Tag Archives: disability

Day 1981: #RAK16

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. – Lao Tzu

It’s 12 : 10 PM on day 1981 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 1 Timothy 6, learn one new thing – When you cut an onion, it releases a gas called, ready for this, Propanethiol S-oxide. When mixed with certain enzymes in the onion, it creates a sulfur gas. These gases then get to your eyes and create a mild acid which irritates the eyes. – watch Morning Live – yup you guessed it my hero without a cape Catherine Constantinides was on the show talking about her win at the Ubuntu Awards and her work with the #SaharawiPeople (my family often jokes that I only switch on the TV when Catherine’s on and I can’t even deny it because it’s the truth at this point i’m not even ashamed of it anybody who’s not a fan of Catherine’s has some serious problems LOL 🙂 I sincerely aspire to her humility and character) – have breakfast, and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Catherine Cook donated $25 (thanks SO MUCH Catherine your ongoing support means a lot ) which brings the total raised to $2 662 only $3 588 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Recently I took part in #RAK16 started by Brent Lindeque – the concept of RAK is simple: Do a good deed, post it on social media and nominate your friends to do good deeds too using #RAK16 at the end of your social media postings – my family (asked by me) handed out apples to the car guard and the lady who sells toothpicks outside our local frozen foods store. I nominate all you reading this to go out there and do random acts of kindness.

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Video about #RAK16

Day 1980: 21 Icons season 3 episode 21: Simphiwe Dana

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“I use my music to heal, I use my music to inform, and I use it to bring out that warm feeling inside, so I think I’m doing quite well with my freedom.” – Simphiwe Dana

It’s 12 : 03 PM on day 1980 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 1 Timothy 5, learn one new thing – Cold weather will cause some trees to explode by freezing the sap, because it contains water, which expands as it freezes, creating a sound like a gunshot. The sound is produced as the tree bark splits, with the wood contracting as the sap expands. –have breakfast, and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Tinuchechi and Jerynchachen donated $250 (thanks SO MUCH chechi and chachen your support means a lot 🙂 ) which brings the total raised to $2 637 only $3 613 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Last night I watched season 3 episode 21 of 21 Icons (the last episode of this season) featuring Singer and Song Writer Simphiwe Dana I love that Simphiwe endeavours to use her music to heal. Watch “21 Icons: Simphiwe Dana: Short Film” below:

Day 1979: Ubuntu Awards, Youth Diplomacy and Catherine Constantinides

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#Ubuntu is a verb, an action, a word that talks to spirit of serving others! A quality that includes essential human virtues! #UbuntuAwards – tweeted by Catherine Constantinides at the Ubuntu Awards last night.

It’s 12 : 20 PM on day 1979 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 1 Timothy 4, learn one new thing – That’s 3 main rings and 5 dusty rings for a total of 8 rings, 9 if you count the Cassini Division. But there are even more rings around Saturn. There’s the Janus Ring, the Methone Ring Arc, the Anthe Ring Arc and the Pallene Ring, as well as the Roche Division. –have breakfast, and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $2 387 only $3 863 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Last night the second annual Ubuntu Awards were held in Cape Town – the event is hosted by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and celebrates South Africans who are flying the South African flag high globally – my hero without a cape Catherine Constantinides won the Youth Diplomacy award I couldn’t be happier for her honest-to-God she works her butt off and does the right thing even when nobody’s watching (whenever I think of Catherine this Bible verse automatically comes to mind: the humble shall be exalted). Congratulations Catherine I’m SO SO SO proud of you and I love you forever and a day (if you don’t become President of South Africa one day my name is not Nisha-Benny Varghese 🙂 ).

In loving memory of Graham Michael Constantinides – I never had the honour of meeting you but in all three of your children I see what kind of human being you must have been and you were indeed A GIANT OF A MAN 🙂 . Rest in peace Mr. Constantinides.

Day 1978: “You Found Me” by The Fray

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Lost and insecure

You found me, you found me

Lyin’ on the floor

Surrounded, surrounded

Why’d you have to wait?

Where were you? Where were you?

Just a little late

You found me, you found me

– The Fray, “You Found Me”

It’s 2 : 00 PM on day 1978 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 1 Timothy 3, learn one new thing –While it is not technically a “heart,” the aortic arch of the earthworm performs a similar function and is commonly referred to as one for the sake of simplicity. An earthworm has five arches/hearts that are segmented and pump blood throughout its body.–have breakfast, go visit family, do my #RAK16 (more about that in an upcoming post) and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Adam Butler donated $5 and today Deepuchachen donated $250 (thanks SO MUCH Adam and Deepuchachen your support means the world to me ) which brings my total raised to $2 387 only $3 863 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday I heard “You Found Me” by The Fray again after a long time there’s just something about that song that I absolutely love. Listen to “You Found Me” by The Fray below:

Day 1977: Doing Faith

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Faith is not just something you have it’s also something you do – that’s what I’ve realized.

It’s 12 : 17 PM on day 1977 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 1 Timothy 2, learn one new thing –Menthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from cornmint, peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above.–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – ‘My Paper Parties’ and ‘Happy Odd Girl’ donated $25 each (thanks SO MUCH guys support means the world to me ) which brings my total raised to $2 132 only $4 118 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Today I realized that faith is not just something you have it’s also something you do sometimes we don’t feel like praying, reading the Bible and going to church sometimes we don’t even know where God is but I think it is during those times that we should do our faith the most sorta like behaving your way back into believing.

Day 1976: One Day Leader (Season 4)

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“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower

It’s 12 : 05 PM on day 1976 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 1 Timothy 1, learn one new thing – When we eat corn or peas we are eating seeds, and when we eat radish or carrot, we are eating roots. Cauliflower and broccoli plants produce flowers we like to eat. Potatoes grow under- ground, but the part we eat is not a root. –have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $2 082 so far only $4 168 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Recently I watched season 4 episode 1 of One Day Leader – a TV series in which six young people showcase their leadership skills by tackling modern day South African social, economic and political issues as a way of competing for the coveted title of One-Day Leader – I love the whole idea of developing leaders over a 19-week period and look forward to watching the growth of the contestants as the season progresses. Full Disclosure: I am a little (ok A LOT) biased towards the show because my hero without a cape Catherine Constantinides is one of the judges on the show this season. Residents of South Africa: Tune in to One Day Leader every Monday at 4: 30 PM on SABC 1.

Day 1975: 25 Smiles Campaign One Month Later

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I have the most awesome friends on the planet – that’s what I keep realizing 🙂

It’s 12 : 00 PM on day 1975 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 2 Thessalonians 3, learn one new thing –Explorer Ferdinand Magellan Named the Pacific Ocean in the 16th Century. In 1519, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, in the employ of Spain, began a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to seek a western route to the Spice Islands via South America. –have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $2 082 so far only $4 168 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Today marks the one month anniversary of my 25 Smiles Campaign benefiting Smile Train so far thirty people (including me and my family) have made donations to this campaign and between us we’ve donated $2 082 I am SO GRATEFUL and HAPPY. Thank you Sneha Abraham, Frank Burns, Gaynor Young and Barbara Royce, Justine Perry, Madalyn Sklar, Catherine Cook, @Maewmb, David Boutin, Sarah Britten, Jim Mahar, Nancy, Rema aunty, Paul and Juliet Merrell of Big Planet Radio, Bev Bern, Julie and Don Faughnan, Amit Abraham, Benjamin and Amelia, Athira Issac, Liesel, Priyachechi, Joubert Botha, LA Janssens, Anatoli, Arun Babu, Stan Faryna and everyone else who chose to donate anonymously for your generous donations. Thank you Jacqui Cooks, Caryn Gootkin, Jacqui Mackway-Wilson, Stephanie Young, Susannah Schaefer, Britt Michaelian, Pamela Eapen, Gaynor Young, Barbara Royce, Vinita Abraham, Joubert Botha, Catherine Constantinides, Sue-Ann Allen, Jessica Ilunga, Lillian Chang, Lakshmi Pillai, Akhil Tomy, Deepthi Raju Abraham, Sneha Abraham, Juliet Merrell, Kevin Varghese, Nadine Stander ( A.K.A my favorite dentist in the whole wide world[thanks for taking care of my teeth and for everything else dude you’re a rockstar]) and everybody else for helping spread the word about this campaign. ‏

Happy Birthday Daddy. Thank you for everything (and I’m sorry for hurting your wallet so much LOL but it’s always for a good cause and besides we are SO BLESSED it’s only right that we use our blessings to bless other people). I promise to live in a manner fitting of the Varghese name.

[Update January 12, 2017: Campaign ended 2 days ago. Final total raised is $10 317.04 [enough money to sponsor 41 smiles]]

Day 1974: Don’t fight yourself just be

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Don’t fight who you are just be – that’s what I keep telling myself.

It’s 12 : 36 PM on day 1974 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 2 Thessalonians 2, learn one new thing – There are no pain receptors in the brain itself. But he meninges (coverings around the brain), periosteum (coverings on the bones), and the scalp all have pain receptors. Surgery can be done on the brain and technically the brain does not feel that pain. With that said, the brain is the tool we use to detect pain.–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $2 082 so far only $4 168 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Today I realized I constantly have to resist the urge to fight all the things about me that I think are weird because though peculiar they may be those things are part of what make me who I am.

Day 1973: 21 Icons season 3 episode 20: Siya Xuza

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“I am an example of what happens when you give young South Africans opportunities.” – Siya Xuza

It’s 12 : 04 PM on day 1973 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read read 2 Thessalonians 1, learn one new thing – Despite its thick ice, Antarctica is classified as a desert because so little moisture falls from the sky. The inner regions of the continent receive an average of 2 inches (50 millimeters) of precipitation—primarily in the form of snow—each year. More rain falls in the Sahara desert. – have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Stan Faryna donated $25 (thanks SO MUCH Stan your ongoing support means the world to me ) which brings my total raised to $2 082 only $4 168 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

This morning I watched season 3 episode 20 of 21 Icons featuring engineer and industrialist Siya Xuza I love Siya’s resourcefulness. Watch “21 Icons: Siya Xuza: Short Film” below:

Day 1972: Gratitude Challenge

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Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. – Zig Ziglar

It’s 12 : 12 PM on day 1972 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read read 1 Thessalonians 5, have breakfast learn one new thing – Fish need oxygen too, but since they don t have lungs, they take oxygen from the water in which they live. The oxygen in the water available to fish is called dissolved oxygen (oxygen that is dissolved in the water). Fish use gills to take oxygen from water just as we use our lungs to take oxygen from the air.– and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Anatoli donated $15 and today Arunchachen donated $25 (thanks SO MUCH Anatoli and Arunchachen your support means a lot 🙂 ) which brings my total raised to $2 057 only $4 193 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Last night sitting around the dinner table I asked my mother and fifteen-year-old brother to name five things they were grateful for my brother looked at me like I was a total nutjob and asked why I believe that all our lives have energies and that the simplest way to change your life energy from negative to positive is to express gratitude so I hope all of you will take a moment daily to think about at least five things that you’re grateful for (I will ask my family to name the five things they are grateful for every night and hopefully my brother will one day actually think about it and say something other than why [a girl can dream, right? 🙂 ] ).