The Toby Awards

The Toby Awards

Given to those who perform silent but heroic acts. Those that would never think of praising themselves. People who probably don't even realize how remarkable their actions are. Those who work hard to make the world a better kind of place, just by virtue of who they are and the decisions they make. For those who are much like Sir Toby, shy and quiet, but is always willing to curl all 30 pounds of himself onto (mostly) your chest and purr at 3 a.m.

The Nominee's

Nominee 1
This week to Nikki who decided to add some meaning to her Christmas season. We would all understand if she chose to face this Christmas Season by crawling into a hole and pulling the ground over her, but she didn't. She chose to give back, to give of herself, to connect with gratitude.

Ladies and gentlemen if you would join me in raising your glasses. To Nikki, who found a need, and found a way to meet it, and made Christmas ever so much brighter for a young woman.

To Nikki

Nominee 2

To CLC. who demonstrated an extraordinary amount of grace and mercy under fire. We have all been the victim of drive by commenting. Those who believe that they simply must say something to make us feel better, rather than holding our hand in silence. Those who are unaware of how much careless words can leave wounds that are profoundly deep.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you would join me in raising your glasses to CLC, who showed class and decency and civility, and was able to accept the sentiment behind the words, while knowing the actual words themselves were utterly untrue. It takes courage to speak up, and sometimes it takes even more to stay silent.
To CLC.

Nominee 3:

At some point in our grieving we begin to realize the depth of hurt around us. We begin to realize how far from perfect the world is. We begin to see the silent and often hidden pain in those around us. We make time for the broken.

It is easy, in our world, to ignore the broken. To focus on the starving in Africa, and ignore the homeless in our cities. It is easy, when confronted with a need to decide that there must be a government program to serve the need, it must be someone else's job. It is much harder to decide that you should fill that need.

If losing a child is anything, it is utterly overwhelming and engrossing. And indeed, this last nominee has had a year that would have a lesser woman on her knees, sobbing for mercy. Instead, this last week, she was on her computer, organizing housing and household goods and money and movers for a single mum in dire need.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you would join me in raising your glasses to C. who has gone above and beyond, and made sure that a mum and her child will have a safe place to sleep tonight, and food and clothes and furniture. She organized and likely badgered, and went above and beyond, in the midst of serious pain.

To C.

Nominations

Are always gratefully accepted and can be sent to the email on my profile page.