Today I share a little about caring for others. Care, compassion and kindness were virtues imparted on me by mother. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge provided me with a vehicle to share my mothers legacy of caring with others.
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Caring
1. Caring
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest
compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. - Leo
Buscaglia
Last Friday morning I participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I was nominated by good friend Mark
Young from Belize. I dedicated my participation in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to my loving and caring
mother who passed away in February 2009 from complications related to polymyositis, a rare
inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness and tissue damage.
For a period of about two weeks I had seen numerous videos on Facebook and other social media as the
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral. I had seen celebrities after celebrities poured buckets of ice on
themselves as they were challenged one after another to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
The aim of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is help to raise awareness of and donation for research on ALS.
Over the period of the campaign I have seen ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos that were funny, epic
failure, informative and educational as well as inspirational.
I have to admit that initially I thought it was silly for so many people to be pouring buckets of ice on
themselves and then posting videos on Facebook and other social media. However, as campaign gained
traction it struck me that the reason most people were participating was because they care about
others. Let face it as Anthony J. D'Angelo said without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of
community. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is about our community. I participated in the ALS Ice Bucket
Challenge because I care about people in my community that are affected by ALS.
My participation allowed me to also do a little more as I used my video to speak about the lessons I
learned from my mothers illness. One of the important lessons I learned from my mothers illness which
is relative to ALS patients is that patients with terminal or chronic illnesses need to be treated with
dignity. They have to depend on others every minute of their lives. Simple things such as brushing their
teeth, drinking a cup of tea or taking a shower that so many of us take for granted, ALS patients require
help and care with.
When we care about others we are running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people that
brings happiness. Care, compassion and kindness were virtues imparted on me by mother. The ALS Ice
Bucket Challenge provided me with a vehicle to share my mothers legacy of caring with others.
After more than two weeks of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos I can safely say that most people
participated because their guiding principles in life are to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring.
Caring brings a sense of joy and contentment.
How do you show that you care for others?
2. Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well
as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor. He can be contacted by
email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog
http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter
@mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.