Thank You

Dear readers,

I have just reached 1,642 pageviews. My goal at the very start of this blog was to get at least 500 pageviews, and, apparently, I've surpassed that. Having to change my goal was a great feeling, because I have achieved way more than I thought I could. But I couldn't have done this alone, well maybe I could have, just reloading and reloading my blog, but that's not the point. The point is that you, my readers, make an effort to check out what I do. Some of the best things you do are:

Image courtesy of The Chinese Quest

Voting on my polls. If I need inspiration, one of my tactics is to make a poll. Having a question and seeing what the majority thinks can inspire me to write. Whether I agree with it or not, I like finding out what my peers either want to see, are seeing, or believe. Polls are also just great to see what's up in the world. An example is my holiday poll. Around Christmas time (for me) I put up a poll to see what holidays others were celebrating. It was really cool to see the diversity in culture and religion we had right here. So, thank you.

Image courtesy of Spiritual Badass

Commenting. Getting feedback on how I'm doing and what I'm doing is really beneficial to me. I always like to know if I'm doing something wrong, just as much as it's nice to know if I'm doing something well. This makes me better for myself, and for you. Constructive criticism is always welcome because I want to be the best possible for you, my readers.

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Just reading my blog. Taking time out of your day to check out my blog makes me feel extraordinary. It doesn't matter if you give me two, five, or ten minutes. Just the thought of someone wanting to spend some of their precious time on me is superb. Whenever I check my stats and see that I've had a couple pageviews that day, I'm filled with a feeling of pride. Knowing that I'm even a small part of someone's day makes me feel valued.

Image courtesy of Kerigan

Once again, thank you. Thank you for voting. Thank you for commenting. Thank you for reading. Thank you for everything. I could never have done this without my amazing, incredible, magical, crazy, hilarious, and devoted readers.

Holiday Cheer

Allie, a seventeen year old girl with Down syndrome.

They say the holidays are a time for giving, and I definitely agree! This year I did a project called UAID. This was for kids with disabilities and special needs who live in institutions. They, along with their caregivers, fill out a slip with what they need and a couple things that they would like. The person we chose was named Allie and she has Down syndrome, the same thing my little brother has. She is 17 years old, but her intellectual age is 6. The difference between an age and an intellectual age is that your age is how long you have been on the Earth; an intellectual age is how old your mind is. It pertains to how you can function in society and how developed you are.

The crazy thing about this was that when I looked at what she wanted for Christmas, I was blown away. She needed socks, underwear, a shirt, a coat, a hat, gloves, sweatpants, and a hygiene kit. The only things that didn't seem necessary to her life were a One Direction CD and the Frozen DVD. It was incredible that their lists were filled with what we look at as the bare necessities. They needed what we take completely for granted. While I have a closet full of clothes, she just needed something different to wear.

To get her gifts, we drove to Walmart. It was awesome! It was super fun to go through the store to find stuff for her. We made sure that the coat, hat, and gloves would look good together, got clothes that were in bright colors, and even got one extra thing. When we were walking over to find the One Direction CD, we saw Frozen blankets. We couldn't hold back and got her the one with just Elsa. The reason it sounds like we almost didn't get wasn't because we didn't want to spend the money or something, but because, in the institution, they can get jealous. They share things like DVDs and CDs, but if one person gets the child they picked too many special, personal gifts, they others can get jealous. We decided to get it, because if she needed clothes and socks, she probably needs a nicer blanket too.

All in all, this was an amazing experience! There are so many different organizations and projects that people can donate to, and I recommend you do. It is so worth the happy feeling you get when you know that your presents really will be loved and that someone will be thankful for the hour and a half you spent running around a store for them. In conclusion, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and happy holidays!!!