An old proverb says a person can actually die two deaths. The first happens when your physical body dies; the second occurs when people stop mentioning your name. Mark and Susan Lacek felt strongly that they would not let this happen to their infant daughter, Faith, and that her brief time on this earth should have a legacy. This legacy is the creation of Faith’s Lodge, a place where hope grows.

Those coping with the death or medically complex condition of a child can find hope and strength for the future at Faith’s Lodge.  Not to forget; but to reflect. In its North Woods setting, Faith’s Lodge provides a peaceful escape for families to refresh their minds and spirits while spending time with others who understand what they are experiencing.

If you know of a grieving parent or a child with a medically complex condition, please share this resource…
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What can you do this year that will instantly make you smile without spending a penny and does not involve eating the right foods or giving up something you enjoy? Scattering kindness, paying it forward and helping others are a few phrases that describe a plethora of activities that create an opportunity to be the person who makes you feel good.

You probably are already doing lots of little things that make others smile.  So this might be the year when you simply do more of them.  Try to catch yourself in an act of kindness.  Notice how quickly you pick up something that someone has dropped but barely notice their smiling nod of thanks.  When you decide to let someone ahead of you in a busy store or driving down the freeway, do you feel proud for a moment because you  just did a little something good?

Simply keep …
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“I am kind wan I hlp my Mom” is what Kevin, a kindergartener at Partnership Academy wrote for his Kindness Project.  Students learned about some important aspects of being kind, like being a good listener and how to turn a frown upside down, in the book “K is for Kindness.”

Kindergarteners were excited to each receive a book of their own to take home and read with their family. This began a week of focusing on kindness where immediate responses to “what are you going to do to be kind” came many “share my toys” and “be nice to my family.”

Now these kind students are creating kindness books. Wonder what would happen if every adult completed a kindness project this week???

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The power of a smile has been documented by authors and singers since time immemorial. When we feel great, a smile comes naturally. It’s an outward sign of joy, happiness, appreciation, amusement, excitement, or contentment. Scientists have found that smiling on purpose can help people feel better. Smiling on purpose changes brain chemistry. So it can be a big help to people who are dealing with depression and anxiety. In one study, researchers discovered that people who intentionally smiled, ended up feeling happy.

Ron Gutman, CEO of Health Tap wrote an interesting article called “The Untapped Power Of Smiling.”  He referenced a study which examined the smiles of students in an old yearbook, and measured their well-being and success throughout their lives. By measuring the smiles in the photographs, the researchers were able to predict how fulfilling and long lasting their marriages would be, how highly they would score on …
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There are big thanks, like when you run out of gas on the highway and an angel appears with a tank full of gas, and little thanks, like every time you check out at the convenience store.   In all cases, aren’t we trying to communicate that we appreciate whatever the person has done, whether it’s their job or not? What we sometimes forget to do when our mouths spit out “thanks” is to look the person in the eye to acknowledge their positive presence in our day.

For the big thanks, we might want to especially reinforce those unsolicited actions of a person who saved us from a minor or major catastrophe. In those instances, heartfelt words like “you are my hero” or following up with a hand-written note, if at all possible, can create a great topic at the dinner table for the receiver.  And we’ve all probably read …
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