Women Who Make a Difference!!!

ALL women make a difference.  Some make more of a difference than others and, sometimes, the difference made isn't positive, unfortunately. 

Today I'm writing about one particular woman who has made a tremendous difference in a very positive way. 

After church today, I went by the post office for the first time in a few days, and there was my very first issue of TOWN AND COUNTRY magazine.  Even though it's only January 10th, this is the February issue, and it features Cindy Crawford on the cover.

I quickly flipped through the pages, because I knew this issue was paying tribute to specific women who have had an extremely positive impact on others.  Finally, I found what I was looking for on page 44:

That woman is my baby sister, and she's one of my heroes - AND she's one of four women honored by Longines in TOWN AND COUNTRY as "Women Who Make a Difference."

Here's the introduction in the magazine: 

At Longines, "Elegance is an attitude."  It reminds us that grace, style, and soul are the qualities that make a women elegant.  Nowhere are those traits more on display than when a woman devotes herself to making a difference in someone else's life.  The following four women are the epitome of elegance.  They champion those less fortunate and tirelessly work to make this a better place to live.

The four who are recognized are these: 

1)  tennis star Stefanie Graf as the founder of of Children for Tomorrow, an organization which helps children and families who are victims of various kinds of violence; she is the Longines Ambassador of Elegance; 

2) Deloris Jordan, mother of basketball great Michael Jordan, as founder of The James Jordan Foundation, which supports academic opportunities and academic excellence through several of its programs; 

3) Leila de Bruyne, founder of Flying Kites, an organization which provides care for Kenyan children who have been abused, orphaned and/or abandoned; and

4) Lorri Shealy Unumb, my above-pictured hero.

And because she is, of course, my favorite honoree, I'm sharing what was published about her, for fear of doing too much gushing on my own:

Lorri Unumb is the driving force behind Ryan's Law - the single most influential piece of legislation for families living with the hardships of autism.  Lorri's son Ryan was diagnosed with autism in 2003.  Early in their journey, Lorri learned that insurance companies did not cover treatment for autism.  Lorri, a practicing lawyer, soon began her historic battle with insurance companies and state governments to get autism treatment covered.  Her first victory was in her home state of South Carolina, where insurance companies are now compelled to pay for the treatment of autism.  

Lorri has played an active role in changing legislation in other states, and today 15 states have enacted their own versions of Ryan's Law.  In 2008 Lorri joined Autism Speaks as its senior policy advisor and counsel, a role in which she supports and advises other activists in this worthy cause. 

 
Lorri and the many, many volunteers she recruited worked hard for over two years to get Ryan's Law passed in South Carolina.  Then, when it was finally passed, Governor Mark Sanford vetoed it!  Once again, Lorri and troops rallied; the House of Representatives voted unanimously to override the governor's veto!!   As of former state legislator, I know that it is very unusual for a legislature to do much of anything unanimously and almost unheard of for a legislative body to override a governor's veto unanimously.

During this same time period, she was voted "Professor of the Year" by the student bar association at the Charleston School of Law and was honored with the Jefferson Award by The Post and Courier, Charleston's daily newspaper.  All the while, she was traveling to other states to help with legislative efforts in those places AND she and Dan added to the family with Christopher and then Jonathan. 

If you ask me, Lorri should have been on the cover instead of - or along with - Cindy Crawford! 


I used to take care of Ryan a lot.  This collage shows several pictures of us together. The second photo is a close-up of Ryan a few years ago; the third is about two years ago at Jonathan's baptism, then one of Lorri and Ryan, followed by shots from the Autism Walk in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/ for more information about autism.

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I Remember Hugo: Twenty Years Later

Twenty years ago tonight, Hurricane Hugo came ashore in coastal South Carolina and then moved inland.

At the time I was a member of the SC state senate. The district I represented bore the brunt of Hugo. It was a long but relatively narrow district along the coast, including McClellanville, Awendaw, Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island, Mt. Pleasant, Folly Beach, James Island, Johns Island, Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island and surrounding areas.

As much as I like to write, I just can’t think of the words to adequately describe how ravaged the area was, how extensive the damage was. It was just beyond comprehension.  In South Carolina, 13 lives were lost.

Where there used to be a home, there was a single chimney or perhaps just the remnants of a bathroom. Another house was literally split in two. There were mattresses in what used to be front yards. Thousands and thousands of trees were upended. Trees made holes in rooftops – where rooftops remained. The only bridge leading to Sullivan’s Island and on to the Isle of Palms was damaged and could not be used. People could not return to their homes, or even visit to find out if their homes remained. Water flooded many homes that actually remained standing.

I could go on and on and on about the devastation, because it certainly went on and on; it was widespread and far-reaching. Instead, I want to share three particular remembrances.

Within days, I went up in a Black Hawk helicopter with Billy Graham, Gov. Carroll Campbell and Rep. Harry Hallman. We looked at the destruction from the air. What a view that was! Billy Graham, who certainly has traveled throughout the world, said it was the most extensive destruction he had ever viewed.

A second vivid memory is the spirit of community that came out of this terrible event. People helped each other. People worked together. There was a charitable, giving, caring, helping spirit among all. For weeks many of us didn’t have electricity and water. We were all dirty together. Neighbors shared food, chain saws, the much-treasured ice and water. It was a heart-warming experience.  At our home, since we had a large outdoor grill, families gathered nightly for food.  People brought food from freezers that were no longer working and we all cooked and ate together.  And churches that could be used were used.  People returned to worship services in tremendous numbers.

The third memory is of a sight in the small fishing village of McClellanville. In the midst of piles and piles of rubble that used to be homes, someone had planted a large American flag. It represented the epitome of the American spirit. It said, “We are going to be okay.”

It took many, many months, even years, but, yes, we eventually were okay. People joined hands and made it through those times which, at first, seemed overwhelming and almost insurmountable.

 
 
 
Flickr photos by scmikeburton, band4atl, japee and michelinecallicot.

It's "If" Again - and There's a Reason

This is a repost. Someone left a comment in a foreign language. Unfortunately, I approved it without checking into it. As it turned out it was a link to an x-rated site. Because the comment was old, I couldn't simply delete the comment, or at least I didn't know how to do so. I deleted the entire post but am sharing it once again. What a lesson I've learned, though. Never, ever approve comments without knowing what they say, regardless of the language.



Just about everyone is familiar with Rudyard Kipling's "If." When I was in high school, we had to memorize that poem.
Gale Baker Stanton wrote the following that she called "If For Girls." I heard it years ago as a teenager and have just run across it again. It's worth sharing.





"If" For Girls (and Women)

If you can trust yourself though others doubt you
And conquer fears that limit what you dare
So you can freely give to those about you
The skills and talents that are yours to share;


If you can live, not for your pleasure only,
But gladly lend your gentleness and grace
To warm the hearts of those whose lives are lonely
And help to make their world a better place;


If you can balance dreams with practicality
And deal in facts, but never lose ideals,
If you can face the harshness of reality
And find the truths that prejudice conceals;


If you can be courageous when defeated
And humble in the face of victory,
Or give your best until a task's completed,
However difficult that task may be;


If you can temper facts with understanding
And seek to gently guide, not to control,
And neither be too lax nor too demanding,
But keep in mind the worth of every soul...


If you can strive, not caring who gets credit,
And work at building bridges, and not walls,
Or hearing idle slander, just forget it
And never fail to help someone who falls;


If you can give your help without begrudging
The patience, time and effort you impart,
Or look at others' weakness without judging
And see, not with your eyes, but with your heart;


If you can take resources that surround you
And use them in the way you feel you should,
You'll be a woman...and all those around you
Will be the richer for your womanhood!

Gale Baker Stanton

WW: They Won!!!!

This photo isn't one that I took but it's one that represents so much more than most!






Perhaps you remember the post from several days ago - Bride-to-be - about my friend's daughter, Kimberly Wright. About a month after Cecil Bradstreet asked her to be his wife, she was diagnosed with Stage 3-C colon cancer.

She has been undergoing chemo treatments as part of this emotional roller coaster they have been on. In the meantime, the groom-to-be entered them into a Columbia, SC, TV station's "Dream Wedding" contest.

Two or three weeks ago, the couple learned they were finalists -- one of four couples. The winner would be determined by votes from the public. Some of this blog's readers let me know they voted online.

Early this morning, Kimberly and Cecil were announced as the winning couple!!!

Here is this morning's e-mail from her happy father:

Hello Everyone!
Just a quick note to tell you that my daughter, Kimberly Wright, and her fiancee, Cecil Bradstreet, were announced this morning as the winners of the WIS-TV "Dream Wedding" Giveaway at The Mitchell House in Lexington! They appeared live-and-in-person this morning at about 6:45AM when they were officially announced! They have selected Saturday, December 26th as the date for their wedding, because that date falls on the "off-week" between her 10th and 11th chemotherapy treatments.
Thank you for helping me help them make their dream come true! You truly played a great part in this!
You're the best!
God Bless!
David

Her father, by the way, is a cancer survivor.

Thanks to all of you readers who took time to vote!!!



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Other Wordless Wednesday participants.
Other Wordful Wednesday participants.

Are There Horses in Your Life?

Jane sent the following. I liked it so much, I decided to share!

There is a field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse.

But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse you will discover that he is blind.

His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but instead has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.

If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two horses, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....

Good friends are like that... you may not always see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

And remember...be kinder than necessary - everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly.....Leave the rest to God...

Quilts, Art & Bras!

Members of Quilters of South Carolina have created one-of-a-kind bras for Breast Cancer Awareness.


The traveling exhibit consists of forty-nine original works of art which are unique, entertaining, humorous and beautiful to make the public aware of breast cancer, to memorialize those lost to the disease, and to honor survivors.


Kudos to the Quilters of SC! Very creative!!


The bras are on tour in SC and will be through October of this year. After that, they will be auctioned off.


Sports Bra

Look at Them Melons

Boobs in Bloom Bra

Two Cans Bra

Buttons Bra



Nursing Bra

Lily Padded Bra

Support Your Favorite Boob Bra

These are just a few of the "Artfull Bras." To see more, click here. This site has the names of the talented women who have created this handiwork. I think there are about 40 of them. They are terrific!

And to read my post about getting fitted for a bra, click here.

PS -- Click on the comments to see what others are saying about these artsy bras!

A True Story in the Spirit of Christmas Giving

In Greenville, South Carolina, there were two state employees named Ralph and Mike; both worked in and handled computers for the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities.
There were rumors of deep cuts in all state agencies and soon, those rumors, turned to fact. The Governor’s School was going to cut a certain number of employees.
Ralph, a state employee for just over 20 years and getting closer and closer to being able to retire, knew that he and Mike wouldn’t both be cut; it would necessary to have at least one person handling information/computer systems for this agency. Ralph also knew that one of them would be cut but he was the one with seniority.
Ralph volunteered to take the cut about a month ago. The agency head told him he would likely be spared since he had seniority, but Ralph insisted that he be the one cut.
Want to know why?
His friend and co-worker, Mike, had young children, including a three-year-old with autism. Ralph was aware of the costs of therapy and such for the child with autism; he knew the family likely could not provided what was needed if Mike lost his job.
Thanks to Ralph, Mike is still employed; Ralph Hanahan is looking for a job and hoping to find something before his unemployment benefits run out.
What a story, huh?

Here's the link to the story on ABC's Good Morning, America.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HolidayTheme/story?id=6509844&page=1