|
|
|
Carol
Adrienne's work and teachings have been a great
inspiration to me! In August of 1998, about four months after my
father passed away, I read about one of Carol's
workshops in a Learning Annex catalog and
synchronistically found her book on a bookshelf at the
bookstore. The themes of her teachings were
familiar and comforting, as they confirmed the thoughts
and ideas my father had shared with me shortly before
his passing. Her books and workshops ignited my
spiritual curiosity, setting me on my soulful life path,
which led to the very creation of
SoulfulLiving.com! Carol's participation has been
an integral part of SoulfulLiving.com, at its soul
level! Thank you, Carol, with all my heart!
~Valerie, Founder and Soul, SoulfulLiving.com |
Shoes for Ambrosia
Today, like every other day, we wake
up empty
and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
--Rumi,
The Essential Rumi, Coleman Barks with John Moyne
In September, my
column at CelestineVision.com described the work of Karen
Morrissey, founder of Shoes for the Soul, a non-profit
organization, which collects and distributes shoes to indigent
children in Broward County, Florida. Morrisey, now a school
social work specialist, is a former business executive who
left her life in corporate America when the emotional and
physical stress began to take a huge toll on her life. Looking
for a way to have a more fulfilling career, Morrissey was
inspired by the idea of providing shoes for school children
whose families are at or below the poverty line. She recently
emailed me saying she has received dozens of responses from
readers of the article. I wanted to share two of the thank-you
notes she received from social workers, who helped distribute
the shoes in their schools. During this busy gift-giving
season, it’s uplifting to remember how we can make a
difference in the lives of others when we come from our heart.
"Dear Karen
I wanted to follow up regarding little Ambrosia's shoes. I
gave them to her on Wednesday. She was so incredibly excited.
She had not a moment's hesitation when I told her she had to
draw a thank you picture and trade her old shoes for the new
ones. She was so proud of herself in her new COMFORTABLE
shoes. One of her teachers gave her a crown to wear for the
day because she kept saying she felt like a princess.
"When I went back on Thursday to pick up her thank-you
picture she told me to make sure I said hello to the ‘Shoe
Fairy’ for her. She looked better than I've seen her look in
quite a while. Her hair was fresh and clean and brushed. Her
little face was clean and she was still smiling! Those shoes
were just what this six-year-old needed to boost her self
esteem and give her pride in herself to stand tall.
"Thank you so much for all you do to help us better
serve our clients!!
"I just wish people could realize how important clean
shoes (that fit!!!) are in the life of a child. If only we
could bottle the smell of Ambrosia's old shoes to share with
others. I can't imagine trying to make it through the day with
my feet hurting and others avoiding me because of the odor
coming from my shoes. I also wish it were possible to share
the shining, smiling face of a child in whose life something
as simple as a pair of new shoes could make such a profound
impact." J S, School Social Worker
* * * *
"Dear Karen,
On behalf of the Pine Ridge students and staff, I offer
sincere thanks to your organization in getting shoes for our
needy students. Almost ninety-percent of our students are
low-income and living in poverty. Many have worn-out shoes,
and three students in particular have worn women’s shoes to
school. Last year, several students told staff with great
pride and joy that they had received shoes from your
organization. Many even spoke about feeling better about
coming to school. Others said that they no longer feel left
out, and that they feel like they belong. In short, your
organization, Shoes for the Soul, is a blessing and provides
an invaluable service to our students at Pine Ridge.
I sincerely hope your organization continues in existence
to be able make a difference in the lives of students.
Sincerely, K W School Social Worker
An important part of Karen Morrissey’s story, in my mind,
is that Karen’s actions were fueled by a deep need to change
her own life. Her efforts are a two-way street where she gets
as much satisfaction out of her endeavors as those who
receive. This is an important point to remember so that giving
does not create eventual burn-out. Out of the quest for a more
authentic life, she opened herself to connect to a higher
source of inspiration. Even though we face challenges when we
start a completely new venture, the motivation to serve more
than ourselves almost always creates a momentum that supports
us through difficulties when we cannot see where assistance is
going to come from.
Happy holidays to everyone as we complete 2003.
To contact Karen Morrissey, please email her at kmorrissey@shoesforthesoul.org.
or visit her website at www.shoesforthesoul.org.
© Copyright 2003 Carol Adrienne, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
Carol Adrienne, Ph.D.,
is an internationally-known workshop facilitator and
author whose books have been translated into over fifteen
languages. Her latest book is When Life Changes, or You
Wish It Would. Oprah hailed, The Purpose of Your Life:
Finding Your Place in the World Using Synchronicity,
Intuition, and Uncommon Sense a must-read. She is also the
author of The Numerology Kit. An electronic copy of Your
Child’s Destiny—a numerological guide for parents is
now available at www.CarolAdrienne.comm.
Carol is available to for keynotes, workshops, and seminars
and can be reached at Carol22@sonic.net
or (510) 528-2226 weekdays 10 am to 6 pm PST.
Visit
www.CarolAdrienne.com
for
- Information on private consultations and life coaching.
- Ordering your personal 28-page Numerology Life Chart—delivered
by email.
- A free thumbnail sketch of your Day of Birth
- Free newsletter subscription-- Enter your email address on
the home page.
- A calendar of seminars and retreats.
- Book recommendations
- NEW Stay tuned for Information on new Tele Class Series
|
Click
Here to Learn More About Carol Adrienne
Read Carol's Past Columns:
November
2003
October
2003
May
2003
April
2003
March
2003
February
2003
January
2003
December
2002
November
2002
October
2002
September
2002
August
2002
July
2002
June
2002
May
2002
April
2002
March
2002
February
2002
January
2002
December
2001
November
2001
October
2001
September
2001
August 2001
July 2001
June 2001
May 2001
April 2001
March 2001
February
2001
January
2001
December
2000
November
2000
October
2000
September
2000
August
2000
July
2000
June
2000
May
2000
April
2000
March
2000
February 2000
January 2000
|
Visit
Carol at her Website: |
|
Some
of Carol's Book Titles:
|
|
