Perpetual Smile

Since my throat feels like it’s swollen ten times its normal size, and I know you guys don’t wanna read about how awful I feel, I thought I’d give you a list of three things that are more important than how sick I am right now. Particularly this goes out to Sarcastica, who seems to have a lot of jokes about my current condition.

1. Diary of a Palestinian Mother is a firsthand account of how it feels to have family on the war-torn Gaza Strip. Laila shows us that there is a lot more going on in our world than we know.
2. Elizabeth and Katy Hughes give homelessness a face. It’s time to stop ignoring what is happening right in front of our faces. One of our fellow bloggers is living it, but she isn’t the only one. Help Liz and Katy get off the streets, and then help the homeless in your neighborhood.
3. Ten Thousand Questions gets you to think about things you normally don’t think about. By thinking about the questions posted every day, you get to know yourself just a little better.

In light of yesterday’s post about Liz and her sixteen-year-old daughter Katy, I have started Letters for Katy, a campaign to help them stay strong and make it through this uncertain time.

You can read updates on the following sites:

• Destination Anywhere But Here — Katy’s blog
• Liz’s Blog — It seems that Liz has changed her blog setting to private, unless you are invited. I’m not sure why, but I can definitely understand why she might have.
• Letters of Love;
• Forensics and Faith: author Brandilyn Collins’ blog;
• JBH Marketing;
• and you can follow @BlinkyStJames (Katy), @lettersoflove, @juliebonnheath, and @brandilyn. (Use the #katy tag if you Twitter this so we can keep things organized!)
• Other links: Flutterbean, The Unknown Highway, SpaghettiPie, Roseslife, ABC BLOG, ABC VIDEO, NBC

I will add more links as I find them, and will make updates regarding the Letters for Katy campaign on the Letters of Love site.

I feel awful. I woke up with my throat burning and even though it’s better now, I keep getting hot flashes. Yuck. I have a feeling I won’t be going to work tomorrow.

That’s not why I’m posting, though. @juliebonnheath Tweeted about a homeless young girl and her mother who were evicted from their apartment. Liz and Katy have been through an awful lot. I’ve read through a little of each of their blogs and from what I gather, Liz is a single mom and the two of them have always just been able to make ends meet.

Right now they are just barely making it.

Their story is not uncommon. I think it really hits home with me because if it weren’t for my grandparents, my sister, parents and I would not have anywhere to go. We were evicted from our apartment over three years ago, suddenly and without warning. We didn’t have the money to get another place. We are still struggling and still don’t have a place of our own. If it weren’t for my Noni and Popi, we would be doing the same as Liz and Katy. They are literally living off of what people are donating to them, able to stay in a hotel only because of those donations. At first they were sleeping in their car — if they weren’t kicked out of whatever parking lot they chose to park in for the night.

Please, please help them however you can. Send a letter to lift their spirits. Send a few bucks to help them get groceries and stay in the hotel. Link to their blogs in your blog. Twitter their story. You can send them a note or some money at the following address:

Elizabeth and Katy Hughes
PO Box 111525
Campbell, CA 95011

Let’s band together and help Liz and Katy.

(Cross-posted to Scars Can Speak.)