"now you are six years old"

now giving you your life
it's a fair question
why i waited so long

i couldn't share with anyone
wonder if i have the right
express such anguish and joy

i moved where you would come and color
you learned to walk
you have that gift of bouncing back

you weren't a great walker
comfortable with falling

you thought falling was normal
almost never cried

"i'd like to see you run"
you really ran
fell over backwards

"you've got to learn to stop"
"but i'm learning to run!"

a reminder

it took a while to scrape over the cut

stinging

where was her release from?

a crumpled paper

read it again

searched

she found the letter

written for him

his writing was beautiful

he loved her

made her think being born wasn't so bad

"don't forget"

a clear head and heart

hope.

march 30 2012. a day of hope.

30 march 2012 will be the 6th year anniversary from when the first shirt of To Write Love On Her Arms was worn by jon foreman, lead singer of the band switchfoot.

the shirts had been made to help out a friend in need. because the story was one that many shared, it grew into a movement. it started out simply as a way to raise money for the help someone needed and to give hope to someone who'd forgotten hope was real.

now that same hope is shared all over the country and the world. people are finding out that they are not alone in their pain and others are learning that they aren't helpless when their loved ones feel like they're fighting a losing battle.

someone close to me wears TWLOHA shirts very often. he believes the things they say, but he believes them for himself and for others. against all odds. at risk of sounding naive or foolish. he chooses that risk over giving up on anyone. this passionate hope in the form of a t-shirt...it sounds silly but helped me talk about things for the first time.

for the first time i felt safe enough to open up to someone.

and he's still here.

why do you wear TWLOHA?

i have a TWLOHA that dogtag that i never take off. one side has lost almost all it graphic; i am onto my third chain for it. my boyfriend gave it to me a little less than two years. i was about to leave for a long hard summer and had already had a lot of problems in the months of school. he gave it to me to remember him, to remember to keep fighting and hoping. because we both knew what the message of TWLOHA meant to us individually and together.

since then the dogtag has been through almost as much pain and struggle as i have. i've spent many nights holding it and rubbing my thumb across it. remembering hope, remembering my boyfriend who's been walking through hell with me, and everyone else loving me.

the paint has chipped, i feel bumps in the necklace.

but now i just think it fits me even better now.

a lot of sleepless nights, desperate for comfort and begging God for some relief.

terrified of losing another battle with myself.

and then the morning comes, and i wake up.

my TWLOHA necklace hangs from my neck.

i'm alive.

i'm not alone.

i'm still moving.

i have a new day to live.

why do i wear TWLOHA? my best answer would be to show you my dogtag necklace. full of story. full of hope. full of love.

rescue is possible.

hope is not a myth.

you are not alone.

vigilance

gunshot wound to his leg

show of force

jagged scar from his lip

there's a gun in the building

he stood in front

like a human shield

his black eye becoming darker

they were out of range

part of the conspiracy

the man would not let violence erupt

his mind raced

it might be the gun

silent alarm

forgiveness

lost and blaming each other

introduced conflict

blame

become angry

the guilt breaks apart community

make peace with the blame

break the cycle of blame

instead of blaming

accept forgiveness

make peace with others

give and receive

Anthony Omari

this is an article from another blog. the blog itself is fairly accurate in the baseline information it provides on the featured person or character. the author adds insane exaggerations as a creative writing tool.

one other warning, there is some "colorful", "offensive", whatever label you prefer, he cusses throughout the article. the story is still amazing.

if you would prefer to skip the language, here's is the basic story. below are some links you can follow to learn more.

the story is about Anthony Omari, who lives in Kenya with his mothers. together they run an orphanage, the Faraja Children's Home in Ngong, Kenya. sadly it has frequently been broken into by thieves and other unsavory people. one particular night, the 4th break-in of the month, Omari took on 3 men with machetes, Omari bravely protected the orphans with a hammer, the only weapon he could manage. his face was cut but a blade and he was given stitches.

he survived and is still helping the orphans. word has gotten out and donations have been given from many different countries to help the orphaned and abandoned children. they now have adequate security and also been able to purchase beds for the children.

here are some other links to learn about Omari, the orphanage and donations.

maybe a soul lives off of hope

we emphasize hope.

HOPE.

a living hope.

we will love life

and see salvation of our souls.

love

with a pure heart

we can live with hope.

hope we have in our hearts

we know love.