C'mon, Ellen...

One step closer today to getting on the Ellen Show! Having a music producer ask me to send in my new CD? Awesome.

Now, if I can just guarantee that he'll listen to it and love it...

Here's hoping! Kristen

Ps...I'll definitely be slipping in a few Just Be Nice Party buttons and stickers!

My face this morning as I remembered yesterday's phone call!

When do we change?

I sang at my first elementary school today. I've done small performances before, but just one or two songs. Today was my first official program.

I talked with the kids about folk music, and troubadours and Pete Seeger, and it was awesome. (Thank goodness, because I was super nervous! Who knew 7 year-olds could be so intimidating?)

But these kids are kings and queens of the just be nice party.

Seeing these sweet faces look up at me as we sang about peace and hope- I thought- when do we turn?

When do we change into cynical people?

And can we change back?

I believe we can.

And I believe we owe it to our kids to be more like them in that way.

When talking about taking care of the planet, they came up with idea after idea of how we can conserve energy and produce less waste.

There was no political debate on global warming.

When we talked about ways that we can all look out for one another, they had such genuinely kind things to say- and other students nodded in agreement.

There was no discussion of whether or not the person in need deserved our help.

This openness should be celebrated and encouraged, not squashed out.

Let's be more like the second graders at Osborn Hill today. They are my new heroes.

Be kind, Kristen

Beauty anywhere is beauty everywhere

Happy sunny day! To Christians, today is such a significant day. I hope that you're beautifully fulfilled by it.

To friends who don't celebrate Easter, it's such a sunny and wonderful day outside, I really hope you get to soak it in and enjoy it.

A few weeks ago I was at the Women in the World conference, and it was amazing. I cried, laughed, cheered and was inspired.

One woman who runs a foundation for Dalit women in India mentioned that the world is so small, 'injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.'

She is absolutely right.

We cannot claim that things are so far away anymore. We can't just change the channel away from the sad infomercial, or scroll past the news on Facebook. Our world is too small and technology brings us all too close for that.

We must react.

And knowing many of you- I know that you do, and so I offer this.

If it is true that injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere, which I accept to be so, then the statement 'justice anywhere is justice everywhere' must also be true.

So when we work to make the world better in our town, our communities, or around the world, we are contributing to making the entire world a better place.

Kindness anywhere is kindness everywhere.

Love anywhere is love everywhere.

Hope anywhere is hope everywhere.

No matter what you believe or don't believe, I know that this is a thought and these are statements that we can all get behind.

Have a wonderful day, Kristen

Beauty anywhere is beauty everywhere.