Live. Laugh. Love. Empower.

As I sit here, pondering the possible individuals I'd like to write about, I bring my focus back to the revised title of my blog, also the title of this post. Live-I am living life, achieving goals, and being the role model I truly want to be for my son. Laugh-Without laughter, life wouldn't be interesting...which means I haven't been "living" my life, as most of my laughter comes from reminiscing about events from my past. I live for laughter. Love-So much love to give, it may seem overwhelming to some; Everyone yearns to be loved by someone, so why not extend it? Loving what you DO is critical and helps establish your purpose in life. Empower-Confidence, Courage, Integrity, Responsibility, Self-Discipline...the list could go on and on. The four verbs are appropriately linked to one another, and I've chosen them to represent me, my daily goals on my CGA service trips, and my hopes for all individuals with whom I come into contact. My heart bursts with joy and pride as I observe Jack, Creek, Gena, AJ, Schariar, Keavy, Haley and Nicole living one of their dreams, laughing and smiling with orphans, and sharing their unconditional love. But undoubtedly the most thrilling of all, I am beginning to notice an essence of empowerment transpiring from within each one of them. They are in a developing country, making their own decisions, learning from their mistakes, celebrating their successes, reflecting on personal strengths and weaknesses-I am so proud of them! 


Sopia & Samean (pronounced so-pee-uh & som-ey-on)
Two young males afflicted by blindness, Sopia and Samean are inspiring individuals that have been dealt a tough hands of cards in life. At age 4, Sopia not only lost his sight as a result of a landmine detonation, but lost his good friend and relationship with his family. At 1.5 years, Samean was plagued with a double eye infection, and after administration of antibiotic eyedrops at the doctor, he lost his sight as well. Lisamarie and I sat down with both young men today, gathering their stories with the assistance of Meng, our translator and sophisticated, young lady of 23 years. The boys are living their lives as  staff members & musical directors at CPO, and have been for over 7 years. They both have family, but rarely hear from them. While listening to their stories, I tried to fathom what life would be like without the sense of sight-I am grateful. Talented musicians indeed, I asked them what else they loved-the reply: "nothing."  My heart cringed at this moment in time, but they must have heard my disheartening sigh, because then they laughed and said, "It's okay, we love music." It's obvious that music is their purpose in life, and they feel empowered by their abilities. Sopia & Samean are valued and respected at CGO, and also by myself and the Children's Global Alliance community. 


Please...
Be grateful for your strengths, yet acknowledge your areas for improvement. We are all vulnerable in one aspect or another, so remember to live, laugh, love, and empower another to face life with courage and integrity. We are all capable of great things!
xoxo
jen