For Purpose Kids Blog

My Mom is a HUGE Willie Nelson fan, so I grew up listening to this song.  And yes, I took a few liberties with the title and even included an “unkind” word, which could be considered a bit risqué for someone with a kids’ brand.  But I assure you, that language is meant for you- to catch your attention.  It, or any words like it, are not used in any of our Toolkits for your kiddos (I promise!)- although I have to admit my son has probably heard me say it a time or two.  But the message is clear and I know you know what I'm talking about.

So- here we are, discussing how scary it is to be raising a son in today’s world. 

But not for the reason that you may be thinking.  It’s scary for me- because of the overwhelming responsibility I feel to raise a compassionate and empathetic little boy that treats everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, with respect and kindness.

And it’s hard.

On this week’s blog, we're so excited to feature our first “Guest Blogger”, a For-Purpose Mom in Pennsylvania, who ordered our Annual Subscription and started to incorporate ways of doing good in the world with her family and community.  Jolene is a perfect example of how families can begin to make a difference in the world, one kind activity at a time.

Jolene Leisure, in her own words:

Growing up, I always thought I would do big things.

Head to Africa and adopt a child? I'll get my passport.  Donate a kidney to a friend in need? Sign me up! 

But as time goes on and I realize how much I want to focus on my family, and I realize those huge aspirations are not right for this season of life. There are weeks that even volunteering in my local community is challenging.

One way that I've been really grateful to impact my local community and my family at the same time is to serve as a leader in many of my children's activities.

Hear ye, hear ye- another For-Purpose Kid is born! 

YES!  Princess Kate gave birth on Monday to Royal Baby #3, a bouncing baby boy whose name is still TBD, although the “experts” are saying that Arthur, Albert & James are the most likely (at least that’s what people are betting on in the UK).

I’ve always been fascinated by everything “Royal Family”

…and even have the commemorative spoons and mugs to prove it. 

Perhaps it stems from the year I lived in London after college, or perhaps it’s because I grew up like most girls in the US, where the idea of being a princess sounded magical and wonderful. 

However, most of us have grown up now and have realized, along with the many stories written about fallen princesses, that being a princess is probably a great deal harder than it looks.

With that being said, there is something so relatable and “down to earth” about Prince William and Princess Kate and like most of the world, I’ve become captivated by them, and the royal family, once again. 

STW, STN, STW, STR & STGTTIN…WTH?

Yep…it’s all the rage this year.  Have you figured it out yet?  No, well let me help you out.

It’s the cool way of referring to the 4 Gift Challenge you may have heard about, the…

“Something They Want, Something They Need, Something To Wear, Something To Read” approach to gift giving. 

But wait, there are still a few more letters there that we didn’t explain.  Oh yes, that’s because we added a 5^th “Gift” to the 4 Gift Challenge.

Can you guess what that might be?  Yes, of course! It’s the…

“Something to Give to Those in Need.”

 An idea that fits in so nicely with everything we do here at For-Purpose Kids.

(And the WTH…if you don’t know what that means, you’ll have to figure it out for yourself!)

I came upon this idea within the last year or two, but this will be the first year that I actually try and do it.  And I’m lucky, as this will only be my son’s second holiday season, so it will be easy for me to set the precedent this year without yells and screams of, “Where are all of the presents?”

When I first found out I was pregnant almost two years ago to the day, I not only realized that my life was going to be forever changed, but that the dynamic in my family was also going to shift.  As one of four girls, my son was going to be the first grandchild on my side.  And while I knew this was going to be significant, I had NO idea what that was actually going to mean. 

My parents had never pressured us to have kids or whined continuously that they were not yet grandparents, so even though they were excited, I never thought they’d be the type to be constantly showing their friends (or the cashier at the grocery store!) the latest pictures from Facebook.

 But I was wrong. 

And to say this shocked my Mom most of all, is most definitely a true statement.  She became “obsessed” with this little man in a way none of us expected. 

This past weekend, in Charlottesville, Virginia, a group of people gathered to protest the removal of a statue that the city felt had come to represent values that no longer reflected the sentiments of its’ people.  The protesters proudly carried symbols and signs of hate, chanting words that honestly, most of us never thought would be spoken again. 

THAT…is The Ugly…the thing we don’t want to acknowledge is still happening and don’t want to look at.

A city that I used to associate with The Dave Matthews Band and that some of my friends used to refer to as the home of THE University (although, as a JMU Grad, I would beg to differ)…has now become another example of a country some would say has gone mad.

And a young woman, named Heather Heyer, died- and several others were injured.

THAT is The Bad…the TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD, BAD.

Do we have you singing our blog title in your head right now?  GOOD!  That means we got your attention.

For some of us…the summer is half over.

We are well into the month of July, have eaten at least 5 S’mores (if you don’t know what those are, you are MISSING OUT!), have given up screaming at the kids to pick up their wet bathing suits off the floor and have probably glanced at the calendar wondering why school can’t start TOMORROW so we can get a break. OR…if you are like my Mom, you are trying to drag out each day just a liiiiittle bit longer so the time doesn’t come when the grandkids have to pack up and head back home.  Either way, the time is drifting by…

…and what do our kids have to show for it (and high scores on video games don’t count!)?

June 1, 2017 (or doomsday, as I like to refer to it) will go down in history as a day to remember…but probably not in a good way.  It will signify the day that the United States announced that it was withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, and as you can see- one of the For-Purpose Kids is pretty upset about it.

Wait…what just happened?