Monthly Archives: January 2012

Diana Nyad: “Extreme” Swimming with Jellyfish

Posted on January 30, 2012 by esralston

In September 2011, at age 61, American Diana Nyad attempted to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. Imagine swimming for hours and hours in salt water, through the day and night, experiencing hypothermia and other physical ailments, … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspiring People | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Kindness is a Boomerang

Posted on January 26, 2012 by esralston

Watch this sweet video– it’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I especially loved the different expressions on everyone’s faces.  Some people looked a little bewildered. Why should kindness be surprising?? It ought to be the norm! Thought it … Continue reading →

Posted in Philanthropy | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Teaching Kids About Money

Posted on January 23, 2012 by esralston

As a kid, I certainly had no hesitation about spending the $1 allowance I got every week on Reese’s peanut butter cups and an Archie comic book. My parents weren’t extravagant spenders—they had four children to raise. My father was … Continue reading →

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A Generosity “Tune-Up”

Posted on January 17, 2012 by esralston

I stumbled across a philanthropy blog that piqued my interest. Sasha Dichter, the blogger, mentioned an interesting concept called “Generosity Day.” In fact, he gives a talk about his generosity experiment on Ted.com. Apparently, this is an opportunity to say “YES” … Continue reading →

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Dream Ridiculously Big

Posted on January 14, 2012 by esralston

Every year, as Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday approaches on January 15, my family takes turns reading aloud his famous “I have a dream” speech. We watch it on YouTube too. I am always deeply affected when I read and hear that … Continue reading →

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Westside Baby: Providing Essential Items to Families in Need

Posted on January 11, 2012 by esralston

I sat down to tea with Jolyn Mason, Development Director of Westside Baby, a nonprofit organization that gathers used items, such as clothing, bedding, toys, and equipment for children and babies, and distributes them to social services assisting low-income families … Continue reading →

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Isabel Allende- an inspiring woman

Posted on January 8, 2012 by esralston

Isabel Allende is an inspiration to me.  I’m not just talking about her books, most of which are quite wonderful.  Among my favorites: Paula, which produced one of the most stimulating and thoughtful discussions in my book group about death, mother-daughter … Continue reading →

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An Email from the Head Start Staff Person

Posted on January 3, 2012 by esralston

Got a great email from Anna Woods, Head Start staff person, about the recent donations made by moms of N. Seattle: “I’ve been wanting to let you know that the donations went to great use.  The families had a lot of … Continue reading →

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Proactive Generosity

Posted on January 2, 2012 by esralston

In my last post, I talked about getting a “Head Start” on generosity. I always feel like there is something more I could be doing during the holiday season.  Donating money to my favorite causes is easy enough, but something was … Continue reading →

Posted in Philanthropy | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment