Friday 3 May 2013

RAK 103 - awknowledging the unknowing...

April 13,

Do you ever have those serendipitous moments that make you FULLY grasp that there is ALWAYS something bigger going on than what you can see in the present moment?

Today's RAK has to do with acknowledging one of those such moments with the oblivious orchestrator...  And letting her know that even in her unknowing... she did something very very profound. 

Due to the personal nature of this one, I don't wish to share many details...

In short, a conversation was forced between two people who might not have otherwise reconnected after a couple of years of no communication... and it was all done by chance...

Gratefully;

Coreena

On Behalf of the Kornel/Peters Family


RAK 102 - Kindness for a Kindness

April 12

The wife does not typically work on Fridays, but on this day she was in to meet some deadlines.  Conveniently on this day there were some coworkers heading to the local Brewhouse for a beer after work (tell me she didn't plan that right).  So we worked till we were done what needed to be done and then headed over to join those who were already into their lunch and beers.  Of course arriving later meant that the table was already pretty full, but we pulled over some chairs and squished in at the end and ordered a beer.

Kindness Received; at the table next too us say two other guys who were also enjoying their Friday afternoon beers.  Upon noticing our situation these two generously offered to move to another small table across the bar so that we could pull their table over and have more room with our group.  Such a great move, and we were so grateful to them.

Kindness Returned; this kindness needed to be returned, thanks was just not enough. So when the waitress returned we asked her to take a round to the other table on us.  She went over and let them know we were buying a round and they were surprised and elated.

RAK 102 is about recognizing kindness, receiving kindness, and returning kindness.  

Jeremy

RAK 101 -Flowers?

April 11

I know that I have mentioned that I work in an office FULL of men...  haha Poor me right?!

This day I was in our weekly technical meeting and one team member was noticeably absent.  I knew he would be away, because the day before I was chatting with him and he mentioned he needed to go in for some emergency surgery.

When I mentioned the surgery to the fellas in the technical meeting this morning, none of them seemed to know anything about it.

I work for a very small company... one of the ones that still sends flowers to hospitals for things such as this... So I got thinking... If THEY don't know, then I suspect the person who arranges the flowers likely hadn't been alerted either.

I chatted to a few of the right people, and they got all the proper approvals and the flowers were sent...

I hope they brightened his spirits...!

Kindly

Coreena

On Behalf of the Kornel/Peters family

RAK 100 - She IS precious

April 10

Through my online connections I have met a lovely girl named Brandi.  Brandi, and many others like her are completely committed to ending Human Trafficking through the She's Worth It organization.

Our RAK 90 (click here) was a small part of helping fund the trip she is on right now...

I have been following her journey on Facebook, and have shed many a tear reading her posts and watching her videos as she goes around to brothels is Cambodia, Thailand and then India.

As a mom, when I watched this video...  I had to put my head down on my desk and weep...






For today's RAK I shared Brandi's video's on Facebook, and talked to so many people about the atrocities that are presently going on in such places.

Awareness is key.  Please spread the word.  This must stop.  In our country, this is rape.

She's Worth It


Lovingly

Coreena

On Behalf of The Kornel/Peters Family




RAK 99 - Mom Pact

April 9

When we committed to doing this 365 days of Random Acts of Kindness... I new it would be a challenge...  Not only to keep it up, but also to so openly share much of our day to day lives...

It is important to me that anyone who reads these posts knows that, although it is my desire to share the good stuff with you, we are still living life over here, and the crappy stuff still comes up.

I have teenagers in the house, and with that comes teenage problems and concerns...  Anyone who has parented teens can relate I am sure.

We have a rule in our house that allows our kids to ask for 60 seconds.  During that 60 seconds they are allowed to say anything... confess anything... and not be disciplined for what they are confessing.  We will surely talk about their confession, but, as parents, we are not at liberty to ground them or take things away because of what they have confessed.

When/if we find out something that they did, and chose to not take their 60 seconds to confess before we found it out, then they face the wrath of the Super Angry Parents...

Also...  we live in a small town, and we know lots of people in it... so, there is always a pretty good chance that we will find out things...

On this day and over the course of the last few days - I made a 'Mom Pact' with several Mom's of my children's friends.  It's an "If you were ever in doubt, don't be because I want to know" sort of thing...

If we keep the kids talking, and the mom's talking...  we may just have a chance at getting through this in tact.

Enlightened,

Coreena

On behalf of The Kornel/Peters Family


RAK 98 - Happy Stacey Day!

April 8

Today is Stacey Day!  :)  On this day - 29 years ago .. or so :) this world became a much brighter place because Stacey was brought into it.

Unfortunately our paths would not cross until a decade and a half later... but cross they did.  We went to high school together, later became college room mates and have been the best of friends ever since.

Our apartment just off Whyte Ave, with the green bathtub and the strange landlord, would be the birthplace of a beautiful friendship that started out with late night conversations over strawberry tea and dill pickle popcorn...

... and evolved into what we share today.  She is truly the sister I never had...

There are four of us that have remained so very close since we graduated from High School...  and Everyday I wake up feeling so grateful I came to know these amazing women.

We have grown up together,  we learned about life together, we have laughed together, we have cried together, and we have laughed so hard we cried together...  We were friends before careers, marriage, and motherhood...

Geography and life makes it so we can't see each other every day, but when we get together, it is like we were never apart.

then (hehe)


now <3

The past few months have really tested Stacey's courageous and beautiful spirit... In ways no one can imagine unless they have been tested in the same manner.


Today's RAK is in compete celebration of her...

made for her - with so much love


I chose the word 'grace' as that is exactly how she maneuvers herself through this life, no matter what lies in her path.  She completely exemplifies all that that word suggests... and so much more.


I love you so much dear girl... and may this lap around the sun be filled only with peace.

Forever <3

Coreena

On behalf of the Kornel/Peter's Family





RAK 97 - I got your back...

April 7

I think sometimes in life maybe when we are having a bad day, or a bad couple of days, a bad week, or perhaps even a longer stint of 'bad' or discomfort...

We wonder
What the heck does this mean?
Why is this happening?
What am I to learn?
and the biggy... What is MY purpose in all of this?

Depending on our perspective, sometimes it is hard to see the 'good' or the lesson, and if you can't see the 'good' or the lesson, then it is really hard to see your purpose in it...  I am a huge purveyor of the idea that if you can change your perspective, you can change everything... without changing anything at all in the physical realm.  It's more than just 'Look on the bright side' ... It's 'Look FOR the bright side.'  Always.

It's refusing to feel shame, and refusing to hide, and refusing to be defeated... It's shining light in dark places, and gently cleaning up what is there and not hiding it.  Only yucky things can grow in dark places.  It's about loving yourself... ALL parts of yourself... the strong parts, and the weak parts, and realizing that ALL those parts valuable and essential to who you are, they make you YOU.  It's saying "this is me, I like me, accept me as I am, or don't, but this is me. I won't change that just to see you smile."  It's about blocking out the lies you have been telling yourself forever, and living completely in your own truth.

Sure, great words... fantastic idea...  but REALLY hard to do... and sometimes it can be alot of freakin work...

The events of this day forced a perspective change... and I caught a glimpse of my purpose in a set of less than ideal circumstances...  Circumstances that - had they not been so - I would not have been in the right place, at the right time today...

For today's RAK I was able to tell a child - who wasn't my own - that I had his back... and then really prove it.  I was later then able to reiterate to him that I would always have his back...

He needed to know that.

It lead me to say out loud... "Ok, I get it."

Always learning.

Exhausted.

Coreena

On behalf of the Kornel/Peters Family