Category: Nonfiction

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National Day of Encouragement

Sometimes a few kind, uplifting words from someone make a difficult situation better. Sometimes encouragement comes from friends or family. Other times it might come from a total stranger. I’m a fan of the phrase “Be kind whenever possible. It’s always possible.” Encouraging others is another form of kindness. Mayor Belinda LaForce of Searcy, Arkansas proclaimed the first Day of Encouragement on August 22, 2007. The project began as the brainchild from the Encouragement Foundation at Harding University in Searcy. A month later, Governor Mike Beebe, proclaimed September 12, 2007 the “State Day of Encouragement for Arkansas. Later President George W. Bush made September 12th the National Day of Encouragement.

How does one participate in this national holiday? Encourage others. Reassure, inspire, or tell someone how important they are to you. Think about someone other than yourself and say a few kind words to them. If someone feels like giving up, tell them to keep trying. Or at least listen to them vent their frustrations. Sometimes having someone listen is enough to encourage someone to keep fighting. At some point in our lives, we all need encouragement. We all need a little push to see the positive and keep going when all hope is lost. If you’re struggling, things will get better. Even if it doesn’t look like they will.

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Wacky Wednesday: September 9

Hello all you wacky people. We’ve got some exciting new things for today. Our first word today is a noun which derives from Scotland and Northern England. Oxter is a person’s armpit. I don’t know any way to use this term other than to insult someone without them knowing. Our next word is a rare adjective. Pauciloquent means using few words in speech or conversation. You could use this to describe your quiet, shy friend. I am still on the lookout for more strange and wacky words. If you know any, please share them in the comments.

Let’s start the holiday section with our token food holiday. Today is National Wiener Schnitzel Day. If you don’t know what that is, it’s like an Austrian corndog. Veal is salted and breaded then deep-fried. There’s a law in Austria requiring the dish to be made with veal though it can be made with pork or other meats. The next two holidays go together well on September 9. The first is National Teddy Bear Day. In 1902, President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear cub while hunting. It made national news. After a caricature cartoon was published in the Washington Post, Morris Michtom created a new toy and asked the President’s permission to name it the “Teddy Bear.”

There have been many famous Teddy Bears including Big Bird’s bear named Radar, Garfield the Cat’s bear Pooky, Winnie-the-Pooh and Paddington from across the pond in Great Britain, and the Muppet Fozzie Bear. Also, in 1981 starting as greeting cards before into television and toys, the Care Bears. This brings us to our next holiday, Care Bares Share Your Care Day. The main goal of the holiday is to inspire acts of kindness and goodwill. That’s something we all need to see more of in the world. Go out and Share Your Care.

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Coffee and Contemplation: National Suicide Awareness Month

September is National Suicide Awareness Month and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. You never know what other people are going through. Be kind whenever possible; it’s always possible. Maybe this is something you don’t show much concern with because it had never affected you directly. You never know who in your life may decide to take their life. Even if you think someone is self-harming because they want attention, that doesn’t make their pain less valid. Existence is pain. Sometimes that pain is overwhelming. We can overcome that pain if we seek help from both professionals and from people in our lives.

If you’re hurting, or think your life is meaningless, there are plenty of places to seek help. If this post speaks to you, I want you to leave a comment. I may not respond, but if you feel alone, look at some of the other comments. Many people, hundreds of thousands, feel the same about their lives. You’re not alone because so many people have the same feelings. Reading articles from TheMighty.com helped me when I was looking for some comfort. I felt people there were in the same boat and I felt less alone. I’m sharing the resources listed on The Mighty website below.

Suicide Prevention Resources

If you are feeling suicidal, there is hope. 

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. 

You can reach the Crisis Text Line 24/7 by texting “START” to 741-741. 

You can call The Trevor Project, an LGBT crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline, 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386.

You can call Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 if you live in the U.S. Call 877-330-6366 if you live in Canada.

To find local resources in your area, visit To Write Love On Her Arms.

If you are hard of hearing, you can chat with a Lifeline counselor 24/7 by clicking the Chat button on this page, or you can contact the Lifeline via TTY by dialing 800-799-4889.

To speak to a crisis counselor in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454.

If you are a veteran (or your loved one is a veteran), you can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by calling  1-800-273-8255 and Pressing 1. You can also send a text to 838255.

Head here for a list of crisis centers around the world.

For additional resources, see the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education).

You can read the following stories from people who’ve been there (from The Mighty):

And for additional messages of hope, click here. 

You are not alone.