So...What's Next?!?

They Made Me Cry - Again

I had the honor to be a Table Captain for this mornings fundraiser breakfast for the Atlanta Children's Shelter.

Last year my friend Stacy Williams invited me to sit at her table. Besides the amazing people that I got to meet, I got to hear stories of moms who were homeless for various reasons, who had children to care for and needed a lift. These are educated, caring, wonderful women who hit a tough spot in their life and the shelter was able to help them through it.

That is a wonderful mission. However what hooked me last year was when I learned that the child care center is NAEYC accredited.

I was very fortunate to have my oldest son in a NAEYC accredited school until we moved to Atlanta. When he was in a day care that was not NAEYC accredited it was a huge difference, so much so that we made many sacrifices to find the budget to get him back in to a NAEYC accredited school. The same experience with my younger son in that I immediately made sure his day care was NAEYC accredited  but when the school changed owners and they chose not to renew the accreditation, the care and education noticeably suffered. I know first hand the quality, the cost, and the commitment it takes to have a NAEYC accredited child care center and I am amazed that the Atlanta Children's Shelter makes that commitment for the families who are going through a tough time.

As they played the video, I sat there fighting back the tears. Not just because there is a wonderful organization uplifting our society, not just because over the past year I have been able to be a part of their progress, but because this morning, as table captain, I was surrounded by people who were there because I invited them. People I wanted to share this experience with. People who I know would be touched this year the way I was last year. Today I got to pay it forward and that was truly an amazing experience.

Thank you:
Joe Koufman
Jeffrey Gold
Clint Bailey
Paul Terlmizian
Kyle Young
Alison Ilg
Kristin Colier

for sharing this with me this morning.

Inspirational Breakfast

Stacy and Matt Williams of Prominent Placement were wonderful enough to invite me to a fund raising breakfast for the Atlanta Children's Shelter which was held at 103 West this morning.

The event was incredible! The energy and smiles of all the people who have been involved with this organization the past 20+ years was contagious.

The kicker was when I was introduced to one of the morning speakers, a beautiful, well-spoken and educated young woman with ambitions to start her own non-profit. After speaking with her for a few moments, I learned she was a client of the shelter. It was at that moment the reality of potential homelessness for anyone hit me. But it was not a moment of dread - strangely it was a moment of hope.

We got to hear from board members and former clients and watch a video about the shelter.

The part that got me to whip out my checkbook was when I learned the child center was NAEYC accredited, because it was at that moment the value that this shelter was providing to the community really hit home.

When my oldest child was 2, my husband and I moved 8 hours away from our family to attend FSU. It was the first time I had to put my son in daycare. I was not thrilled with the one he was in and once he was potty trained my neighbor encouraged me to put him in the daycare in our neighborhood that was ran by FSU. My concern was that I was disrupting his routine again, shortly after the move - but I was not happy where he was at and so I switched.

That child care center was NAEYC accredited, which was not a big deal to me. The school was amazing and I accredited that to the director and the teachers and volunteers there.

When we moved to Atlanta, the teachers begged me to find another NAEYC accredited school. I did not take their advice, but chose a reputable "corporate" day care  center. For months my son cried every day for most of the day. Finally I took him out and found a NAECY accredited school and the change was amazing.

With my youngest, there was no question of whether or not the school should be NAEYC accredited. We found one, which shortly after a change of ownership chose not to maintain the accreditation. The quality standards slipped and many parents, including myself, pulled their child from the school.

I learned it is an incredibly challenging accreditation to get and maintain. As a young mom putting myself through school I know how blessed I was that FSU  offered such a service at a very low cost to their students. To know that women who are at a very hard transition point in their lives and have to care for themselves as well as  their children have the same opportunity I had for my children is amazing. It was a time to "pay it forward."

Once again I left inspired by the stories of the women who have bettered themselves and come out of some tremendous challenges, and by the people who not only stepped up to help, but to help with the highest standards of quality.

The Heart of a Parent

I was quite young when my oldest son was born. Not only that I had no experience with babies - none! I grew up as the youngest in the family and never really got into the whole babysitting scene. In fact, while I was still in the hospital with my son, I would make every excuse of why someone else had to change his diapers, because I did not want the nurses to know I did not know how to change diapers (boy did I learn though!)

I read everything I could before and after my son was born. However, in every bit of literature there always seemed to be information about SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) - which  could only cause a young, inexperienced mom to become very paranoid. I slept with my son in a bassinet next to me. I had a night light shining in on him, and I had the monitor close to his face so that I could hear him breathing, and I did not sleep - I listened to him breathe all night, getting up every time he turned his head causing me to not hear his breath through the monitor.

Obviously I was very blessed. My son is now 13 years old and has always been healthy. My youngest son I was not nearly as paranoid with and he has always been a healthy energetic boy.

However the one thing I learned as a new mom is that once you have experienced having the "heart of a parent" you can sincerely empathize with many heartfelt stories of other parents.

A very dear and wonderful person in my life is taking today to remember his twin boys. Amani Channel has produced a very moving video that documented their excitement throughout the pregnancy which only lasted 20 weeks. Their twin boys were born premature and were too young to make it through.

As a way to turn their "painful experience into something positive" Amani Channel and his wife have set up a March of Dimes fund in the memory of their twin sons, Rico and Jordan.

As a mom, with the heart of a parent, my thoughts and prayers and support are with Amani and his wife today.