Puppies and more puppies and damn you puppies

I have something to say.  And I've been holding it in or making snide remarks, but too much has come together to make this a perfect storm of a subject.  Child hood cancer.  I want to talk about it.  If you don't want to hear about it, then I suggest you leave this blog now. You have been warned. This is going to be aggressive, probably offensive to some, but the truth.  So put on your big girl/boy panties and read on if you dare.
Let's start this conversation with puppies.  We love puppies.  We have had several. We have had to potty train them, pick up after their messes, teach them to not tear up everything or eat all of Jack's army men.  We carefully selected our breeds based on our lifestyle.  We also did so as a family/couple.  If we didn't feel it was the right time for a puppy or didn't agree on the breed, we didn't get the puppy.  We didn't ask for Facebook's permission or "likes" to get a puppy, nor did we have our kids do that.  We chose this responsibility on our own and didn't pimp our kids out for 15 minutes of fame.  However, I do run a page on my daughter and share our life with those who want to know what the journey of childhood cancer is.  I pimp out my kid for cancer research funds.  Horrible? maybe.  But that's my choice. I also choose who I pimp her out to.  Maybe bad choice of words. Maybe I should say "represent".  I choose St Jude and more recently St Baldricks.  I have yet to hear from Good morning America about our 15 minutes of fame.  But I am not bitter.  No....not about the fame part. I could care less.  I am bitter that these damn puppies are making news.  We have so much more important stuff going on in our lives, and it needs to be addressed.  And not just childhood cancer, but that is of course my agenda.  And yes, we need feel good stories in the media to help us from feeling like things are hopeless and turning to shit at times.  But these puppies get on my damn nerves!! I cannot even get people to donate to St Baldricks for my head shave or ask them to "like" my page, but these kids get a puppy?? I know, you like the page/picture of the kids, and then your job is over.  If you were to follow my story or like my page, you are on a journey with me.  Sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad, and sometimes tragic.  But you know what......when you like my page, status, picture, etc you aren't just helping a family of 5 kids get a puppy.  You are spreading awareness for the 46 children each day who get cancer.  That is a big responsibility.  And yes, I will hold you to it.  You cannot simply just like and move on. I'll ask and keep asking. I'll rephrase and offer different scenarios or solutions.  So yes, there is a commitment and responsibility that comes with following our journey.
So while I stew down over the puppies (wow evokes lots of emotion in me should have taken a xanax before this post), let's talk about childhood cancer awareness.  First, there is a petition going around that needs signatures to turn the White House Gold for September.  Needs at leave 14,000 signatures, last I checked it was close to 11 grand.  And that has been going around for months! Yes there is a little more involved in signing a petition.  But wouldn't that be feel good news?? How wonderful that the White House would recognize our children? That sure would make my heart happy.  Second, let's talk about St Jude.  Recently a conversation in one of the ALL mom support groups went something like this "I hate the infomercials that St Jude does because they are so sad and something to the effect that they are a powerhouse"  Ok so those are not direct quotes, but its pretty much the gist of it.  First of all....seriously?? you are a mother of a cancer child and you can't watch a commercial about a cancer child because its sad???? Second, you feel as if St Jude takes away funding from other hospitals because of their "powerhouse" status?? um.....pretty sure St Jude put childhood cancer on the map and minds of many.  So they have not only earned their right as powerhouse, they do so while also freely sharing their research at no cost.  Running an organization where 85 cents of every dollar goes directly to the research/kids fighting.  And YOUR hospital uses the protocols from St Jude.  So its not about this 'competing' for funds.  Every cent that goes to a reputable hospital or organization that represents childhood cancer is a "win" for our kids.  I don't care if its St Jude or St Baldricks or a local hospital.  When you start conversations like this, you aren't banding together, you are competing for power from a horrible disease.  Which btw, seems to be the agenda of this particular mom support group, which I am no longer a part of because I liked to use the eff word too much.  So, I had to disclose that information so you are well aware that yes, I already have beef with this group, so maybe my opinion is biased.  It is MY opinion.  And when you start bashing St Jude, you are calling my baby ugly.  St Jude is the hospital that saved my child's life.  And I know lots and lots of other moms who go to other facilities who have saved their children's life, and they love them as much as I love St Jude.  But we don't bash each other's hospital.  We embrace them, we talk about the differences, similarities, and how we can all benefit from the knowledge.  What a great thing!! When you start to denounce hospitals, people, groups, etc because you are worried they are going to "take you 15 minutes of fame" you are not an ally...at least not in my opinion.  You are the problem.
Ok, so let me back track for a minute to the oh so sad infomercials.  Are they sad?? Do people want to click off the station? absolutely!! They evoke emotion.  That is the point.  Come on...you saw 5 kids with a sign that asked for a puppy and that evoked enough emotion for you to "like" it.  This is the same thing, except a different emotion with a little more responsibility.  And organizations have been doing this for years to feed kids in Africa or help puppies who are close to being euthanized.  Why??? because it works.  Sad that it works, but it does.  Now with that said, St Jude does a wonderful campaign of thanks and giving that is happy and joyful.  And people complain about that too!! They say our kids are not always like that and treatment is hell.  Well there you go...can't please everyone.  But the messages are still the same by evoking different emotions.  Very well done, St Jude. Well done.
So let's digress a minute and cover the important topics that I have covered. I really want you to walk away from this reading and have some great "take aways".  Can you tell I was a manager once with my manager speak?  ;)
1.  Puppies are cute
2.  it takes more than just facebook likes to care for a puppy.
3.  St Jude is a powerhouse who saved my daughters life
4.  There are so many great children's hospitals that treat cancer kids, and I love the comrade I have with the woman of the children who attend these facilities
5.  we need more signatures to turn the white house gold (go now)
6.  childhood cancer is sad....very sad.
7.  I am really having issues with this puppy thing and probably isn't healthy and should seek counsel regarding such issues
8.  I pimp my daughter out for cancer awareness, research, funding, etc because I want to save her life, her friend's lives, and her children's lives.
9. I need some donations for my St Baldrick's Shave in June (which will have its own blog soon)
10. As the Beatles would say "Come together....right now....over me"  Or "Hey, Jude..."  or "Help, I need somebody help"
ok so that last one was thrown in there because Lucy is listening to the Beatles while I type this!
Whew....rant over. Thank you to those who patiently stayed to the end.
oh, and if I start getting posts on my FB wall about puppies, I'm likely to probably go off the deep end ;)