May 21, 2015

Today we celebrate:

One Day Without Shoes Day – This is a day to raise awareness of children's health and education issues by going barefoot. Children in the world with poor health and an inadequate or non-existent education are generally located in areas with great poverty so they won’t have access to shoes either.  Shoes are only one way to help these children but they are a start.  At least shoes can help them with foot hygiene issues which is a step in the right direction.

National Memo Day – While the memo is occasionally a useful method of conveying information, sometimes it is overused. Other times it seems that important information still doesn't get to the people it needs to get to. But I don't think it's the memo's fault. I think that most likely it is the fault of whoever is sending the memo. So we should still celebrate the memo today.

National Waiters And Waitresses Day – Waiters and Waitresses put up with a lot of grief from their customers. Not you, of course, I'm talking about other customers with unruly children, obnoxious manners, poor tippers and humongous mess makers. But in spite of all that, most of them are able to keep their friendly attitudes and do a great job providing excellent service. So lets give them a hand today, and maybe an extra big tip.

American Red Cross Founder's Day – Clarissa Harlowe Barton founded the Red Cross in 1881 at the age of 60. The age when most people are beginning to think about retirement and golfing 24/7. Then, she ran the organization for 23 years. Prior to that she provided assistance to Union troops during the Civil War. She led an amazing and inspiring life, you can read about it here.

World Day For Cultural Diversity For Dialogue & Development – This is a day proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in November 2001 for the purpose of promoting diversity around the world. The UN would like communities to understand the value of cultural diversity, realize that we can all learn from each other, and live together in harmony.

Sister Maria Hummel Day – Born on this day in 1909, Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, O.S.F., was an artist and a German Franciscan Sister. She created the artwork for the Hummel figurines which are very famous in the art world. It should be noted that Adolf Hitler hated her art and although the Nazi's allowed her to work, they banned distribution of her work in Germany. In 1940, the Nazi's seized the convent that she lived in and forced many of the 250 Sisters to leave. The 40 Sisters that remained there lived without heat or a means of support so Hummel continued to work, sometimes even drawing pictures with a Jewish theme which was very dangerous.  The Nazi's took half of the money she made and the rest went to buy food for the Sisters. Sister Hummel became ill during this time and never recovered. She died in 1946.

To celebrate today, take your favorite waiter or waitress golfing and discuss ways of spreading cultural diversity in the world using the work ethic of Clarissa Harlowe Barton.  Spend the rest of your afternoon looking at Hummel figurines online while you write memos to your co-workers.