Recently, two other friends and I have started a venture we call “Hats for Honduras” - http://www.hatsforhonduras.org/ I want to give special props to Tiger Technologies for donating the hosting for our website. They are the best hosting company, hands down, that I’ve ever worked with, and I’m so thrilled that they were touched by this project as well.
Hats for Honduras is a venture in keeping a friendship alive, and for hopefully sparking new ones. Over the past year-and-a-half, the Loaves and Fishes Community, which I volunteer with, hosted a man named Henry, from Honduras. After a long recovery from a near-death auto accident, he finally returned home last month.
Henry became part of our family, and we’ve been invited to visit any time. Hats for Honduras is our fundraising project to fly 3-4 of us to Tegucigalpa, Honduras by 2010 to visit Henry in his native land. We’re looking for donations, of yarn, looms, knitted hats, and money. We’ll send a hand-made knitted hat to anyone who donates. Henry adored the knitted hat made for him by our friend Kristina, and took it with him everywhere - even to West Palm Beach, before boarding a flight from Miami to Honduras.
Our loftiest goals are also to start a friendship exchange program between Duluth, MN and Henry’s community between Tegucigalpa and Juticalpa.
Knitting has been easier on the circular looms for this newbie, but I’m learning a lot, and having fun. I have now made 8 hats!
I don’t normally put links to movies on my blog, but this one needs a special mention. Throughout this whole movie, I was moved to tears. Prayers for Bobby is a very honest portrayal of a family and a mother dealing with the news of their son being gay.
Coming out is a journey for a family. Sometimes it’s a real struggle, and nobody’s perfect, and there are never easy answers. Acceptance doesn’t always come quickly. In my own wonderfully loving and beautifully imperfect family, our journey has never been easy, but we’ve always loved each other - that I have never doubted. It took some time, but now they ask me about Michael, my partner, and I was touched to see them put his picture right next to mine in their home.
This movie shows so vividly, the worst fears of any gay son to feel deeply that they are not loved, and the deepest fears of any parent who would have to suffer a death of their son to suicide. It also shows how religion can be used as a tool to divide us, to sever families, and to make people to feel deep deep shame.
How can God shame one of his own? How can God not love one of his own?
I forgave my mother years ago for saying some of the same things Sigourney Weaver says to her son in this movie. I forgave myself for feeling like I put my parents through this tough journey years ago. And though in many ways we’re all still on this journey, I love them with all my heart, and I grew to accepting myself, and feeling the gifts that come with loving another person, and finding true joy.
So, I encourage everyone to watch. Have kleenex ready.
Hats for Honduras is a venture in keeping a friendship alive, and for hopefully sparking new ones. Over the past year-and-a-half, the Loaves and Fishes Community, which I volunteer with, hosted a man named Henry, from Honduras. After a long recovery from a near-death auto accident, he finally returned home last month. 
