Wednesday, June 15, 2011

I Have Wings

Wings: a means of flight or rapid progress; the act or manner of flying; to take flight; under one's protection or in one's care

Hope: to believe, desire, or trust; the feeling that events will turn out for the best


On April 6th 2011, just over a month ago, I wrote a blog post entitled It Is Time.  In this post, I shared a very intimate part of my personal story.  I told of my past struggle with mental health, eating disorders, mood disorders, recklessness, and suicidal behavior.  (Look for the post in my archives, if you would like to read more…)   

…When I wrote this particular post, I started by posing two important questions.  I asked my readers to ask themselves, “Do I want to learn, to become more aware of myself and the people around me?  Am I capable of making a positive difference in the world?” 

After asking these questions, I told my story and then shared what I had learned throughout this journey.  I stated that even in our most desperate moments, there is nothing on this earth that we cannot live through.  There are no circumstances from which we cannot learn.   There is nothing that we cannot be touched, strengthened, or transformed by.  I wrote that even while we there are some things that we may not be able to do alone, we certainly are capable of accomplishing great feats together, and together, we may do anything we dedicate ourselves to.  We must trust in ourselves, in our loved ones, and in our abilities.  And we must trust in the power of greater good.  And, finally, we must trust that we can make a difference in this lifetime.     

In the conclusion of this post I wrote, “It is time to make a difference...It is time to embrace life and encourage others to do the same.  It is time to reach out, to show compassion.  It is time to be brave, to tell your stories, and share your feelings.  It is time to make a positive impact in your life and the lives of others.”

…My courageous and compassionate birds, I am so pleased to tell you that is precisely what so many of us have done!  Just after writing this blog post, approximately 15 men and women from New London – Spicer have come together to make a positive impact on our community.  We have joined hands, coming together despite having a plan, or even a concrete idea of what we would like to do together.  However, we did have our dreams.  And more importantly, we have a passion for a cause, and we have hope for our community and it's future.

This hope that is shared by these 15 men and women is the foundation of the group named Wings of Hope.  As a group, we have the very simple goal of spreading our love and reaching out to others.  We are committed to creating positive change for our community, and we are enthusiastic about what we are doing.  And while we may be a rather young group, we are full of new and exciting ideas, and we are fully dedicated to realizing our goals and living out our mission.

"And just what is your mission?" you ask? Well, my darling birds, I shall tell you!  The mission of Wings of Hope is quite simple:  Our mission is to embrace people by joining hands and spreading our wings, offering hope, love, healing and kindness to our community. We will do this by volunteering, reaching out, and creating neighborhood relationships.

…So tonight, my hopeful birds, rather than asking you to do something, I would like to say thank you.  Thank you for following along with me.  Thank you for your continuous support.  Thank you for the faith that you have in me, in yourselves, and in our fellow birds.  Thank you for being brave enough to join hands and having the courage to spread your wings. 

And thank you, most of all, for trusting that you can make a difference.  Continue to bestow your gifts of hope, love, healing, and kindness on to others.  And continue to embrace one another so that together we may fly.

.....

Ellie Otteson
Wings of Hope

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