Memory & The Present

Thank you so much for choosing to follow my blog!

I'm very grateful to everyone who has become a follower, and to those who have left comments on my posts.

I also want to thank Jessica (a.k.a. Jallowa23) and Sonja (a.k.a. eipysgudps) for supporting this blog, and mentioning this project on their YouTube channels. You both have brought many new readers to heartfulmindmindfulheart, and you have helped to inspire people to think and act in a new way. I appreciate all that you've done and all that you continue to do to help me in my quest.

Today, I was remembering a time in my life when I felt as if things were perfect, and that they'd be like that forever. As children we often think that life is one dimensional because we're shielded from so much.

I remember when I knew nothing of disease, hunger, illiteracy, pain, genocide, natural disasters, etc. Things appeared simple, and I thought everyone was healthy and happy.

This idea was destroyed when I found out that my grandmother had been living with Lupus for years. The disease had surfaced long before I was born, and, for much of my early life, my family had not told me about it.

I remember my grandmother had trouble with sore joints and she felt weak often times. She would always try to brush her pain aside, and she tried not to acknowledge it when I was around. I never thought she was ill.

When I was 5 or 6, my family explained to me that my grandmother had Lupus. They explained that she was sore and tired because she was "sick." No one really knew much about the disease, and my grandmother could not necessarily predict when she'd have a flare up.

This really tore at me.

I realized that if this could happen to MY grandmother, it could happen to anyone's grandmother. After a while, I started looking for signs and symptoms of illness in almost everyone. It soon became clear that everyone had the potential to be affected by some illness or other affliction.

I'd later realize that people could also be affected by social, economic, and environmental issues. All of these realizations stemmed from the initial discovery that my grandmother had Lupus.

It's amazing how one idea can spawn so many more.

This is part of why it was so important for me to create this blog. This blog will not be related to one sole issue because all issues--everything--is interconnected.

This is something I learned long ago, but it's truth deeply resonates today.

Thank you for taking the time to explore my blog!

Please feel free to comment and follow if you'd like. I'm looking forward to updating this page in the near future. I will be featuring a new cause soon!

Love.

What This Blog is All About!

Lipgloss for Lupus

Carol's Daughter will donate 50% of proceeds earned from the sale of their

Purple Reign Candy Paint lipgloss to the Lupus Foundation of America.

This is a simple and beautiful way to support a great cause + the shade is super pretty!

Lupus Advocacy Day 2010

The Lupus Foundation of America's Advocacy Day is an annual event where lupus advocates come together on Capitol Hill to educate Members of Congress about lupus, and encourage them to support more funding for lupus research.

This year's event will be held on March 15-16, 2010.

Although most of us cannot attend events like this, we can still take an active role as advocates for this and other causes.

Just talking about this disease and it's implications is a form of advocacy.

By reading this blog, and sharing information with your family, friends, and community-

YOU ARE AN ADVOCATE!

New Advancements

New Advancements in Lupus research are taking place at this very moment!

Belimumab is a new drug that is being developed as a way to effectively treat Lupus flares for up to four years. This amazing treatment must be FDA approved, but once it is, it will greatly reduce the painful symptoms that are associated with the disease.

Researchers are also developing new ways to detect Lupus. This is significant as it is estimated that about 1.5 million Americans have Lupus. Additionally, nearly 5 million people throughout the world suffer from the disease.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Lupus. This is why it is so important for us to make our voices heard!

We must ask for a cure.

We must promote awareness.

We must help others to understand the impact of this disease and its effects.

We must resolve to take this cause to heart.

Taking a breath to remember the year that was..

and looking ahead to a powerful new beginning.

Wishing you a peaceful, happy, and healthy

New Year!

An Incredible Song for a Virtuous Cause

Julian Lennon and James Scott Cook recently teamed up to create the amazing tune "Lucy"-- a song commemorating Julian's childhood friend Lucy Vodden. Lucy was the famous subject of Julian's boyhood watercolor painting that inspired his father, John Lennon, to write the phantasmic and unforgettable "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds."

Earlier this year, Lucy Vodden passed away as a result of complications attributed to Lupus-- a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that affects the skin, joints, kidneys, and other organs.

My grandmother also suffered from the same disease that weighed heavily on Lucy for much of her life. In 2000 my grandmother lost her battle with Lupus. She was my very best friend, and to this day I cannot find words to express how much I wish I could have even just one more day with her.

As someone who has witnessed the tremendous difficulties and pain of Lupus, I was elated to learn that the new song "Lucy" would come to embody more than a beautiful melody and a profound lyric.

"Lucy" has now been released as both a single and an EP!

A portion of the all sales of the EP will support funding to further Lupus research.

There is a box located at the top of this blog where you may purchase the EP yourself!

You may pay the set price, or pay whatever price you wish. Whatever you choose to add on to the set price will only further the artists' contribution to this virtuous cause.

Also...

100% of proceeds from purchases of the single, available Only at iTunes for $1.29 from Dec. 15, 2009-Mar. 15, 2010, will go towards the St. Thomas' Lupus Trust in Great Britain and the Lupus Foundation of America.

Please join me in supporting the meaningful and heartfelt endeavor!