Mothers Day

I have been lucky enough to have been raised by a fabulous mom. She can cook, she always keeps a clean house, she taught us how to work, and how to be kind, and has a ridiculous amount of patience (required when you have 6 kids). This is her with my sister...

 And her with her grandson. He's not scared of her, he's scared of the camera flash... :)

Thanks mom, and to mothers everywhere.

XOXO CPTVPT

More to life than Prom...

People who read this may think that I'm some bitter, angry teenager who's disappointed about not getting asked to prom. And that's fine for them.

Saturday was prom at my high school. From then to now, and I'm sure it will continue, my entire Facebook news feed is full of prom pictures. Girls dressed in immodest, beaded, fluffy dresses that "only cost 300 dollars!!" *squeal*. Limos that cost at least $700 for the night. (Probably more.) Nails, hair, shoes, day activities, dinner, the list goes on. 

Now, I promise I'm not a kill joy that doesn't believe in having fun and what not. It's not the event itself, but the extreme value that teenagers place on this event.

What if every teenager--instead of going to prom--spent their money helping someone in need?

Gave that $700+ to a charity that provides food for starving children. Because while you eat your expensive dinner, 17 million children die from malnutrition and starvation each year in Africa.

Or put together a care package for a soldier in the Middle East that is struggling every day for survival.

Or secretly gave it to someone struggling with cancer.

Or buy supplies and assemble hygiene kits to send to 3rd world countries.

Or donate money to supply medicine so that the19,000 African children that die daily from easily curable diseases won't have to anymore.

I'm not saying that we have to get rid of prom. I guess I just want to help us all remember that there is something bigger than us out there. Something bigger than prom.