International Day of Acceptance

When I was looking through my 2017 Cat Blogging Calendar, it struck me as ironic that today is International Day of Acceptance. It is also Inauguration Day.

This year, many of us feel much different than on past Inauguration Days, (even when the President-elect was NOT the candidate of my choosing, I and many others that I know, didn't feel on Inauguration Day the way many of us are feeling now.) 

To help myself and those of you are might be feeling the same, I wanted to share what the International Day of Acceptance is and what it means,  and pray that our new President today, his Inauguration Day, stops and thinks about the importance of what he has gotten himself into, what it means, what he represents and I pray that he puts into practice what the International Day of Acceptance stands for. I also pray that he :

 1) Shows more compassion
 2) Stops tweeting
 3) Acts like an adult
4) Develops a thicker skin
5) Is pro-active about learning and understanding about those who are different than himself
6) and so much more that I will keep to myself

Photo from 3E Love's Wheelchair Heart on Facebook

International Day of Acceptance from Days of the Year:

"The (International) Day of Acceptance is a valuable social entrepreneurial awareness experiment with a heart-warming back-story."

"Annie Hopkins founded 3E Love to make the world a better place, also creating the International Symbol of Acceptance, which shows a wheelchair in the shape of a heart. Together, the occasion and the symbol communicate the 3E Love ethos of devotion, equality, respect and understanding, to be adopted and appreciated by people of all abilities."

"Disability owned and operated, 3E Love works to empower people through pride and passion, rather than charity. Taking control, following our dreams and being the best we can, regardless of physical factors, makes us what we are, and Annie’s goal to share this with as many people as possible has proved a source of inspiration all across the world."

  

"On January 20th 2009, Annie passed away due to unexpected complications during a simple medical procedure. Her memory lives on in the hearts of her friends and family, and it also lives on in the heart of the International Symbol of Acceptance. Annie’s brother, Stevie Hopkins, who helped her start 3E Love, paid tribute to his sister’s selfless efforts and vowed to keep them alive. On the first anniversary of Annie’s passing, Stevie and family founded an annual celebration of her life and work, inviting everyone to take part in a variety of ways, from drawing the symbol on your hand or cheek, to ordering buttons and T-shirts from the website, or simply changing your social media profile pictures to the logo for the day."

To quote 3E Love: “Friends, tell the world you embrace who you are; a person with social rights, who has an opinion, who has interests, who has goals and who loves life; a person who is empowered to make a difference in the world and not be without a voice in society. You are not living disabled, you are living.”

FROM CAT CAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: We pray the World will show more acceptance and compassion for those with any type of a disability, be it mental or physical, and for EVERYONE who is perceived to be "different", whether it be due to the religion they practice, the color of their skin, their gender, etc. May God Bless Everyone and "May God continue to bless the United States of America."