Showing posts with label big brothers big sisters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label big brothers big sisters. Show all posts

Monday, May 2, 2016

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - Y is for Yes and Z is for Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Day

I fell a bit behind on the last two letters, but here they are. 

First, though, I'll explain B(e) Kind 366. It's a project I've been planning for a few years now that started on January 1st of 2016. Every day this year (366 days) I'm performing an act of kindness (random or otherwise), doing a monthly challenge of some sort, and raising funds for three charities that have effected my life: World University Service of Canada, The Women's Resource Centre, and the Canadian Cancer Society. 

I blogged A-Z last year with lists of potential acts. Here's the W, X, Y, and Z post from last year. I got sick near the end of last year's challenge so I had to write a couple of posts that included more than one letter. 

As for this year, Y is for Yes and Z is for Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Day! I came up with these because I had two really great days. I didn't do acts of kindness that start with Y or Z - mostly because there are a limited number of ideas under those letters. What I did do on those two days was so amazing that I decided "Yes" and "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Day" were good descriptors of how I felt. 

On Friday  afternoon I participated in Indigenous ceremony and completed a hand drum at The Women's Resource Centre (one of the organizations I am raising funds for). I learned so much from the grandmothers who facilitated the workshop. The drums are comprised of two spirits: the buffalo's whose hide we used for the face of the drum and the tree's whose wood we used for the frame. Once the drums were completed, we feasted them with water and berries. They will be awakened in another ceremony on Thursday. I cannot wait!

Later in the evening on Friday, I spent time with some of the incredible people that make up World University Service of Canada (or WUSC and one of the other organizations B(e) Kind 366 is in place to raise funds for). There are sponsored students who fled countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan in this photo. We had an "end of the school year" bbq and I sat and listened to discussions about life in the refugee camps and the politics of a number of African nations - one of my favourite things to do!

On Saturday, I spent the evening with my "Little" from Big Brothers Big Sisters. We went to an arcade and then made dinner together at my house. We watched a movie while we ate and on the way home he said to me, "I had a lot of fun today. How long do you think I'll be with you guys?" That melted my heart!  -- My Oh My What a Wonderful Day! --

For more excitement, stop by my G is for Giveaway post and enter to win a Blind Date with a Book!

Saturday, April 2, 2016

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - B is for Birthday

The letter B is my favourite letter. I'm sure you can guess why -- my name is Brandy after all! B is also for B(e) Kind 366 and if you've never visited before B(e) is a play on my nickname - "B" - and being kind! B(e) Kind 366 has been years in the making, but 2016 is finally here and I am doing an act of kindness, random or otherwise, every day of this year.

In 2015 I blogged A-Z with lists of acts of kindness for every letter of the alphabet. Here's a link to last year's B list: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with B.

This year the act of kindness I perform on each day of the A-Z Challenge corresponds with the letter of the alphabet for that day of the challenge.

Today B is for Birthday - or better yet, "buy someone birthday dinner."

It's one of my friend's birthday's today so I bought him dinner. To be honest I didn't actually make it to the restaurant, but my husband did and I gave him my debit card to pay for dinner. This particular act wasn't on last year's list, but with 366 different acts to perform, I find myself coming up with a number of acts not on my lists!

One thing that was listed was Big Brothers Big Sisters. Saturday is also the day that my husband and I take our "Little" out. We became a Big Couple earlier this year and it's one of the best things we've done. Today we took him to the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair.

All in all today was a great "B" day!