So often, friends and family write from home (the States) and say, “Keep blogging — I live vicariously through you!”
Today I’d like to share with you the story of a young woman whose life I live vicariously (as much as any of us can do that) through her blog. Her name is Maggie Doyne. I first heard of her in this Superhero post.
Maggie reminds me a little of me 15 years ago, except braver, bolder, way cooler and with a sense of purpose bigger and clearer than my own. Watch:
You can read all about Maggie’s adventures with the now-28(!!) kids in the Kopila Valley Children’s Home here and check out the Blink Now Foundation she created here.
I’m inspired by the difference Maggie and the people who make it all possible are making in these kids’ lives; you can hear it in little stories like this one from 4-year-old Sabita. I’m inspired by how she just keeps taking them in. I’m inspired by the joy and love these kids are growing up with, not to mention health and education! It’s not how their lives were going to go. Her fierce stand for little Juntara (read about it here and here and here ) brings me to tears each time I read it. This is a lovely tribute.
I can also appreciate that there must be times, many of them I imagine, when she just wants life to be a little easier, to go home (to her New Jersey home), some creature comforts, maybe even to be a “normal” 22-year-old… you know, like at a bar or party or something. It’s a whole different kind of wild, this Maggie Doyne’s life is.
I have wanted to have children for 15 years now. I live an amazing, blessed, wild-in-its-own-way, precious life. And I live vicariously through Maggie’s story with these kids. I’m inspired by the difference we each can make. I’m inspired to make more of a difference every single day because of what she does. Here’s a little something she made in all her spare time, I guess 
. It’s wonderful:
Maggie will be at the European Summit. I, for one, can’t wait to meet her. Are you coming?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Maggie is an incredibly brave and inspiring young woman. Those children are so lucky to have her care and compassion. I wish I could be at the summit and meet her; perhaps I’ll meet her on her home turf at some point.
Wow! That Maggie is amazing. What a selfless mission she’s on.
Great post – followed several of the links and am now sitting here with wet lashes and a red nose.
I did a little exercise in my journal and it lead me to look at what I consume on a daily basis and after adding it up it came to $37 a day…not counting utilities and car gas and I am sure many other things.
Then I saw an ad saying FEED THIS CHILD FOR $5 A MONTH. I can’t stop thinking about it. I am now to the thought – what if I lowered my consumption by $5 a day…I could feed a child for 30 months with doing that for ONE MONTH…
I have always considered myself as something of a non-consumer so I will really have to figure out some strategies to bring down my costs by that much. I think I will get my mate to help out.
Again thanks for the post.
rebecca,
good luck on this amazing summit!! i love the whole thing & wish i had the means to come! thank you for following your precious dreams. your moving mountains.
with love,
rachael