Category Archives: It Takes a Village

Because Peanut Allergies Still Matter

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It takes a village. And we would like to remind everyone out there just how important this issue is because peanut allergies still matter.

To the moms everywhere who have a child with a peanut allergy: this one is for you.

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I have no dog in this fight, honestly. Emma and Abby could bathe themselves in peanut butter if they wanted to. They could it eat by the jarful and other than probably being really full, they would be 100% fine.

Not the case for children with peanut allergies, though. Not even close.

In addition to all of the planning and worrying and checking that mothers of children with peanut allergies have to do in order to do something as simple as sending their kids to school, they also have to combat people who don’t care that their child could *LITERALLY* die from peanut exposure.

I cannot imagine having to live with that kind of fear every day, and I certainly cannot imagine having to deal with people who seemed so callous about the life of my child.

Here are ACTUAL things I know have been said TO a mom of a child with a peanut allergy. I know because the mom these things were said to is Lisa, the other Dose Girl.

“Well, my little sweet pea will only eat PB&J for lunch, so that is what I am packing. It’s really up to your 4 year-old to avoid it, not mine”.

“Oh, y’all won’t be able to attend the picnic? Fantastic. We can all bring peanut butter sandwiches for once”.

“Can’t they put your son at a table by himself to eat? I mean, should his allergy really affect my child?”

Oh yes. All true. All said. By mothers. To a mother. About her child. The child who has a life-threatening allergy.

Can you even imagine saying to a mother whose child had cancer, “Hey, listen, don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but your kid’s baldness is really bringing my kid down. Can you make her sit by herself?”

You probably gasped at the thought of being so rude to someone struggling. And yet, somehow, mothers of children with peanut allergies are not afforded the same consideration.

Because, y’all, it is SO MUCH easier to slap together a PB&J and not worry about the child with the peanut allergy. I mean, come on, kids are really picky, so coming up with an alternate lunch is like really, really hard. And really, why should you be bothered with someone else’s problem?

Because you should. Because you can be. Because for your child to eat a slice of turkey or a plain jelly sandwich means another child gets to live. It means another mother can feel just slightly less fear putting her child on a bus to go to school. Perhaps she can wonder a little less if that will be the day that the emergency Epi-Pen in her son’s pocket will need to be used. Maybe even not spend every minute he is out of her sight imagining the phone ringing with the news that her child is dead.

It is really the least that we can do. The mothers whose children can eat what they want, when they want, for the mothers of children who do not have the same luxury.

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The Dose Of Reality Does The #IceBucketChallenge

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Things here at The Dose of Reality have been really crazy the past few weeks, but that did not stop us from stepping up and accepting the #IceBucketChallenge to raise awareness for ALS. And by stepping up, we don’t just mean watching the video of Benedict Cumberbatch do the challenge on an endless loop (although, if we are being honest, we have done that, too!).

Every now and then we will get an email from the Dose children themselves random, anonymous blog fans who tell us that they would like to see more of our kids in blog posts!

What a better opportunity than this one to give the people what they want!***

***And also protect our very fancy yoga pants and our split ends from getting soaked***

It all started with Lucy being challenged by a fellow classmate.

Was Emma up to the task?

Looks like it is now Abby’s turn.

It should be noted that one of the Dose children is missing from this challenge (despite the call out from his sister). Bobby was not able to participate due to a broken leg (post coming soon). Don’t worry though, we all made donations on his behalf!

It was so much fun to participate in this challenge, albeit from the sidelines…hey, someone had to hold the camera!

As of the writing of this post, the ALS Association has raised more than $50 million dollars since this challenge began. During the same time period last year, it raised $2 million dollars.

WOW!

We end today with this video. It is without a doubt the most heartfelt, genuine reason why this campaign is so important. And it is why at the end of the day, this challenge is about so much more than dumping ice water on your head.

The True Meaning Of Good Sportsmanship

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You learn a lot of valuable lessons when you play sports, but nothing more valuable than what it means to practice good sportsmanship.

It is more than lining up at the end of the game, win or lose, and shaking the hands of your opponents.

It is more than hitting the winning run.

It is even more than showing up at every practice and giving it your all.

What truly makes someone a good sportsman?

What, especially, makes an entire team good sportsmen?

This. Right here.

In a day and age when we all hear so much about teenagers who are not being their best selves, it is especially touching to see a display of kindness like this one.

In fact, to see an entire community cheering in the stands and on the sidelines was enough to bring us to tears.

These are the moments.

These are the lessons.

This is what we want to pass down to our children. To know what it feels like to give someone a moment that will forever change their lives. To know that something that might feel routine to you, will feel momentous to someone else.

It is easy to get wrapped up in all the negative in the world.

It is easy to think more about winning the game and less about the reasons you wanted to play in the first place.

Seeing Noah score that touchdown was a great reminder that we all need to be a little more generous. Have a little more compassion. Remember that it does not always have to be about us.

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Walking The Walk

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Talk is cheap.

Words are plentiful, but deeds are precious.

Your beliefs don’t make you a better person, your behavior does.

We’ve all heard the sayings, and we know they’re true.

Most of us want to make a difference in the world and to help our fellow man, but it’s hard. There’s so much that needs to be done, but so little time to do it. It’s ultimately very easy to give lip service to big plans. It’s the follow-through that is trickier.

When you see someone who not only talks the talk, but also puts those words into action, it makes an impression. Those people stand out.

They are walking the walk.

These amazing people are being celebrated by The Advil Relief Initiative. The Advil Relief Initiative seeks to recognize people who use their strength to help provide relief to others. As part of the initiative, a portion of the price of participating Advil bottles will go to Habitat for Humanity International and the Wounded Warrior Project.

That’s a pretty great way for Advil to honor people who are walking the walk. People like my friend Kat Crawford.

Kat is a great friend. She’s also a very talented hair designer. In fact, she happens to be *my* hair designer. (Note: If you’ve seen me out and about with my hair a mess, it’s not her fault! Kat is fantastic. I’m just kind of lazy in the day-to-day glamour department.)

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Kat is one of those people who is easy to like. She’s warm and friendly, and really, really funny. I look forward to every appointment I have with her, not just because she will have me looking fantastic, but because it’s a real joy to spend time talking to her. Sometimes I laugh so hard from her stories other clients look over and want in on the fun! She’s just that kind of person.

She’s also the kind of person who cares deeply for others. A few years ago, she knew she wanted to do something-something to serve others and to make a difference in their lives. She felt called into action by her strong faith and beautiful heart.

But what could one young woman with a talent for hair design do to make a difference? It turns out a lot.

Kat founded an organization called Soul 139.

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The concept is simple, yet revolutionary. At Soul 139 their mission is to pamper and empower those less fortunate than us. Men, women, and children who have no means to pay to have their hair professionally cut, are welcomed into a salon and spend some time being cared for and being the center of attention.

These are folks who are going through a hard time. They have sought help from various relief organizations. Some are homeless. Many haven’t had professional haircuts in a long time-even years. Most haven’t had the feeling of someone pampering them in a long, long time.

You know how great you feel when you come home from the salon? You walk out feeling awesome and ready to take on the world (and totally hoping you run in to everyone you know). Well, Kat and the other awesome hair designers who volunteer for Soul 139 are giving that feeling to people who *really* need it. For some of them, it’s been years since they felt that kind of confidence.

But it’s about so much more than the hair.

Having your hair done is an intimate thing, a personal thing. Someone has their attention and energy focused completely on you. They are talking to and physically touching you. They are making a connection with you.

Often times when people hit a really rough patch and find themselves struggling, they feel so alone and disconnected from the rest of society. They feel marginalized and low. People don’t look them in the eye. They feel like an “other”, not part of the community.

At Soul 139 they are telling people, one chair at a time, that they matter. They are special and are worthy of being cared for and served. They count. They are not “other”. They are one of us.

When a guest comes to a Soul 139 event, they are matched with a SOUL Mate-a volunteer who accompanies the guest throughout the event and develops a relationship with them. They talk and laugh. They follow up afterward with personal notes, prayers, and encouragement for each guest, too.

Does a connection like this really make a difference in someone’s life? Let’s see…

Kat works on her feet every day. This is no small thing, as any of you who have ever worked on your feet know. But it’s even more amazing because Kat has had several foot surgeries over the years. At times she has been in a lot of pain. Instead of taking her free time to put her feet up as 99.9% of the population would do, she uses her talents and free time to make a difference in the lives of other people.

Kat is the very definition of walking the walk…even when her feet are tired.

If you’d like to find other fantastic people like Kat who are making a difference in the lives of others every day, just follow @ReliefinAction on Twitter and Instagram and like Advil® on Facebook. You can even share your own photos of Relief in Action using the hashtag #ReliefinAction. Visit http://www.advil.com/reliefinaction to learn more.

We are participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by Advil® as part of the Advil® Relief in Action campaign. Wereceived compensation for this post. While all opinions stated are our own, we make no claims about Advil® as a product or its effectiveness.