal. I am going to cook for everyone in my family Wednesday night. This is a gesture that can cost as much or as little as you like and can be as quick or time consuming as you desire. The act of cooking for someone allows them a moment to rest after a long day.

Day 22: Happy Turkey Day! No one comes running to the sink when it's time to do the dishes. This is a chore that few people enjoy and I am going to take advantage of that. Getting my hands dirty while cleaning the dishes is an excellent application of Mother Teresa's quote. I helped clear the table and put away some left over food.

Day 23: Christmas came early and mi madre purchased an iphone for herself and my littlest sister. My mother is technologically challenged so I set up and showed her how to work the basic parts of her phone. I even added her the essential apps of facebook, email, ESPN, and cbssports. Now all she has to do is click the app, the passwords and settings are already in place.

Day 24: Sarah, my sister, is the mother of 2 adorable children and is an elementary school art teacher. Her entire life is surrounded by children. I am heading home for Thanksgiving break and decided to treat her to an adult night out on the town. (We are from a tiny town so we are limited) She really enjoys the Twilight series and her husband, Evan, would rather do anything else than watch those movies so I am going to treat her to dinner and a cheesy movie. A little break from the kiddos will do anyone good. And on top of being nice, I get the added benefit of hanging out with one of my best friends :D

Day 25: I brought the paper in when I got home so that when my parents woke up it would be waiting for them in the kitchen and neither of them would have to go outside in the cold to walk down to the end of the driveway to get it.

Day 26: Every year men and women selflessly stand outside in the elements and ring that little gold bell to help raise money for The Salvation Army. This year I decided to pause and drop some change in the bucket. Every little bit helps and this organization does so much good, why wouldn't they deserve my spare change?!?

Day 27: Heading toward my house tonight I was caught in traffic and noticed a vehicle trying to make their way into the long line of cars. I stopped and let them in front of me. This took literally 5 extra seconds, but saved that car from waiting for a while. It is the little things we do in our day to day lives that can add a smile to someone else's life and make the world a better place.

Day 28: Tonight at church a family was telling the story of how they were called to missions in Costa Rica and about the journey they would be taking beginning in January. This brave family of 4 are giving up the comforts of home to live in a small home with electricity only 4 hours per day. The church I attend was taking up a collection to provide them with a generator so they could have a refrigerator. I donated a few dollars to help this giving family have a small comfort in their new environment.

Day 29: There are 4 girls in my Reading Intervention group and we completed the book Earthquake Terror today, which they all strongly disliked. I don't blame them it was super boring, but I came in after the book was already selected so I had no choice, but to see it through. Today I bought each 5th grader a notebook for them to have and write in during this class period. I asked their favorite colors and interests so I can buy ones they will like. I also used this information to pick out a book they might enjoy more during our next reading.

Day 30: The Nashville Rescue Mission is a wonderful organization that I have had the pleasure to work with before during a benefit concert at Rocketown (also an amazing place) during an internship I had there. When I opted to do kind things I knew that the Nashville Rescue Mission would provide ample opportunity. I chose to work in their soup kitchen tonight and serve homeless men. I wanted to do some service where I was dealing firsthand with individuals needing help. I think putting a face to a problem makes it more real and helps anyone to want to do more.

"In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love." I repeat this Mother Teresa quote to summarize this November. After spending 30 days doing kind things for others I found myself looking for nice things to do throughout the day. I also realized that it is extremely easy to find ways to be kind. I encourage you to challenge yourself to one deed of kindness a month and see how much happier you become; to that I can attest. I'll leave you with several quotes by the selfless woman who inspired this journey, Mother Teresa.

"It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters."

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one."

"We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do."