Bleeding Heart

"My heart bleeds" ... for so many reasons.  It's October which means it's Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Which my sister & daughter both volunteer for, my sister's dedication to the cause is inspiring.  I love that my daughter willingly gives her Mother's Day weekend to volunteer with my sister and sometimes my brother for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.  I am supporting it in a smaller way.  For the month of October  will donate 20% of the proceeds of all jewelry in my Etsy shop and all pink items.  A dear friend bought a necklace as soon as she heard - thank you Karen!!! There are still more pink necklaces listed Pretty in Pink Breast Cancer necklace

The news has had too many stories that make my heart bleed.  The dictionary says a "bleeding heart" is a person who shows extravagant sympathy especially for an object of alleged persecution.  That works for me.  The stories of all those poor kids being tormented, beaten, outed for being different.  Not all of them were or are gay, bullies don't need or want facts their fear of people who are "different" is often enough to make them lash out and hurt people.  Why???  Who knows, I bet there are more reasons than there are bullies or kids being bullied.  Karen and I were bullied as kids, it made me stronger and more sensitive, but I don't want anyone else to have to endure it.  Some kids who are bullied turn around and bully others.  When my kids have been bullied or witnessed bullying I have tried to discuss possible reasons the bullies do what they do, and reassure them that it will get better, as people mature there are fewer bullies in any given group.  I wish I could say that there are no adult bullies, but most of us have worked with or for a bully at some time in our lives.  But most of us find a way to cope or move on to a different job/school.

I have been moved by some of the beautiful videos made for the "It Gets Better" campaign.  While listing a new Rainbow Pride Necklace in my Etsy shop this week I was inspired to make a treasury with that theme.

It gets better

It Gets Better

The response to this treasury was overwhelming to me, for a little while it was ranked "hot" enough to make it to the front page of the treasuries.  Many of the comments made me cry, and some made me proud.  Among the comments came some new information to me, there is a  QueerEtsyStreetTeam , they have a shop.  All of the proceeds of this shop support the Trevor Project.  The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

I don't ask you to support any of my causes, but that you take a moment to support a cause that your care about.  No matter how small your gesture of support may be it will make a difference.