Paw Print in the Sand...

On July 10th, 2011, I took OwieBowWowie to the beach. I wanted to see the impact of his paw print in the sand. Most would look at Owie and think that he is just a stuffed, plush, dog that is given to children in hospitals, but when I look at Owie I see more. I see dark eyes that smile, and a face that reminds me to live each day with purpose.  Because ultimately he was created for one thing... and that is love!

As we walked along the beach we noticed all the people who were walking in the sand, but didn't look down to notice the beautiful pebbles or the message they were sending...

Pebbles in the Sand

So, Owie and I decided we would see if we could change that. We picked up pebbles and began writing messages in the sand... We wanted others to find:

We wanted them to see...

And to know that if one digs deep enough...

They will...

That...

Change the world...

When we were done, Owie went and hid by the shore.

He wanted to see how long it would take for others to look down. To notice that hope and love were everywhere, and what he found...

A child noticed and turned from his father to see the message in the sand...

Then it happened...

Two girls started picking up pebbles and writing their own message in the sand.

Love just started to grow...

Then I had to pick up my pebbles to share my own message... Reminding everyone to keep going. To stop at nothing to accomplish their dreams...

Within a moment a man came up and asked me about Owie. "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you and your little friend are going along the beach writing messages in the sand?"

"Of course." I replied. "This is OwieBowWowie, and he was created to give love and comfort to children who are hospitalized and in need of a friend. We thought we would take the unnoticed pebbles and turn them into comfort."

"Do you really think it made a difference giving away words?" The man asked.

I thought for a moment and then smiled. Every time we get a donor, we send out a thank you card with this little story....

As the old man walked along the beach at dawn he noticed a youth ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Finally, catching up with the youth he asked, "Why are you throwing starfish into the sea?" The young boy turned and said, "The stranded starfish will die if left in the morning sun!" But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish," countered the old man. "How can your effort make any difference?" The young boy looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to the safety of the waves.

"It makes a difference to this one!"

So, the next time you see a...

Owie is sending you a simple reminder that he....

And never forget... It's never to late to give hope and love away...

To give today... please log onto: http://www.iloveowie.org/

As the sun sets...

It brings hope that tomorrow is going to be a better day... And when tomorrow arrives...

Don't forget to spread your wings and fly... 

Onward by faith...
Gina and Owie



How Many People Does It Take To Comfort 20 Million Children?

This past week I was thinking about the amount of time it takes to make something happen, and being the age that I am... always makes me think of the "age" old question that was posed in a Tootsie Pop commercial.

How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?

If you've never seen the commercial the dialogue is as follows.

A young boy begins:  "Mr. Cow... "

Mr. Cow: "Yeeeeesss?"

Boy: "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?"

Mr. Cow: "I don't know, I always end up biting. Ask Mr. Fox, for he's much clever than I."

Boy: "Mr. Fox, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?"

Mr. Fox: "Why don't you ask Mr. Turtle, for he's been around a lot longer than I? Me, heheh, I bite!"

Boy: "Mr. Turtle, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?"

Mr. Turtle: "I've never even made it without biting. Ask Mr. Owl, for he is the wisest of us all."

Boy: "Mr. Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?"

Mr. Owl: "A good question. Let's find out. A One... A two-HOO... A tha-three..."

Mr. Owl: "A Three!"

Boy: "If there's anything I can't stand, it's a smart owl."

Narrator:  "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? The world may never know."

The End!

Being in the comfort business, and daily... asking others to donate gifts of comfort to children who may never get a gift when they are ill, made me think. 

There are over 20 million children (per year) who are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, and there are days when I wonder how many people it will take to get every single one of those children their own OwieBowWowie!

Like a Tootsie Pop, if one bites the center too soon, yes... the taste is splendid, but then the experience is over. When we wait... have patience... and enjoy the journey, that's when we actually  see exactly how long it took to arrive somewhere.

I can't wait to see how long it will take to bring comfort and joy to the over 20 million children who are hospitalized. I'm learning that it's not about time, but about people, and I'm hoping that today... one more person takes a bite out of comfort, and one more child is comforted.

So, here we go.

How many people does it take to comfort 20 million children who are hospitalized?

One day... the world will know!

Onward by faith!
Gina

The Simplicity of Being Noticed...

Last week my granddaughter came for a visit. She was with me for four wonderful days, but she's nearly three so you can imagine that my time was spent keeping my eyes completely on her.

She is very busy, and loves life. She has no fear and wants to experience all that is within her reach!

One afternoon I took her to the mall. It was a cold day, so I figured I would take her to the little play area, and let her meet new friends.

What I discovered was amazing.

When we arrived there were 50 children all shoeless, running around, and each child toted a parent.  I so enjoyed watching her introduce herself to the other children, and loved when a child would fall she would stop running, and help the child up asking, "You okay?" When they would reply or nod, she would continue on running.

At one point she stood in the middle of the play area and started to sing. She was singing so loud that I began to walk near her to tell her to please be quiet, but then I noticed that no other parent even noticed she was singing. Each parent only had eyes  for their child, and that is when I realized why it's so important to give gifts of comfort to children we don't know.

If a child is hospitalized, and without a parent, than whose going to watch over them?

Then I started thinking about the word donor. On my drivers license reads: Donor. Which means... in the event of an actually emergency I would like to "donate" my eyes... my heart... my lungs... any part that another person can benefit from, I want them to have it.

And those who donate Owie's to children, donate the same things.

They give their eyes, and a child is watched over by Owie.
They give their heart... and a child is loved by Owie.
They give their lungs... and a child can breathe better knowing that someone loves them.

To all who "donate" to a child, may you truly know all that you give.

Onward!

Owie is loved...

Today I received an email from Beth, who is the Child Life Specialist at Northridge Hospital which read:

Hey Gina,

Just wanted to send you this picture from a very grateful patient. She loves her OwieBowWowie and has been carrying it with her everytime she leaves her room!

I immediately wrote her back and asked if I had permission to share her picture, and was told  permission granted.

                                             Owie with his new friend

She then included this note:

I want you to know what a difference her Owie made for her. She was highly anxious to be here in the hospital. Her mom said she could hardly get her to go to the doctor that day and sadly, after the doctors, she ended up here. She was very nervous and a little withdrawn, but after I gave her Owie she lite up and couldn't stop cuddling with it. Thank you so much for everything you do, I want you to know what a difference it really makes!

The reason I'm sharing this with you, is because each person needs to know how much your donation is appreciated by a child, their parents and the hospital staff.

While we can't promise to cure cancer, or solve the problems of the world... we can promise to make sure that each and every one of your donations will be "personally" delivered to the hands of a child who needs to find comfort.

We have no idea how the world would work if there wasn't such incredible people in it.

Praying all who reads this message... a wonderful day!

Onward!
Gina and Owie

A Mother's Heart!

Last night I was in my office working, listening to KLove Radio. I always listen to KLove because it plays the music of my heart.

Anyway, a mother named Jesse, came on the radio sharing her heart. Her daughter has cancer and is not doing well. In the midst of this mother's fear, she was trying to find "hope" and "faith!"

Being a mother myself I know firsthand that the thought of losing a child is a mother's worse nightmare. We give birth to our children hoping and praying that their lives become the better of what we hope for, and when the realization hits that our child is ill... where do we turn?

I've been blessed to experience the beauty of giving birth, the beauty of life, and to see the beauty of death, but there is no beauty when one feels that all their "hope" and "faith" is no where to be found.

I know that when one is at the end of their life they've only ever asked me two questions:

Is there a God?
Is there a heaven?

I believe that without God, there is no hope, and without hope, we have nothing to put our faith in.

So today... if anyone finds themselves reading "a mother's heart," please pray for all the mothers who are looking for "hope" and "faith" today. I know that sometimes it feels as if we'll never find it, but if we just keep going... we'll end up exactly where we're meant to be.

Onward by faith!

A Mother's Heart...

On Saturday I was in my office working when the phone rang.

"Hello!"

"Mom, this is Heidi. I'm calling to tell you that Shae passed out and hit her head on the concrete, and the ambulance is getting ready to take her to the hospital."

As a mother my heart stopped. Shae is my youngest daughter, and while she is not a "child"... she is my child.

I immediately got in my car and for over an hour my thoughts raced--- Would she be okay?
Would she have any brain damage?
Would I have to get her a helmet to wear so if this ever happened again, I could protect her?
Would my heart jump out of my chest before I arrived?

When I finally arrived, I found my "baby" tucked in the back room, wearing a neck and head brace, and her body wrapped from head-to-toe. I went to where I could see her face, and it wasn't until I saw her eyes, that I knew my baby was frightened. She was waiting to go get a CAT Scan on her head, and an x-ray on her neck, and has we waited for the results all I kept thinking was how one minute my child was out at the beach, enjoying her day, and the next... she was strapped to a hospital bed.

To keep her spirits high her sister kept taking pictures of her, (maybe to use later on her Facebook page) but whatever the reason- we found laughter within our worry.

After Shae had all her tests and we were told that she had a minor concussion, and that she needs to eat every few hours to keep her blood sugar alive and well, we were finally able to leave the hospital.

When I got in my car to drive back to her apartment I realized that a child's age has nothing to do with a mother's heart and wanting to comfort our children.

I then promised myself that from this day forward... Owie needs to be able to get to all the children. Made me realize how many children go to the hospital and then leave the same day. So, since I believe that all things happen for a reason, I believe her concussion will not be wasted, but used for good.

So, just know that if your child ever gets an owie, and you want to give them a gift of comfort… you know where to find us.

Onward by faith!

A "fur real" miracle...

Seems these days that everyone I run into say the same thing, "I could really use a miracle right now!"

I believe that each and everyone of us are given a job to do. Some are accountants, bankers, doctors, and yes... there are even those who aspire to be an Indian Chief. Each one of us has a dream to follow, and most are looking for the miracle to get us there.

A few months back I too way praying for a miracle. I needed to see that my dream of finding donors to comfort the 1,000 children at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles was possible. As I was asking for a miracle I felt a gentle breeze touch my shoulder and I looked out my office window.

What I saw?

A miracle.

Outside my window is a brick wall. There is no life that forms on my brick wall. It's the hottest place to be because it gets direct sun after 8:00 a.m. It's just simply... HOT!

I looked down and there I saw it. A Tomato plant was growing. Somehow a tiny seed had fallen through the crack between the brick wall and the concrete, and was growing. So, I decided to see how long it would grow.

Each morning, for the past few months, I've been walking outside to see the plant. I've looked over the fence to see that my neighbor has nothing but a rock pile behind the fence, so he hasn't been watering it. Where common sense would tell me that there is no way this plant should be able to grow, a plant is growing.

This morning I walked out, and there they were. Little, green tomatoes growing on the vine. The plant had produced its fruit.

So, today... if you think that despite all the odds that you are not able to do something that your heart KNOWS is the right thing to do, just know that despite all the odds, YOU WILL BE FRUITFUL!

And, if you've seed a miracle and you'd like to share it, please add it and share. Miracles are one of those things that we shouldn't keep to ourselves, but share them with the world!

Onward by faith!

Gina