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Glenda moved to Houston from Ohio just before the pandemic hit. She didn't know that COVID-19-related delays would make it difficult to get her Texas driver's license and apply for unemployment benefits. She quickly found herself in an impossible situation — stranded in a strange place without money for food, gas, or a job to provide what she needed.
Alone, hungry, and scared, Glenda dialed 2-1-1 for help. The person on the other end of the line directed her to the Houston-based nonprofit Bread of Life, founded by St. John's United Methodist pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus.
For nearly 30 years, Bread of Life has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS prevention, eliminating food insecurity, providing permanent housing to formerly homeless individuals and disaster relief.
Glenda sat in her car for 20 minutes outside of the building, trying to muster up the courage to get out and ask for help. She'd never been in this situation before, and she was terrified.
When she finally got out, she encountered Eva Thibaudeau, who happened to be walking down the street at the exact same time. Thibaudeau is the CEO of Temenos CDC, a nonprofit multi-unit housing development also founded by the Rasmuses, with a mission to serve Midtown Houston's homeless population.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyNDg1Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTQ5MDE1Mn0.0jnGZfz6cTr9rIuYo644sDJftBhj7Dqzg-6olbynoig/img.jpg?width=980" id="db65e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1d9dbe31f21c6ae80223dd1cc11825a5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@healing_photographer?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aarón Blanco Tejedor</a> </small></p><p>"I saw a woman walking toward me in a hesitant fashion. I called out to her and admired her Juneteenth t-shirt," Thibaudeau said. Glenda asked her for directions, and they struck up a conversation. After finding out that she was in need, Thibaudeau sprang into action and began making phone calls. A few minutes later, two of her co-workers rounded the corner of St. John's church with a box of household goods, courtesy of Bread of Life.<br></p><p>As they loaded up Glenda's car with essentials, Thibaudeau asked questions and listened intently before inviting her to take a walk together.</p><p>"As [we] walked, she sobbed and shared that she isn't any more deserving than anyone else and she was so grateful for our kindness. I told her that this is what we do and reminded her that she is not alone. Once you find all of us, you have found the Houston Love!" said Thibaudeau. "I put my arm around her and asked, 'What's your name?' We laughed at realizing that we hadn't exchanged names yet. 'Glenda,' she answered. 'I'm Eva and we got you.'"</p><p>This kind of empathy and boundless love is what fuels the work of Pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus. By practicing what they preach—literally—they've created a Houston-based network of nonprofit organizations to cover almost every need imaginable.</p><div id="b5433" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e6d0b0f14bcb6f7bb71df55f93e86d71"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>The couple, who have been married for 36 years, light up recalling an event that transformed and refined their mission to serve. Shortly after they first took over the congregation at <a href="https://stjohnsdowntown.org/" target="_blank">St. John's</a>, they arrived at the church to find a homeless man sleeping on the front stoop. Rather than shooing him away, they invited him inside. That, in sum, is what they've been doing ever since: using what they have to help those in need.<br></p><p>"We have an amazing team of compassionate people who really work together to make good happen, and that's what we've been doing for almost 30 years," said Pastor Rudy. "Eva's story is a perfect example of that."</p><p>Bread of Life received an outpouring of support from across the U.S. after <a href="https://www.upworthy.com/texas-pastor-is-redefining-what-it-means-to-love-your-neighbor" target="_self">Upworthy</a> published their story in June 2020, enabling them to begin offering free weekly COVID-19 testing to the residents of downtown Houston. During a time when access to testing was problematic for many Americans, this service undeniably saved a number of lives. Bread of Life serves a primarily homeless population, people with disabilities and no insurance, with a primary goal of reducing homelessness and food insecurity.</p><p>Recently, they've shifted their volunteer efforts to the herculean task of contact tracing and case management, offering yet another invaluable service. They now have an official Mobile COVID Testing Unit, offering completely contact free, mobile testing (note the arm holes in the side)!</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyNDg4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNTI2NzA3OH0.Kgt9hQ52HYvUiM7DVJ9o4JCbHaf5wbpUDp0BGjqi4_U/img.jpg?width=980" id="c7449" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ab8061956f3882567e51a7ed2dec4588" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo courtesy of Rudy Rasmus</small></p><p>Additionally, Bread of Life's partnership with <a href="https://m25m.org/" target="_blank">Matthew:25 Ministries</a> and the <a href="https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/home/" target="_blank">Houston Food Bank</a> means that people who are sick and quarantined at home can now have food delivered. They've also added fresh, frozen meat to their weekly contactless distribution line downtown.<br></p><p>"Meat days are <em>crazy</em>," said Pastor Rudy. "Because people who are experiencing food insufficiency don't have many opportunities to get meat." He calls it "small scale pandemonium."</p><div id="499c1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ea8243c74976243fdaacbc5d4de7e064"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDix9xZDLMu/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>According to <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/impact/feeding-america/" target="_blank">Feeding America</a>, an additional 17.1 million Americans will experience food insecurity this year due to impacts from COVID-19, and they need our support now more than ever. In response to this growing problem, Feeding America® and Procter & Gamble have joined forces to bring food and household items to communities hit hardest by the pandemic. Across the U.S., P&G is donating products and personal care kits for distribution through the Feeding America network of food banks.<br></p>What Pastors Rudy and Juanita have accomplished in Houston is a direct result of ordinary people who are willing to do extraordinary things. And you can make a difference too by simply joining <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/" target="_blank">P&G Good Everyday</a>. By taking action through the website, you can earn rewards by buying products you already know and love. And the best part? P&G will donate to a cause you care about so you can turn your everyday actions into acts of good.
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A 'Cha Cha Slide' dance party broke out amongst people waiting to vote in Philadelphia
10.27.20
Election Day is a special occasion where Americans of all walks of life come together to collectively make important decisions about the country's future. Although we do it together as a community, it's usually a pretty formal affair.
People tend to stand quietly in line, clutching their voter guides. Politics can be a touchy subject, so most usually stand in line like they're waiting to have their number called at the DMV.
However, a group of voters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania received a lot of love on social media on Sunday for bringing a newfound sense of joy to the voting process.
<p><br></p><div id="3a38d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d4b5858a18e98f93c2e78ee425c477fa"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1320219587171045381" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">A whole mood! The joyful defiance of dancing in line at the polls in a “f*** 2020” Tshirt is what voting in 2020 lo… https://t.co/MMlocA5FbS</div> — Resistance Revival Chorus (@Resistance Revival Chorus)<a href="https://twitter.com/ResistanceRev/statuses/1320219587171045381">1603599852.0</a></blockquote></div><p><br></p><div id="59e00" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7f841bc1c16413b8a12e161a5c210829"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1320124764619460620" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Voting should be joyful! #JoyToThePolls @ResistanceRev https://t.co/mEW6nSoYjN</div> — #JoyToThePolls (@#JoyToThePolls)<a href="https://twitter.com/JoyToThePolls/statuses/1320124764619460620">1603577245.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Videos circulating online showed groups of dancers doing the "Cha Cha Slide" by DJ Casper while waiting to cast their ballots. While it looked like an impromptu display by bored voters making the best of the long line, it was actually the work of Nelini Stamp, 32, the director of the strategy for the Working Families Party and the campaign director for Election Defenders.<br></p><p>The nonpartisan coalition's goal is to help voters stay "staying safe and healthy outside of polling places across the country and bringing them some joy."</p><p>"Because voter suppression has been rampant for years, because there has been so much in the media and so much out there about white supremacists and militia intimidation tactics, we figured that this was a year to make sure that people felt motivated to go vote and not feel unsafe," <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/michaelblackmon/philly-voters-dancing-waiting-in-line-video?" target="_blank">Stamp told BuzzFeed News.</a> </p><p>"Especially in the middle of a global pandemic," she added.</p><p>The coalition's work also includes training thousands of people in de-escalation tactics to combat voter intimidation at the polls. Stamp believes that the joyous, calming effect music has on people helps with de-escalating a potentially stressful situation because it "centers the mood in something else."</p><div id="3eabc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b04112fa61cd49193c5222be0979cc9a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1271127400231960576" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">📷 IG | selenagomez: Please meet Nelini Stamp (@nelstamp). Nelini is the Director of Strategy for @Workingfamilies -… https://t.co/8cDAUY1zAZ</div> — Selena Gomez News (@Selena Gomez News)<a href="https://twitter.com/SGomezNewsCOMs/statuses/1271127400231960576">1591895363.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The viral cha-cha dance was courtesy of Joy to the Polls, a concert put on by the coalition to entertain voters waiting in line. The Resistance Revival Chorus, a group of women and nonbinary activists dressed in white, joined in the festivities by dancing alongside the voters in an adjacent parking lot.<br></p><p>The joyous moment showed that with an inspired community organization, even standing in a two-hour-long polling line can be fun. But it also calls attention to a larger problem in American democracy: long polling lines.</p><p>"That person should not have to have to wait in line for an hour," Stamp said. </p><p>"However, we wanted to do something good for those people [standing in line]," she said. "And it felt really good that that person and those folks who saw — whether it was the Cha Cha Slide or the Wobble or people doing the Electric Slide, it at least brought them some joy and some relief in a process that wasn't meant for us, especially Black and brown people."</p><p>Studies show that voters in primarily Black neighborhoods <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/smartphone-data-show-voters-in-black-neighborhoods-wait-longer1/" target="_blank">wait for 29% longer</a> than those in primarily white neighborhoods. They are also about 74% more likely to wait more than half an hour.</p><p>There will be <a href="https://billypenn.com/2020/10/15/philadelphia-polling-place-voting-map-2020-november-election/" target="_blank">fewer polling places</a> in Philadelphia this year, compared to most. There are normally<a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/decision-2020/many-more-polling-places-will-be-open-nov-3-compared-to-pandemic-primary/2529336/" target="_blank"> 830 open on election day,</a> but this year there will only be 718. Some of this is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the understanding that more people will be voting by mail.</p><p>This mirrors <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkdenn/the-us-eliminated-nearly-21000-election-day-polling-locations-for-2020" target="_blank">the reduction in polling places</a> throughout the country. Over 21,000 polling places have been eliminated across the country this year. That's a 20% drop compared to 2016. Vice attributes these closure to "a heavy shift to mail voting, coronavirus-related consolidations, cost-cutting measures, and voter suppression."</p>
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Glenda moved to Houston from Ohio just before the pandemic hit. She didn't know that COVID-19-related delays would make it difficult to get her Texas driver's license and apply for unemployment benefits. She quickly found herself in an impossible situation — stranded in a strange place without money for food, gas, or a job to provide what she needed.
Alone, hungry, and scared, Glenda dialed 2-1-1 for help. The person on the other end of the line directed her to the Houston-based nonprofit Bread of Life, founded by St. John's United Methodist pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus.
For nearly 30 years, Bread of Life has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS prevention, eliminating food insecurity, providing permanent housing to formerly homeless individuals and disaster relief.
Glenda sat in her car for 20 minutes outside of the building, trying to muster up the courage to get out and ask for help. She'd never been in this situation before, and she was terrified.
When she finally got out, she encountered Eva Thibaudeau, who happened to be walking down the street at the exact same time. Thibaudeau is the CEO of Temenos CDC, a nonprofit multi-unit housing development also founded by the Rasmuses, with a mission to serve Midtown Houston's homeless population.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyNDg1Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTQ5MDE1Mn0.0jnGZfz6cTr9rIuYo644sDJftBhj7Dqzg-6olbynoig/img.jpg?width=980" id="db65e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1d9dbe31f21c6ae80223dd1cc11825a5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@healing_photographer?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aarón Blanco Tejedor</a> </small></p><p>"I saw a woman walking toward me in a hesitant fashion. I called out to her and admired her Juneteenth t-shirt," Thibaudeau said. Glenda asked her for directions, and they struck up a conversation. After finding out that she was in need, Thibaudeau sprang into action and began making phone calls. A few minutes later, two of her co-workers rounded the corner of St. John's church with a box of household goods, courtesy of Bread of Life.<br></p><p>As they loaded up Glenda's car with essentials, Thibaudeau asked questions and listened intently before inviting her to take a walk together.</p><p>"As [we] walked, she sobbed and shared that she isn't any more deserving than anyone else and she was so grateful for our kindness. I told her that this is what we do and reminded her that she is not alone. Once you find all of us, you have found the Houston Love!" said Thibaudeau. "I put my arm around her and asked, 'What's your name?' We laughed at realizing that we hadn't exchanged names yet. 'Glenda,' she answered. 'I'm Eva and we got you.'"</p><p>This kind of empathy and boundless love is what fuels the work of Pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus. By practicing what they preach—literally—they've created a Houston-based network of nonprofit organizations to cover almost every need imaginable.</p><div id="b5433" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e6d0b0f14bcb6f7bb71df55f93e86d71"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEfOk_TB_-N/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>The couple, who have been married for 36 years, light up recalling an event that transformed and refined their mission to serve. Shortly after they first took over the congregation at <a href="https://stjohnsdowntown.org/" target="_blank">St. John's</a>, they arrived at the church to find a homeless man sleeping on the front stoop. Rather than shooing him away, they invited him inside. That, in sum, is what they've been doing ever since: using what they have to help those in need.<br></p><p>"We have an amazing team of compassionate people who really work together to make good happen, and that's what we've been doing for almost 30 years," said Pastor Rudy. "Eva's story is a perfect example of that."</p><p>Bread of Life received an outpouring of support from across the U.S. after <a href="https://www.upworthy.com/texas-pastor-is-redefining-what-it-means-to-love-your-neighbor" target="_self">Upworthy</a> published their story in June 2020, enabling them to begin offering free weekly COVID-19 testing to the residents of downtown Houston. During a time when access to testing was problematic for many Americans, this service undeniably saved a number of lives. Bread of Life serves a primarily homeless population, people with disabilities and no insurance, with a primary goal of reducing homelessness and food insecurity.</p><p>Recently, they've shifted their volunteer efforts to the herculean task of contact tracing and case management, offering yet another invaluable service. They now have an official Mobile COVID Testing Unit, offering completely contact free, mobile testing (note the arm holes in the side)!</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyNDg4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNTI2NzA3OH0.Kgt9hQ52HYvUiM7DVJ9o4JCbHaf5wbpUDp0BGjqi4_U/img.jpg?width=980" id="c7449" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ab8061956f3882567e51a7ed2dec4588" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo courtesy of Rudy Rasmus</small></p><p>Additionally, Bread of Life's partnership with <a href="https://m25m.org/" target="_blank">Matthew:25 Ministries</a> and the <a href="https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/home/" target="_blank">Houston Food Bank</a> means that people who are sick and quarantined at home can now have food delivered. They've also added fresh, frozen meat to their weekly contactless distribution line downtown.<br></p><p>"Meat days are <em>crazy</em>," said Pastor Rudy. "Because people who are experiencing food insufficiency don't have many opportunities to get meat." He calls it "small scale pandemonium."</p><div id="499c1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ea8243c74976243fdaacbc5d4de7e064"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
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width:calc(100% - 2px);">
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</div></blockquote></div><p>According to <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/impact/feeding-america/" target="_blank">Feeding America</a>, an additional 17.1 million Americans will experience food insecurity this year due to impacts from COVID-19, and they need our support now more than ever. In response to this growing problem, Feeding America® and Procter & Gamble have joined forces to bring food and household items to communities hit hardest by the pandemic. Across the U.S., P&G is donating products and personal care kits for distribution through the Feeding America network of food banks.<br></p>What Pastors Rudy and Juanita have accomplished in Houston is a direct result of ordinary people who are willing to do extraordinary things. And you can make a difference too by simply joining <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/" target="_blank">P&G Good Everyday</a>. By taking action through the website, you can earn rewards by buying products you already know and love. And the best part? P&G will donate to a cause you care about so you can turn your everyday actions into acts of good.
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Mother uses side-by-side photos to show the miraculous connection between vaccinations and breast milk
08.10.20
via Jody Danielle Fisher / Facebook
Breast milk is an incredibly magical food. The wonderful thing is that it's produced by a collaboration between mother and baby.
British mother Jody Danielle Fisher shared the miracle of this collaboration on Facebook recently after having her 13-month-old child vaccinated.
In the post, she compared the color of her breast milk before and after the vaccination, to show how a baby's reaction to the vaccine has a direct effect on her mother's milk production.
<p>"The 'normal' colour milk is from the day before she had them, the 'blue' colour milk is from today - 2 days after she had them. It's blue from all the antibodies my body is producing as it thinks she's sick with what she was vaccinated against!" she wrote.</p><p>"When she feeds her saliva sends signals to my body to produce more milk with illness specific antibodies!" she added.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9e868b5bb5e5209ca37299647ec80df1"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157242725160120&set=a.10150338617715120&type=3"></div></div><p>According to researchers, Fisher's hypothesis is correct. A mother's body can detect if a child is sick through breastfeeding and then pass on antibodies that will help immunize the child through her breast milk.<br></p><p>In 2015, Katie Hinde, PhD, a biologist and associate professor at the Center for Evolution and Medicine at the School of Human Evolution & Social Change at Arizona State University, explained the phenomenon to journalist Leslie Goldma of Mom.me.</p><p>"There, it is believed that mammary gland receptors interpret the 'baby spit backwash' for bacteria and viruses and, if they detect something amiss (i.e. the baby is sick or fighting off an infection), her body will actually change the milk's immunological composition,"<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02/23/breast-milk-change-colour_n_9296968.html?" target="_blank"> Hinde said.</a></p><p>"Putting this all together, some scientists hypothesize that this could be one of the ways babies let mums 'know' about their condition and mums respond with infection-fighting antibodies," she continued.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0OTkwMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDQ3MTk1M30.Gn_tFPv6h4Kg5j0ziIN91RP6uOFb5CaWrVr4DVKbD4k/img.jpg?width=980" id="d96e5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d06069f5c13a20e9d78f871aeae86479" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit..."><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/madanelu/22809983779/in/photolist-AKD8up-8F24wX-2jenQQD-RAFspL-LU9k-Egf7V-xgSFN-aKt5f-7mX91v-FKp4d1-MWLN-bCSv7-9NrYE-ejHsBG-Ad7j7K-7Hs8Nv-4RDx1N-sR6Tp-4Ufkrt-SUDSq3-6WxQuW-26NZMh1-2L5KUT-cE7KcJ-ri87oF-2gZehiX-Kbw5XP-6szogn-4ofPEb-JFsQuA-t5FkTF-6fEGcf-58T5NL-5mXV8-2dwuwEq-5PMUQD-dD7B3d-CWqF5P-2gKtFuw-2i8r6AD-2j5uHrS-245Vwxu-ReT7n7-8w2kfq-PnKVsq-2j96VSL-75x7hh-fkQYXA-86xubB-ccFR8C" target="_blank">via Flickr</a></small></p><p>Fisher's post shows the amazing power of mothers, babies, vaccinations, and breast milk and how they all come together to create healthy children.<br></p><p>However, the post received a backlash from anti-vaxxers who have a hard time grasping the overwhelming scientific evidence that vaccines are safe. In fact,<a href="https://www.good.is/articles/vaccines-dont-cause-autism" target="_blank"> a 2019 study </a>of over 650,00 children concluded that the MMR vaccine doesn't cause autism.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0OTg5My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjQ1NDI2Mn0.LgB31MSMTA6EovCcbyz4g_mDxiYkTh8mcr2g6nmTJtE/img.png?width=980" id="7a70e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c6b4422a4d916e7892ae7547499dc121" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">via Facebook</small></p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0OTg5Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTQ5OTgwN30.tDl78w_hx_PFNsmlPBK5T5bACmLWNeF7OEwY-46-zSY/img.jpg?width=980" id="ae97d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="21539321ef7e06d45eac004412f34435" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">via Facebook</small></p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0OTg5OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzgzNTAwMH0.Qyae0w8Th9jWUMcQ8SYP80w6EKVHLqt3AP78Z9L_b6o/img.png?width=980" id="4084e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e3c4980f74c7fa708c3e529458ed02e3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">via Facebook</small></p><p>Fisher had some strong words for the anti-vaxxers who claimed she was harming her child. She says the "whole point of vaccinations" is to cause your body to "make antibodies and 'heal' itself."<br></p><p>"Don't come on my post preaching about not having vaccinations and them been poisonous," she wrote. "I hope your child(ren) never becomes ill with anything serious or doesn't pass it on to a poor baby waiting to have their immunisations because you don't believe in vaccinations!"</p>
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A mom shared her daughter's un-smiling school photo and explained why it made her so proud
10.26.20
Ah, the awkward joy of school picture day. Most of us had to endure the unnatural positioning, the bright light shining in our face, and the oddly ethereal backgrounds that mark the annual ritual. Some of us even have painfully humorous memories to go along with our photos.
While entertaining school picture day stories are common, one mom's tale of her daughter's not-picture-perfect school photo is winning people's hearts for a funny—but also inspiring—reason.
Jenny Albers of A Beautifully Burdened Life shared a photo of her daughter on her Facebook page, which shows her looking just off camera with a very serious look on her face. No smile. Not even a twinkle in her eye. Her teacher was apologetic and reassured Albers that she could retake the photo, but Albers took one look and said no way.
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="07b1615c94921649bc7e84836271b213"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/abeautifullyburdenedlife/posts/850329708705336"></div></div>
<p>Albers wrote:</p><p><em>"Her teacher held the oversized envelope tightly against her chest. She grimaced and said "I'm sorry" upon handing me the packet containing my daughter's first-ever school pictures.</em></p><p><em>"Retakes are next month," she continued. Her tone was a warning that disappointment awaited.</em></p><p><em>"They're that bad, huh?" I responded, before lifting the flap to peek inside the envelope.</em></p><p><em>The teacher gave me a half-nod and said, "we tried."</em></p><p><em>I assumed my daughter's eyes were closed or her hair had streaks of finger paint in it. Heck, maybe there was even a booger dangling from her nose. I mean, you can't really expect toddlers to stay clean and tidy for more than a fraction of a second.</em></p><p><em>"Geez, her teacher seems really concerned," I thought, and wondered how a school picture could possibly be THAT awful.</em></p><p><em>I reluctantly slid one of the photos halfway out of the envelope and whatever concern there had been immediately dissolved.</em></p><p><em>I laughed. Hard. My heart was overflowing with all the best things at the sight of this image.</em></p><p><em>"Oh, we won't be needing retakes," I said.</em></p><p><em>Because this is my daughter. The real her. Eyes open and unamused by whatever nonsense was taking place in front of her.</em></p><p><em>I imagine she was facing a photographer who was trying to coax her into a feigned smile by waving around a floppy stuffed dog, or making bad jokes, or acting like a total goofball in an attempt to gain her favor.</em></p><p><em>But really, it was probably the baby talk that caused this expression on her face. Because this child has always met baby talk with utter disdain.</em></p><p><em>Whatever it was, she will not be made a fool of. Such behavior is beneath her.</em></p><p><em>She saves her smiles for things that speak to her soul. And there are A LOT of them. Just not school picture day thinly veiled under the façade of fun.</em></p><p><em>She doesn't do phony.</em></p><p><em>And that's okay with me.</em></p><p><em>I just pray she stays that way."</em></p><p>Now <em>that</em> is a fabulous school picture story. </p><p>Some kids are just born with an "I don't do b.s." vibe, and when you meet them, it's both refreshing and unnerving. We expect children to be simple and easy to manipulate and eager to please, but they are as diverse as the rest of us, and they are who they are. Hearing about Albers' daughter saving her smiles "for things that speak to her soul" and "school picture day thinly veiled under the facade of fun" not being one of them, and then seeing this photo go along with that description, it's so clear that this kiddo is beyond her years in at least one way. Her face shows what most of us would be thinking if someone tried to talk baby talk to make us smile. But to see that face on a little kid is so funny. </p><p>Keep on being you, little miss. And well done, Mama, for celebrating your daughter being comfortable in her own personality and not changing herself to please the random guy with a toy dog and a camera. </p>
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