As I wrote on Facebook earlier this week,
“CONFESSION!
I wasn’t going to do the ALS ice water challenge because, “everyone is doing it”, “it’s a fad”, “people just want attention”, blah, blah, blah.
And then I realized that my holier than thou attitude – MY cynicism, was NOT what I wanted to sit in this week with all the other happenings in our world. The news has SUCKED, people. Overseas. Here in the U.S.
So, you know what? A little ice water over the head to wake me OUT of negativity, and a contribution to help find a cure for an illness for which I’d never really taken notice, was awesome. And so was watching a community do it together. #facebookforthewin”
And then, I watched this video explaining why/how the Ice Bucket Challenge originated. I immediately showed it to my children. They asked me questions I couldn’t answer.
“What is ALS? Why does it do that to a person?”
While I couldn’t answer the specific medical questions, I could explain how debilitating and fatal this disease can be. I could explain how it takes a lot of money to research cures for something like ALS.
“Well then, I hope someone nominates me,” my son shared.
Facebook can be a real downer. A den of negativity. A drama-filled, narcissistic environment.
IF you allow it to wield THAT power.
It can also be a place where an online community comes together to put smiles on the faces of those suffering from ALS, or those who have lost someone to ALS.
Social media has the power to raise awareness – even during a time when much of our country is rightfully focused on what could be considered more pressing news.
So, I dumped that water on my head. My son dumped that water on his. My husband will do so tonight, and my daughter was just nominated.
And we will give towards the initiative for more research. Others, may just dump the water. WHO CARES?
Raising awareness has merit.
My children are being raised in a world where social media can either sting or serve as a source of fuel to encourage them to think outside their little world. Through just this Facebook challenge alone, they caught a glimpse into the hardships of others, and assisted by adding to the spark that created a communal explosion of support on behalf of those who need it.
Did you take the Ice Bucket Challenge?
