Thank-you Penelope

If you drive through my neighborhood right now you can spot many blue ribbons tied around trees and gas lamp posts. These ribbons are there as a show of solidarity for a family who recently lost one of their children to suicide.

Public displays of ribbons are a common way to show support for causes we care about and we can thank the late Penelope Laingen for that.

Inspired by the song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree” she tied a yellow ribbon around a tree in her front yard to demonstrate her love and her desire for her husband to come home. You see, the year was 1979 and her husband was the highest ranking official among 52 people held hostage in Iran.

The crisis lasted 444 days.

In that time people were looking for something to rally around, they were unsure that their leaders were going to be able to bring these men and women home, and Laingen gave it to them.

Within weeks yellow ribbons were everywhere, giant ones wrapped around buildings, tied around trees and clipped to lapels. She was even invited to tie a yellow ribbon around a tree at the White House.

Her show of support for her husband and his co-workers inspired a movement which went far beyond when her husband came home and finally untied that ribbon from their old oak tree.

Her yellow ribbon cause inspired other organizations to give their supporters a way to show they cared by displaying ribbons in colors representing their own causes.

Laingen didn’t plan on becoming the spokesperson for the hostage families.
She didn’t plan on becoming friends with Rosalyn and Jimmy Carter.
She had an idea, and she followed through, simple as that.
She didn’t second guess herself, she just tied a yellow ribbon round their oak tree and the whole world took notice.

She was a doer and a difference maker.

How about you?

Are you ready to become the person that takes action on their ideas and bridges the gap between what you have and what you want for your life? Let’s go! Join my new Facebook group “Doer’s and Difference Makers” and/or click here to schedule a free consult call.Together we will figure out what you want, why you don’t have it yet and what needs to change to make it happen.