Alliance for Children's Enrichment (ACE) - Christmas wish list 2007
In late November 2007, I was called upon in a very unusual way, to do something at Christmas that was unbelievably rewarding, inspiring and some say, miraculous.
It all started with a young teen's wish in a newspaper in Georgia...
"Cheryl Tardif books--Whale Song..."
We are all connected. We're connected by past, present and future, by nature, spirit and energy, by hopes and dreams, by fate and faith, by love and light...and caring.
And yesterday, I was reminded again that this world we live in may seem unbelievably large--infinite even--and yet, the smallest of actions can set into motion something that spreads across land and sea, from one country to another, from one heart to another.
It all started with a wish list I saw online. No, wait! Let's go back further.
It started with an organization in Newnan, Georgia. The Alliance for Children's Enrichment (ACE) is responsible for helping the less fortunate families and children of the Newnan-Coweta area. Every year, ACE makes a wish list, with names, ages and gift wishes of children who live at poverty level. The hardest category to fill is the teens. Their needs are sometimes more expensive and they are often overlooked as many people want to help the younger children first.
This saddens me. I have a 17 year old daughter. Christmas is just as important to her now as it was when she was a child. And every child deserves to have something beautiful and colorful to unwrap on Christmas morning. That is the excitement, the thrill of Christmas.
So how did I find out about this organization and their kids? That is the amazing part.
I have a Google Alert set up on "Whale Song" and "Cheryl Kaye Tardif", so that any time someone writes about me or my novels and posts it online, I'll get an email with a link. So imagine my surprise when I found an alert, followed it to the Times-Herald newspaper in Georgia and read the article by W. Winston Skinner (I'll post the link below).
At first, I thought it was a mistake, that the alert was incorrect. Until I read further and saw the girls' wish list section. And this one heart-wrenching post...
"Lisa, 12, Bath and Body Works stuff, diary with lock, Cheryl Tardif books--"Whale Song", "A Grave Error" and "Picture Perfect".
I was stunned. I still am. There is something so absolutely bittersweet yet hopeful about a young girl asking for books for Christmas--and even more touching that she asked for mine.
There was no way I was going to just hit 'exit' and go back to work. I had to do something. So I contacted Jan Taylor at ACE. We are both amazed at how I was led to this newspaper article, and to this child.
Today I mailed off a parcel to Jan at ACE. At least one child on that list is going to have their Christmas dreams come true. And I am so very honored to be a part of that. I couldn't give her "A Grave Error" and "Picture Perfect" because they are Amazon Shorts (short stories via computer), but I do have 2 other novels--The River and Divine Intervention--and they found their way into that parcel.
My goal now is to contact as many authors whose names were mentioned and ask that they think of doing the same. And if you are inspired to help a child in need this Christmas time, I invite you to contact Jan Taylor at Alliance for Children's Enrichment (ACE) at 770-254-3339 or cjantaylor@aol.com.
I can't imagine that in Canada and the US there will be children who will go without gifts or a Christmas dinner. I don't want to imagine this. Yet, even in my own city, this will be a fact. I am already doing something for my city--I'm donating a portion of my royalties from Whale Song to help 3 nonprofits combat homelessness, poverty and addictions.
Then I come across ACE and their Christmas wish list. I was "led" to them for some reason. And I'm going to listen. They're fighting the same fight. The fight against poverty can only start with action. I wish I could help all the kids on that list. I really do. I wish I had enough money to buy them all at least one thing they wanted--and they didn't ask for big things. Some of their wishes are so simple; some give you great insight into that teen's life.
On a glassy, reflective surface of water, all may seem still and quiet. Until you get a glimpse at the life beneath the surface. Drop in a stone and watch the ripples move outward, reaching further, encompassing all around it.
I invite you all to be a 'stone' this Christmas. Drop yourself into the water by doing something for someone else, something unexpected, something more. Then watch the ripples grow. I think that is what Christmas should really be about. Reaching out to someone in need. Helping them without questions or judgment.
We are all connected by a single invisible thread...
the thread of life.
To read the original article at the Times-Herald, please click on Search our Archives and then in the Search box type in 'Cheryl Tardif' (a direct link to this page expires in a day or so, so I can't give you a permanent link). You'll see 2 articles--the original and then one where I am interviewed after I got involved.