World Autism Day

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, and April is Autism Awareness month.  I think it's wonderful that there is a day set aside to encourage conversations about Autism, what is, what it's like to live with it, how people thrive everyday while living with it.  The more we talk about it, the more we speak with people who are on the spectrum and understand that they are just people the better off everyone will be and the more we will be able to love and support all of our brothers and sisters know matter what.  Some of the things people are doing to celebrate today and the whole month include "lighting it up blue for Autism."  This might mean changing your front porch light to a blue bulb, wearing blue, or changing your Facebook profile picture to include a blue frame to create awareness.  I'm sure there are a million other things as well, but those are just a few examples.

I have mentioned before that the Pinterest Friend's son is Autistic, and I know this creates challenges for their family.  I also know he is a smart, curious, sweet, and loving boy who happens to have Autism.  It doesn't define him.  His mama is a fierce and loving mama who works every day to make sure her son gets what he needs to thrive.  In honor of today she sent me the following shoes:

The puzzle piece is one of the symbols of Autism.  I reminds us that people of all different shapes, sizes, abilities, colors, etc. can work together to create something amazing.

I wish this had colors.  I appreciate the simplicity, but I would like it more with color, I think.

I don't know if this is actually a mismatched pair or one shoe from 2 different pairs.  I would wear them mismatched. 

Toms and Vans really do seem to have shoes for every occasion, don't they?

Today reminds us to love, support, and walk with our brothers and sisters with Autism.  We don't need to "fix" them, we just need to understand how they see the world.  Maybe our own way of seeing the world will be better for it.

Memory Lane: 2013. 2014. 2015.

Maundy Thursday

It's Holy Week, and today is Maundy Thursday.  In the Gospel of John instead of the scene of Jesus instituting what we now know of as communion, he takes on the form of a servant and washes the disciples' feet.  In many churches all over the world people are following this tradition and washing each others' feet.  Which means in the church today is pretty much about taking your shoes off.  Not a lot of Maundy Thursday themed shoes out there (if there are any).  We'll do clip art instead:

Today wasn't only Maundy Thursday, though.  According to my website of odd dates it's also:

National Ferret Day.  This picture cracks me up.

Blue ferrets?  Still really cute shoes.

It's also National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day!  And these shoes  are adorble.

As well as World Autism Day.  The puzzle piece is a symbol of the Autism spectrum, and blue is the color (maybe you've seen the phrase, "light it up blue" for today), so these shoes are pretty perfect.  I have a friend whose son is on the spectrum and she has a puzzle piece tattoo, because she's cool like that.  Also, her son is adorable and hilarious.

I might need to get a pair of these to wear next year on April 2.

Finally, today is International Children's Book Day, so you know I'm on board with that.  Since it's almost Easter, I thought of this book.  It's a book!  The mama bunny gets to be the Easter Bunny!  And there are gold shoes!  Really, what more could I ask?

How about some adorable bunny shoes?  The hubby used to have 3 bunnies as pets.  His ex-girlfriend (who is a friend of ours) got them when they broke up and sadly the last one just died at almost 12 years old, which is really old for a bunny.  Which is kind of off-topic, but she and I could have bunny shoes to honor the bunny trifecta.

Well, it was a busy day of holidays, and a busy day of running around doing a million different errands for me.  Definitely time for bed after a full and good Maundy Thursday.