Whether you’re a consumer of historical biographies or simply the mother of boys, like me, you’ve probably wondered what contributes to the making of a great man. Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Bono, in my opinion, are a few great men past and present. But greatness is not limited to men in the limelight. Fathers, teachers, coaches and Sunday school teachers are great men, too.

So, what is it that makes these men great?

In June of 2007 I posted my rambling thoughts on this subject on my personal blog. I have two boys who are now 9 and 6 years old and, of course, I want them to grow up to be great men. But often times I wonder how much influence, as a mother, I really have on their “greatness”. Here are my thoughts from nearly two years ago.

Great Men
From my personal blog, June 25, 2007
I wonder if the mothers of great men had moments when they had a foreshadowing of what their sons were to become, a glimmer of the greatness that was developing within their small boys.

If she did, was she wise? Did she nourish and encourage her son so that he would rise up to be all that was within his potential? Or did he naturally grow and learn to become what he was destined to become?

What is it that makes great men great? Is it something placed in them before they are even born? Is it their destiny? Fate? Circumstance?

What is it that makes small boys grow into great men?

Just recently, Thabo, the only son of Beaded Hope’s Mama Peggy, passed away from complications due to skin cancer.

Thabo, in my opinion, was a truly great man, and as I witness the grief and pain that comes with this premature loss, I wonder, again, how a small boy becomes a great man.

Mama Peggy single-handedly raised both Thabo and his sister. With little to her name, she rose to the challenge. She educated both herself and her children and they became pillars of the community.

Out of humble beginnings, Thabo went on to become a clinical psychologist with a master’s degree who traveled the world and was highly respected by his peers and his community.

But what strikes me about Thabo is that, as a grown man, he gave selflessly of himself to others. Whether it was taking a homeless man to the store to buy food for him, or instructing his niece to “always keep a smile on your face,” or pre-paying for the education of another niece just before passing away, Thabo always quietly and humbly took care of others.

So again, I am forced to ask, what makes small boys grow into great men?

While I don’t know what makes a man great, I do know that great men like Thabo are the reason that I continue my work at Beaded Hope. Because it is my hope that one day my boys will become great men who quietly and humbly help people in need. And now, while they are still growing up, I choose to surround myself with great men (and women) who inspire us all to be great people.

When my husband, Mark, and I traveled to South Africa in October of 2006 we hired two new ladies to work for Beaded Hope. Nelly and Betty came to visit us on one of our first days in South Africa to present their work and see if we would be interested in hiring them. We reviewed their work (it was beautiful) and placed an order with them. At the end of the week they came back and presented their completed order.

As we always do, we paid Nelly and Betty on the spot for their work. But then, much to our surprise, they both jumped out of their seats, shouted, danced and sang. Words fail me every time I try to describe this scene; the best I can do is to say that they were nothing short of ecstatic.

When they settled down enough to speak (in English) they turned to us and said, “Now we will have bread on our table.”

Mark and I were stunned at their response to simply having bread on their table but also thrilled that we could help them.

Later that evening, we shared this experience with a native South African who asked “You know what that means, don’t you?”

Yeah, bread on the table, that’s a good thing, right?

“No,” he said. “It means that they will invite their family and their friends and they will ALL have bread on their table tonight.”

You see, when South Africans have been blessed, they naturally share that blessing with others. The Beaded Hope artists naturally share their success with those around them.

Today, when people ask me how many people Beaded Hope affects, it’s hard to give a number.

The easy answer; we employ four dedicated artists and sub-contract out special orders to around six more artists.

But this answer is inadequate. For each day’s worth of food that we provide, through employment, there are many family members, friends, orphans, shut-ins, who also get to share their bread.

What I once thought was a very linear relationship,

(employment=money=food)

is actually exponentially more impactful than I can measure.

Albert Einstein is most well known for his theory of relativity and for winning the Nobel Peace Prize in Physics in 1921.  And while I cannot deny that he was a great intellectual man, what intrigues me more is that he took the time to make profound observations regarding life and how to live it to its fullest.

My favorite quote from Einstein, “Imagination is more important than knowledge“, alludes to the importance of child-like imagination that allows unlimited possibilities.¬† This is the world that I prefer to live in.¬† One where you are only limited by what you can imagine.

Bit by bit (and bead by bead) it is my dream to enable the beadwork artists of Beaded Hope to be limitless in their imagination.

If you’ve kept up with Beaded Hope then you already know that Nelly and Betty are two amazing beadwork artists.¬† Their work includes stars, trees, balls, snowmen and even necklaces.

Last March, while in South Africa, I spent some time with Nelly and Betty.¬† I asked them if they would be able to come up with a new beadwork design for this Christmas.¬† I didn’t give them ANY direction or instruction; I simply suggested that each year they modify their design so that it’s fresh and new.

Well, as always, they have come up with a wonderful new design for this year’s beaded Christmas balls.¬† Each ball in their new design is surrounded by a delicate flower-like pattern that is done in either traditional colors or modern colors.

Check out Nelly and Betty’s new designs in the Just In! section of the Beaded Hope store.

Did you know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month?

Did you know that in the world today, 1 in every 3 women is
beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime?

Did you know that violence against women
is predominantly intimate partner violence
(current or former husband, cohabiting partner, date, or boyfriend)?

These statistics transcend socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.  Which is why Beaded Hope and Women Helping Women have partnered to create a purple beaded ribbon in honor of victims of domestic violence, both here in the US and in South Africa.  Regardless of where you live, domestic violence is a reality.

Learn more about domestic violence at WomenHelpingWomen.org.

The 4th of July is also known as Independence Day and the day that the United States achieved freedom from Great Britain. Driving over nine hours in the car today with my children to a family reunion for the 4th, I had plenty of time to consider what freedom means to me.

Freedom, to me, is the ability to travel wherever I want to go, whenever I want to go, without restriction.

Freedom, to me, is the ability to grab a bottle of fresh, clean water to take with me for whenever I get thirsty.

Freedom, to me, is the ability to pay outrageous gas prices to go to visit my family because my husband has a good job that provides well for us financially.

As you enjoy the 4th of July with your friends and family, consider, what does freedom mean to you?

Many of you have heard the story of Jabulile, but for those who haven’t it’s worth telling again on the 4th of July.

Jabulile is one of the original Beaded Hope artists. Her talent is breathtaking as she uses only the tiniest beads to create her intricate designs. But for Jabulile freedom has a much different meaning than it does for you and me.

Freedom, to Jabulile, is the ability to provide food for her four children (the youngest two being HIV-positive).

Freedom, to Jabulile, is the ability to provide ARV medications (anti-retro virals) to her children, herself and her husband to battle the AIDS virus that has engulfed her family.

Freedom, to Jabulile, is the ability to have a job in which she can express her gratitude through the creation of a beautiful beaded Christmas angel that incoproates the design of the U.S. flag.

May you be blessed with every definition of freedom.

See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

“A New Thing” is the latest CD by the Charity and Faith Worship Team from Mamelodi, South Africa. It was professionally recorded just last week (May 2008) and contains a powerful collection of 9 worship songs.

Purchase the new CD here

Millions of South African children suffer from poverty, hunger and the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS. Still, many have smiles that inspire the Beaded Hope team. The children play like regular kids; Beaded Hope team members once handed out gift baskets that included soccer balls, and a pick-up game was immediately organized on a nearby sandlot. Children also love having their picture taken, and they mug for cameras with the ease of supermodels. Many have never seen themselves in a photo, so the quick results of a digital camera are a special treat. According to recent statistics, approximately 16% of them under 18 could be HIV-positive.

School Children Mugging for the Camera
Photographed by Diana Kelly; April 2006

Like many South Africans who feel pressure to hide their HIV status, Rose would not admit she was HIV-positive and told most people she had tuberculosis. After many minutes of conversation and prayers with team members, Rose came around and confessed that she was HIV-positive. She died the next day.

Several days later, Beaded Hope team members returned with food and found her family in mourning, as seen in this photo. Rose left behind a young daughter.

A Family in Mourning
Photographed by Jennifer Davis; August 2005