This year, for my birthday, I wanted to write up a list of charities and foundations and organizations that I wish I could donate money to, like: Alley Cat Allies, North Shore Animal League America, The Anti-Defamation League, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and on and on. But I feel overwhelmed by all of the rights I want to protect. I’ve been exhausted lately and maybe that’s why the fear hit me so hard after the election. I know how little energy I have left, to fight for my rights and my safety, and I just wanted someone else to take care of it. Some people are out protesting, and others are donating money to good causes, and still others are signing up for newspaper subscriptions online, to support actual journalism over the fake news we’ve gotten used to in our post-factual world. I want to do all of those things, except the protesting. It just looks so exhausting to have to walk through the city like that. Maybe if I had a golf cart…
“I’m good here, Mom. You go without me.”
I’d love to support an organization that helps people of all ages learn how to volunteer in their communities. This has been a lifelong difficulty for me. Where can I volunteer? Who wants my help? How can I find them? More often than not I feel rejected before I even apply, because the brochures are so complicated, and the application process makes me feel unqualified. I know there are groups for kids and teenagers that encourage them to volunteer, I just wish there were more of them, and that they were more sensitive to the less outgoing and confident among us.
I’d love to support an organization that brings pets to home-bound seniors, as well as seniors in nursing homes and rehab centers. Not everyone can take care of a pet full time, but everyone deserves the chance to absorb some of the joy my dogs bring to me.
I’d love to see better education, for everyone, about the services available at the local, state, and federal level, to help people in need – so that you don’t have to be at the end of your rope before you find the supports our society has to offer.
I’d love to see Human Rights and Social Justice classes at the high school and college level instead of just in social work school, so that we can learn the history of oppression in our country, and how we have worked to combat it, and how we can continue to work to move our country forward. Then maybe we could reach a point in our society where we don’t have to deny the history of one group’s suffering in order to take on the suffering of another group as well.
What else do I want for my birthday? I want to lose weight. I want a very long nap. I want to feel hopeful about the future. I want people to stop checking their phones every two minutes while they are talking to me. I want chocolate frosting to be good for my health. I want my dogs to be healthy and happy. I want my Mom to live forever. I want a Harry Potter coloring book. Better yet, I want to go to Hogwarts, or at least get a letter, delivered by an owl, telling me that I have all of the qualifications to go be a witch.
“Mommy’s a witch!”
I’m pretty sure that Cricket and Butterfly have already received their letters. Cricket’s is probably hidden under the couch in the living room, and Butterfly may have eaten hers (she loves the taste of quality card stock). I have to say, I’m flattered that they have chosen to stay with me instead of going off to become mini-witches themselves. It’s just not the choice I would have made myself. I mean, magic wands? Spells? All kinds of new creatures to meet, some of them fluffy? Who could say no to that?
“You can’t come in here, Mommy. Moose will stop you.”
“Did you know that this one tastes different from the TV Guide? Not better, just different.”
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I was desperate.”
rachelmankowitz 
Very nice article, do some things for uplifting society.Happy Birthday thoughts.
Thank you!
Always Welcome friend.
Awesome that you are caring and have a gentle spirit helping those organizations. I wish you a great birthday!
Thank you!
I give my Lily the peanut butter jar to lick! Wipes her out, too. May all your birthday wishes come true in a manner by which you can handle it. Happy Birthday 🎉❗️
Thank you! One day I’ll have to make a video of Cricket’s journey with the peanut butter jar, from kitchen to hallway to under the couch. All of a sudden she seems to have hands!
May you have a happy birthday Rachel. I hope you get all that you need and the right amount of what you want in the year to come. Wishing you all the best!
Thank you!
Happy birthday! Quicksilver et al
Thank you!
Well, first of all, Happy Birthday!
After that I offer a suggestion about volunteering. For a number of years I gave time and effort to the local Society for the Blind recording for the Talking Book program. I found it satisfying and it had a positive impact. You might wish to look into it.
John
Thank you! And what a lovely idea!
Well, first of all, Happy Birthday!
After that I offer a suggestion about volunteering. For a number of years I gave time and effort to the local Society for the Blind recording for the Talking Book program. I found it satisfying and it had a positive impact. You might wish to look into it.
John
Happy Birthday – I think chocolate frosting might actually be good for you, and definitely naps are good for you. I want an owl, like on Hogwarts, to bring me any type of handwritten letter, on proper stationary, with sealing wax. I want a rotary telephone again, and a real voice on the other line. Oh well, we can all dream. Hope you have a wonderful day and those little dogs of yours are so charming!!!
Thank you! I used to have a rotary phone and I always got my little fingers stuck in the darned thing. Push buttons were a wonderful improvement. Flat screens with tiny “keys”? Not so much.
Happy Birthday to you, Rachel!
Thank you!
Happy Birthday!!!I LOVED your birthday wishes, oh we can dream can’t we?!!!!
Thank you! Dreaming is one of the best parts of life!
Don’t worry, I’ve got the ACLU covered for the two of us.
I don’t know if Cricket & Butterfly would put up with this, but guide dogs for the blind need temporary pre-training socialization homes. I worked with a man who brought his doggy trainee to work and it was so wonderful having the dog around.
and ps—- Happy Birthday!!!!
Thank you!
Cricket would be the absolute worse guide dog trainer, though Butterfly would love it!
Your thoughts and generous wishes on your birthday have a deep value in the world. What happens out here is a playing out of consciousness. It is very real but it is only a shadow of true Reality too. Have faith and find truth in yourself; no one can take that away ever. And in this world yes, we need to step up and stand for our values. Happy Birthday Rachel. You bring much of value to the Whole.
Thank you!
Happy Birthday Rachel!
Thank you!
Happy b-day from me and the gang. Thanks for caring, just take one step at a time. Have you thought about training a therapy dog?
Thank you! For now I am training my own therapy dogs. Cricket is teaching me the value of patience and persistence, but it’s taking a while.
Patience and persistence, good values that takes time for sure.
Happy Birthday, Rachel! I hope your wishes come true 🙂
Thank you!
Happy Birthday!
Thank you!
Happy Birthday, Rachel! Loved your birthday wishes. For me, volunteering has been helpful. It makes me realize that I do have the power to make the world a better place, at least in my own little corner of it.
Thank you! I love the idea that we can makes things better, even when we can’t make everything better all at once.
Happy birthday, Rachel! I am sending the ADL a donation in your honor. Since I don’t have your address, I will send them the money and this is your notification.
Thank you and your doggies for helping me smile. Y’all are wonderful.
Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are very welcome. You give so much joy, Rachel. Thank YOU.
You have your own set of magical beasts!!!
I do!
Happy birthday! 🎂
Thank you!
You have one goal that easily achieved. If they make one, a Harry Potter coloring book should be easy to find. Coloring books, newspapers, magazines-they’re all targets for my poop.
I think I’d prefer coloring with pens than poop, but thanks for the offer.
I hope you will receive birthday gifts that will you will treasure and warm you as much as we esteem your words, thoughts and stories. Even if just one of your hopes for the world came to be, no matter how small the form, the world would be a brighter place.
That’s beautiful! Thank you!
Happy Birthday ! Wonderful birthday wish list. May your birthday wishes come true.
Thank you! Fingers crossed!
Happy bithday Rachel!☺🎈🎈🎂🎁
Thank you!!!!!!!
☺🐾🐾
Have a fine birthday (“and that’s an order!”).
On the situation created by the election, I think Albert Camus had good things to say in his novel “La Peste” (The Plague), a metaphor for Fascism and evil.
“The bacillus never dies”.
“Fight!”
Thank you! But, eek, anytime you have to reference Camus, you know you’re in trouble.
Happy Birthday! It use to be easy to volunteer, walk in give name tell them I want volunteer and that was that! Now… credit checks, background checks, letters of recommendation ect., ect. Great writing!
Oh my! At least I’m not the only one being looked at with suspicion. And thank you!
Happy Birthday! I’m sure the girls made it a good day for you. Bikkies and hugs by proxy.
Thank you! The girls made sure to eat more chicken treats to make the day extra special, um, for me.
Don’t you just love them? 🙂
Yes!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
I do hope that you have a wonderful day and that some of your Bucket List of objectives are realised.
Most of all be happy.
Purrs,
The Cat
Thank you! I’m going to try and follow Butterfly’s lead and take all of the good as it comes.
Happy Birthday Rachel. Each day step forward to do something that improves the place you are occupying and watch the changes in you.
Thank you!
Happy Birthday Rachel!! You have the best ideas!
Thank you! It’s all Cricket. She’s the one with the ideas, I just do the writing for her, with a little editing here and there.
Happy Birthday, great post…
Thank you!
Hmm, I think you and I want a lot of the same things. 🙂 Have a wonderful birthday!
Thank you! I hope we are both lucky this year!
Happy Birthday ! Sending hugs 🤗 😏
Thank you!
Happy Birthday. Feel free to do just one thing. Maybe you already are by writing!
Thank you!
Happy birthday, Rachel. I hope you get at least one of your birthday wishes (maybe the Harry Potter coloring book!).
Thank you!
Barnaby is a therapy dog: in the UK, we have Pets as Therapy, a charity which organises volunteer (suitable) dogs and cats to visit the housebound, or elderly, or children. he’s perfect for it as he’s so patient! (P. S. We so agree with you about people checking their phones all the time – infuriating!) Pip
Can you imagine if dogs had cell phones? They’d never remember to pee! Cricket can barely concentrate when she smells pee mail passing by on the wind.
Happy Birthday.
I don’t know if you have a printer/access to one? If you do Google “Harry Potter colouring pages” and print off ones you like. 🙂
Ooohhh! Thank you!!!!!
I really enjoyed this Rachel. Thanks so much. I share many of your hopes and frustrations.
Thank you! Are you going to Hogwarts too?!!! They really need to develop an adult ed. program.
Happy Birthday to you and I hope one of your presents is to see where you can contribute. In my (hopefully humble?) opinion, you are already contributing with your writing, insights. And didn’t you say you are studying to become a social worker?
I share your feelings of late. Because I am a quiet person who doesn’t do well in groups, I prefer to contribute in other ways. I support ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Humane Society, local missions, etc. And share my opinions in my writing. May join a women’s march in January here in San Diego, planned to coordinate with march in Washington. We’ll see how I feel …
Best wishes to you.
Thank you! Sounds wonderful!
Happy birthday, Rachel!
Thank you!
Such a lovely idea. This year for the holidays my family and I (ex-husband and 3 grown kids) are making donations in each other’s name to the charity of his/her choice. Great fun doing something meaningful! Happy birthday!
I love that!
Anyone can be a witch….. 😉
Me, me, me!!!!!!
A Jewish witch? Oy!
Yes!
You’d make a wonderful one because you’re magical and so full of positive intention. I practice by myself now and honor the good from may religions, but at my heart I am really a pagan. xo
Thank you!
Happy Birthday. What a strange thing self-belief is –
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity”.
That seems to get truer the worse things get in the world.
Thank you, and, oy!
Happy Birthday!!! 🙂
Thank you!
Happy Birthday!! I total enjoyed reading about your birthday wishes and I do hope they can come true!
Thank you! Me too!
I nodded my head through this whole post! Yes! Happy Belated Birthday!
Thank you!
Belated Happy Birthday! I hope all of your birthday wishes come true!
Thank you!
Happy birthday. May it come with a full supply of energy and all your doubts at least temporarily forgotten.
Thank you! That would be lovely!
Reblogged this on Meir Weiss' Blog.
Thank you!
Great post and happy birthday! I always try to remember the animal non-profits when it comes time to donate money…or volunteer hours. Like you, I’ve also become much more concerned about making sure organizations like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU stay funded. There are so many issues to be concerned about lately.
Thank you! It’s so overwhelming to think of all of the rights that may be at risk. I know there are a lot of people with the skills and passion to fight these fights, but I feel like I’m letting them down somehow, by not being as capable as they are.
It is overwhelming! One thing to keep in mind is that everyone needs a good writer so you are more than capable of offering *that* to a group you care about!