Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Day #16- A picture of someone who inspires you-

Damn I should have looked ahead and used Krista for this post...alas I will pick another amazingly strong women.



This is my college professor/mentor/live coach/ amazing human being, Jeannette Mare.
Jeannette got her undergrad from the UofA and went on to get her Masters in Linguistics from Gallaudet University ( the only Deaf University in the US). She came back to Arizona and got married and had two children, Matty and Ben. She got a job as a teacher in the American Sign Language Educational Interpreting Program ( my program) where she remained until this very semester (now she does Ben’s Bells full time!).

In 2002 on a normal day in March Jeannette's son Ben's, who had been suffering from croup, airway closed off. Jeannette being a certified lifeguard did everything in her power to get her son breathing before the ambulances got there. Sadly Ben pasted away. The pain she felt is unmatched, I can’t even begin to imagine it and just living day to day became a struggle. Jeannette realized how much the kindness of strangers was helping her through this time...opening doors, smiling, and just saying a kind work....she lived off this and from this created Ben's Bells. The therapeutic effect of working with clay helped and the power of being surrounded by people talking and working toward a common goal was amazing. They decided to make hundreds of the Bells and distribute them randomly in the Tucson community to encourage the kindness. So now twice a year... on March 29th (the day Ben died) and a random day in the fall Ben's Bells are hung all around Tucson. The ripple took effect and now bells have been hung post Katrina, at ground zero, the parking lot where the Tucson shooting happened, Portland, ect ect. I was lucky enough to be a part of it when it was still small, creating bells in Jeannette’s garage. Now they have their own studio and are blowing up.

This is just one of the reasons Jeannette inspires me.

When Marcia died she was one of the first people I called. Having brought Marc to Ben's Bells Jeannette was familiar with the story and my adoration for Marcia and her family. Jeannette came and sat next to me during the funeral and held my hand the whole time...later telling me how interesting she found a catholic funeral for a child....in my selfishness and pain it never even dawned on me that going to a child’s funeral would dredge up feelings for her. Ever since she talks to me on that day in August and reminds me it is ok to be sad and feel the pain...I don’t always have to be happy.

She also knew and loved Bryan. One April 1st Bryan told her I was pregnant as an April fools and she was so incredibly supportive before she realized what he was doing. She has been supportive and kind from the moment we broke up...really I talk to Jeannette about everything that impacts my life.

Aside from that she has sent me Ben's Bells to hang in Denver, she came out last summer and we hung bells in Boulder, and this May we are doing a HUGE Ben's Bells distribution in Denver. She has also recently gotten divorced...and this inspires me because they remain friends, they did what was best for them, and they are doing awesome.

So to Jeannette, I love you with all my heart and soul and you helped me through a very dark time while continuing to battle your own demons.