Because They Matter Enough

Madison loves to make Bracelets of Hope. These are bracelets that Be the Change Foundation has available at all of our events. The idea is that for a minimum donation of $5.00, a person can write a note on the enclosed piece of paper and we then ship these to places around the world that work with trafficking survivors. Each one carriers a message of hope and dignity from someone on the other side of the world. Madison has spent countless hours making these bracelets, often times with her friends. She loves to do this. She runs through our front door all the time and says "Can we do beads?" "We" means Madison and her entourage of friends. She has it down to her own science. She puts much patience and love into each one. I'll never forget one particular day she was making bracelets. It was Easter Day 2007, she sat on my bed "doing beads" (I have found more beads than I care to remember in my bed since Be the Change started). She finished an entire one, no small task for a nine-year old. Stringing on these small beads takes patience for anyone, especially a child. She carefully held up this bracelet she had just finished and was looking intently at it. Then, she began to take the beads off. I asked her what she was doing. Her reply: "I don't like it, I am starting over." I assured her it was OK, and that some girl somewhere would be happy to have it just how it was. She said "No, I am going to start over, because they matter enough to start over."

You can't argue with that. They matter enough.