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Weekend Word

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This past Thursday marked the celebration of yet another wacky holiday – National Dare Day. And it got me thinking… what exactly is a dare? Is it simply doing something outside your comfort zone, or is there more meaning behind it? These questions have led me to chose dare as this week’s weekend word.

dare
der/

verb

  1. have the courage to do something.
  2. defy or challenge (someone) to do something.

noun

  1. a challenge, especially to prove courage.

A dare is a challenge that takes a person with a lot of courage to complete.  A person willing to go outside their comfort zone and do something brave. When we were kids this equated to eating something gross or telling your crush you liked them. And there were multiple layers of seriousness to those dares ranging from a regular dare to double dog dare and ultimately, the dare made infamous by that iconic scene in A Christmas Story – the Triple Dog Dare. It’s the dare that absolutely must be completed, lest you spend the rest of your days being known as the wuss of the group.

Now that we’re older, dare begins to take on more meaning. Rather than daring to do a specific task, it becomes more inanimate. “Dare to be different.” “Dream big and dare to fail.” “Those who dare truly live.” As adults, we often associate the word dare with inspiration to tackle a huge undertaking, such as accomplishing a long-time goal, making self-improvements, etc.  But this inspiration is also often seen in schools and classrooms, daring children to grow up and be their true selves; to try hard to achieve their dreams.

That’s exactly what the students at our school do every day. They dare to be greater than they were the day before. The muster up the courage to leave a life on the street, and all that they are familiar with, in order to gain an education that will provide them with the tools they need to live a better life. They are living the dare every day, and you can help by making a donation to help even more students lift themselves from poverty to prosperity.

Go ahead, I triple dog dare you…
Cristen

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Who remembers The Sandlot? A classic movie about teenage adolescents playing ball on an empty sandlot in middle America delivering so many quotable lines that are still used in pop culture today. Today, I’m reminded of one in particular. The one where Babe Ruth visits Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez in a dream and tells him to jump over the fence, face the beast, and return with the ball featuring Ruth’s john hancock. If you haven’t seen it before, check out this clip.

“Remember kid – there’s heroes and then there’s legends. Heroes get remembered. Legends never die.”

This is apropos for because it’s Babe Ruth Day.  It really got me thinking… how does one get to be a hero or a legend? What is the difference between the two? Is one better than the other as the quote maybe suggests? I thought we should explore this in the Weekend Word.

he·ro
ˈhirō

noun

  1. a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

leg·end
ˈlejənd/

noun

  1. a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated.
  2. an extremely famous or notorious person, especially in a particular field.

adjective

  1. very well known.

It seems to me that the major difference between a hero and a legend is popularity. And while a hero can be a legend, not all legends are heroes. Since National Free Comic Book Day is also around the corner, let’s pull from our tales of superheroes for a couple of examples. The Joker, Lex Luthor, and Green Goblin are all legendary villains, while Batman, Superman and Spiderman are all legendary heroes – and the former are never seen as heroes.

A hero is admired for acts of courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities, while a legend is simply a legend for being well known. Babe Ruth’s quote seems to suggest that it’s better to be a legend, but in my opinion – it’s heroes that save the world. So which would you rather be – a hero or a legend?

While I may never become a legend, the nuns, teachers, Father Mugagga and I will continue to be a hero in the eyes of the children at our schools, and you can too. Make a donation today and be a hero to a child in need. hope4hearts.org/donate.

Heroically Yours,
Cristen

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Most of us at some point in our lives have wished we could have a second chance. Go back in the past and change a decision we made, get a redo on a bad action, or maybe just get a chance to right a wrong by doing something new. But is chance 100% reliant on an external factor, or can we prepare to give ourselves a second chance? Let’s take a look as we explore the word Chance in this week’s Weekend Word.

chance
CHans/
Noun

  1. a possibility of something happening.
  2. the occurrence and development of events in the absence of any obvious design.

Adjective

  1. fortuitous; accidental.

Verb

  1. do something by accident or without design.
  2. do (something) despite its being dangerous or of uncertain outcome.

The word chance leaves a lot of room for doubt. Possibility, accident, uncertain – all words that describe chance, and in a rather negative light. As if the glass is half empty on a 50/50 shot at something happening. But remember, just as much as the glass is half empty, there two sides to every coin, and the glass is also half full.

One of my favorite quotes is “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” While this quote can refer to preparing to do things right the first time, I think it can also be used to take a second chance on yourself. Second chances don’t necessarily require another person or force outside your control giving you the chance. Go out and make your second chance happen. Prepare to give yourself a second chance and see if opportunity and luck come through to help you reach success.

That’s what this Sunday is all about. Whether you’re taking a chance for the first time, or seeking a second or even third time, Take a Chance Day inspires people to do just that – take a chance! On Sunday, let’s flip the script on chance. Prepare yourself to take a chance on something you’ve always wanted to do, but are maybe afraid or hesitant to execute. If you don’t, you’ll never know what success you could have had.

I’m especially proud of our kids who are working on their second chance every day. They are preparing for the chance at a better, self-sufficient life by working hard towards and education that lifts them from poverty to prosperity.

If you take a chance on our kids by making a donation this weekend, you’ll support an orphaned child’s second chance at an independent, self-sufficient life. Make a donation today at: hope4hearts.org/donate.

So this weekend, go ahead and take a chance. You never know where it might lead you.

Lucky to be Yours,
Cristen

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International Women’s Day. It’s a day where people of all gender identities come together to champion women’s equality and advancement. This year’s theme #BeBoldForChange, and I thought now would be a great time to explore just what it means to be bold in the weekend word.

bold
/bōld/
adjective

  1. (of a person, action, or idea) showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous
  2. (of a person or manner) so confident as to suggest a lack of shame or modesty.

To be bold requires taking risks. Standing confident in your beliefs and having the courage to take action in line with your beliefs – even if it challenges the status quo. And that encompasses the spirit of International Women’s Day. All around the world people come together for one day to be bold, sharing ideas and taking action to challenge the status quo and improve the quality of life, increase equality for women around the world.

Hundreds of events took place throughout the globe on March 11, including a global mentoring walk in Kampala, Uganda, where many of the girls in our schools are located. It’s just one of 134 walks happening in 60 countries around the world where mentors and mentees will come together to walk while sharing challenges and solutions as well as forming bonds that foster leadership.

Here’s how you can participate. Take the pledge to #BeBoldForChange by taking action to challenge bias and inequality, campaign against violence, forge women’s advancement, celebrate women’s achievement, and/or champion women’s education. We can help you with that last one! You can champion women’s education by making a donation in any amount to help lift an orphaned girl from poverty to prosperity.

DONATE TODAY

However you choose to support women, be bold for change and don’t give up the fight!

Boldly Yours,
Cristen

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Well, the Super Bowl is officially behind us. The NFL has crowned the New England Patriots as this season’s football champs. In Vegas, where Hope for Hearts is based, we see the end of football season as a sign that another sport returns to our city. Every year around late February/early March Rugby fans from around the world unite in Las Vegas for the HSBC World Sevens Series. The championship this past weekend pits 15 of the best international Rugby teams to crown a victor in this sport. While the 15 teams are chosen based on their performance in the current season, South Africa is almost always on that list.

Whether you’re a fan of American Football, Rugby, Futbol or Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, or just about any sport out there, they all have one common goal – to crown a victor. In any sport there is a championship series. The finest athletes embark on an epic battle for the chance to be the one, true champion of the season. In light of the recent championships, I thought it would be fun to explore the word champion in the weekend word.

cham·pi·on
CHampēən/

Noun

  1. a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, especially in sports.
  2. a person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else.

Verb

  1. support the cause of; defend.

It’s interesting to note that there are two different, but similar definitions of a champion. On one hand a champion rises to the challenge and comes out on top of the competition. On the other, a champion can be a person who fights for a cause or person. This second definition stems back to the days of Kings and Queens, who would select champions to fight on their behalf. In this day and age, we don’t have kings and queens, but there’s still a need for champions, and not of the athletic kind. A champion can also be someone who fights for a cause – and that’s something anybody can do.

So while you’re busy watching your champions, I challenge you to take a moment to stop and think about how you too can be a champion. I am a champion for orphaned children living in Uganda, and you can be too. When you make a donation to support a child in need, buy one of our handmade kambulagos, or simply spread awareness/advocacy for Hope for Hearts and the children we care for, you serve as our champion. On behalf of all of us at Hope for Hearts, we are honored to have you as our champion.

 

DONATE TODAY

 

Wishing You Victory,
Cristen