Dochas

Dochas is the Gaelic word for hope. Go figure that's what this post is about.


My Mom, a guy from her church and I did a thing today. What did we do? We brought hope to a small portion of people in the homeless community of Phoenix, Arizona. How?

We brought them food, and showed them they matter, my mom prayed with them, and told them of her story.

My Mom used to be a drug addict, and homeless for longest time. In that time I didn't get to see her, as I was living with my biological father, Tim as I call him. After getting clean she started trying to make things happen. It was hard at first, but she kept trying, and she kept Hope in her heart. It was through the kindness of others that she was able to do this.

So, now, every so often, we go and we will put together bags of food, this time we just did brown paper bags with a sandwich, an apple, chips and small thing of cookies. We gave these out with water, and for her she added a prayer with them. We found out their names, got to know their stories. We shared our stories with them, we gave them hope, we showed them that it does get better.

I myself would sit with the people and get to know them even better, about their families, their childhoods. Each one was a new experience. And it was wonderful, not because I like to hear about peoples pain, but because I love to help people and to bring people hope. To be able to help these people was such an experience.

Usually around the end of my posts I urge the reader to go do something similar.

HOWEVER! Doing this kind of thing in particular is kind of dangerous depending on the area you live in.

SO WHAT I AM GOING TO URGE YOU TO DO! Is, if you see the people standing on the side of the road asking for change, or if you're walking into a store and there's a homeless person standing out side, give them some money, it doesnt have to be 100 dollars or anything, a couple bucks will suffice. Just enough to go get some food and water. Or, buy them a snack while you're in the store and on you're way out, give it to them. Remind them that they are not alone, and that they matter.

They're humans too, they have feelings. How would you feel if it were you? 

Music

When in the darkest of times, when all seems hopeless and we think there's no way out, toward the light. There is still one hope. Music.

Music is such a freeing thing, whether it be listening to it or performing it. It truly is a great mechanism to cleanse your soul, to release what you're feeling inside and just can't put into words yourself or it's a great thing to listen to while trying to kill time.

I know that I myself listen to music all the time. My ex used to do this thing called "Zoning out" which I have adapted to doing myself. I see part of the reason why he did it. When he did he would listen to music and dance. Alone, its a freeing feeling (not to mention a good exercise)

I don't do the dancing part because, I usually go for jogs at night and I'm too tired to do it afterwards. However, I do sing, and listen to music. It helps me get out my emotions in a healthy manner. Thank you, to the ex that I am referring to, for letting me experience that.


There are some days that I get very depressed, or just very emotional. On those days I tell my family that I need alone time and I lock myself in my room and just listen to music and sing, as I said before. It does help a lot.


So, reader, next time you're feeling an emotion and you don't know how to express it, listen to music that matches the emotion. Or, listen to music that helps you calm down. You'll find that you feel better. 

Scars

Scars - a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed completely and fibrous connective tissue has developed.

I'm sorry, but I don't believe this to be entirely true. Scars come in many different shapes, sizes and forms. 

You can have the physical scars, the wound ones that are visible, whether it be ACTUAL cuts, or it could be stretch marks, bruises, 

and then

you have the scars that aren't so noticeable, the ones that are hidden in the eyes, or the voice or even the soul of a person.

Scars are more than just what a dictionary says they are.

The problem with scars, is that they never go away, the visibility of them may, but there's always a memory, or a trace somewhere, and if you look deep enough you could even find it.

Everyone has a scar, be it from cutting themselves, getting cut by someone, or getting hurt by someone emotionally.

So, what do you do when you notice a scar? Do you just walk by the person and assume that its in their head? Or that it'll get better? It doesn't always get better, and it's not always in their head. And, if it is in their head, it was put there by someone or something.

I have scars. I have the physical cut scars, and I have stretch marks. But, the scars that affect me the most, are the ones that you notice when you look deep into my eyes. I know my scars are there. I know where they came from. Someone on the street may look at me, and see that I have a smile on my face, and they can think that everything its alright. But, if that person were to look into my eyes, ACTUALLY LOOK, they would see the scars behind the mask.

Phantom of the Opera, is a perfect example of a mask hiding a scar. The phantom hides the scarred side of his face behind a mask, so only a perfect figure shows through. But, when someone, like Christine Dae, removed the mask, you could see the scar.

People thought the Phantom was a monster because of his scar, and because of the hideous scar that made him a monster, no one wanted to be around, or socialize with him.

People in our world they see the physical scars, and they think the person is werid, or a monster (In a sense) and they decide not to get to know them. I'm not saying everyone is like that. There are people in this world that see the scars, both physical and non-physical, and those people tend to try and understand.


To me, the people that see the "Monsters" and just judge based on the scars a person have, they are the real monsters. They have scars too, but they are too afraid to show them, so they hide them, they try to be "Normal"

Why am I talking about this? What am I trying to get at?

People, when you see scars on a person, or in a person, don't just assume "Monster", or "Ew, hideous" and please don't assume that someone is looking attention. If you don't know the person, say its a complete stranger, smile at them, and tell them you hope they have a great day. Because, that smile, and those few words, could help ease the pain of someone's scars. It could even save a life.

Please, dear reader, I beg of you. Don't judge someone for their scars.