‘Just … wow’: This viral photo of three brave little girls will pull at your heartstrings

Wow. Just…wow. 🙏 This should go viral. m.news9.com/story.aspx?sto… @TwitchyTeam @michellemalkin @DLoesch @KatiePavlich http://t.co/aOlYuPGDIo

— Holly Fisher (@HollyRFisher) April 09, 2014

Oklahoma photographer Lora Scantling captured hundreds of thousands of hearts on social media when she shared her photo of three little girls who have been fighting to beat cancer.

From the Scantling Photography Facebook page:

on the left is 3 year old Rylie! she just beat stage 5 Wilms tumors ( a form of kidney cancer). a little shy at first but man once she opened up she was a little goofball with the biggest smile!

in the middle we have 6 year old Rheann! she is currently battling Muciod Spindle Sarcoma of the brain. she is the giggliest little cutie i have ever met! so full of smiles and ready to have her picture taken as soon as she walked in the door!

on the right we have 4 year old Ainsley (Pre-cursor B Acute Lymphligastic Leukemia) what a sweet little doll is she?! she knew exactly how to work the camera! and she has some beautiful eyes!!!

Another photo from the session was captioned “You see my sister, although we do not share the same blood we share a bond that will last a lifetime!”

Scantling called the photo shoot, in which she teamed up with Goodger Photography, “the most special session” she’s ever done. “They knew they had a special connection to each other and it was amazing to watch them interact and light up knowing that there are other children out there going through the same thing.”

One of the photos was shared on Facebook by Oklahoma’s News 9 and has more than half a million likes.

http://twitter.com/#!/bobbiemiller/status/454222798794153984 http://twitter.com/#!/LittleChuckFan/status/454058353048580097 http://twitter.com/#!/SuzShelpman/status/453998040924184576 http://twitter.com/#!/brandonmc001/status/454043493862633472

You can read more about the girls on Facebook:

Rheann

Ainsley

Rylie

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2014/04/11/just-wow-this-viral-photo-of-three-brave-little-girls-will-pull-at-your-heartstrings/

Ted Cruz diagnoses ‘sad state of affairs’ about Obama’s Texas trip

http://twitter.com/#!/joshhurst24/status/486863003862589441

President Obama heads to Texas today for fundraisers (naturally) and a meeting in Dallas to discuss “growing immigration issues at the border.” According to the White House, Obama’s stop in Texas will not include a visit to the border to see the crisis firsthand.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz isn’t happy about it:

http://twitter.com/#!/SenTedCruz/status/486860497011343360

Priorities.

Update:

A suggestion was offered to Sen. Cruz:

http://twitter.com/#!/Cameron_Gray/status/486912774790864897

That might do the trick!

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2014/07/09/ted-cruz-diagnoses-sad-state-of-affairs-about-obamas-texas-trip/

More human prop-aganda: Children call for federal #Strong Start pre-K program

http://twitter.com/#!/USAChildCare/status/427945521605804035

Proponents of universal federal preschool are uniting behind the Strong Start for America’s Children Act, cosponsored by  Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif). The legislation would create a federal preschool program for all four-year-old children from low- to moderate-income families in the country.

Heritage estimates the program would cost federal taxpayers $26.8 billion over the first five years, not taking into account state matching funds. Are the billions worth it for the results? After all, Head Start impact studies have shown “little or no net lasting benefit to federal pre-K.”

That hasn’t stopped teachers and parents from using children as props to argue for yet another expensive early learning experiment.

http://twitter.com/#!/IAFC_Cares/status/425692941680533504 http://twitter.com/#!/parentchildhome/status/425700343519797249 http://twitter.com/#!/TheCentersOhio/status/426436799834382336

At last year’s State of the Union address, President Obama stressed the importance of reaching children “at the earliest possible age.”

http://twitter.com/#!/WK_Kellogg_Fdn/status/427900238788317184

We’re guessing the president will bring up #StrongStart in Tuesday’s address — after all, it’s “a moldy oldie of the progressive left” that seems immune to studies showing it doesn’t work.

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2014/01/27/more-human-prop-aganda-children-call-for-federal-strongstart-pre-k-program/

Here’s How To Chill The F*** Out In Under 10 Minutes

Sometimes you just have to take a second for a little “me time.”

Thinkstock, Candace Lowry for BuzzFeed

Meditation can be a super quick and easy solution to ease anxiety and calm yourself in any situation.

ABC

I recently took an intensive six-week mediation course with psychic and energy healer Kris Cahill to learn how to soothe my anxiety issues.

Throughout her Meditation 1 class, students learn how to “become centered and focused, feel more relaxed while also feeling more energized, learn about being in present time.” Basically, she teaches you how to deal with anxiety and how to prevent bad thoughts from taking over your mind.

Here’s what I learned:

1. First, get into the calming state of mind by playing some relaxing music.

2. Be sure to sit on an upright chair and put your feet firmly on the floor.

Macey J Foronda for BuzzFeed

This way you’ll be able to take in ~new energy~ evenly.

3. Be sure to sit up straight rather than slumped over.

Macey J Foronda for BuzzFeed

4. Avoid crossing your arms and lay both of your palms face up on your legs. You’re now ready to get into your mediation.

Macey J Foronda for BuzzFeed

Now close your eyes, and you’re ready to get into your meditation.

5. Start by breathing slowly and deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then picture having a cord connected to your tailbone that goes all the way to the center of the Earth.

Macey J Foronda and Chris Ritter for BuzzFeed

This is called your “grounding cord,” and it’s what connects you to the Earth and new energy. Slowly picture it widening into your entire seat. Your grounding cord can look like anything, as long as it’s a color or pattern that comforts you or makes you feel serene. There’s no right or wrong way it should look.

The grounding cord is basically your highway for exchanging bad energy for good energy. Imagine it bringing you new energy from the Earth and simultaneously pushing out your old energy.

6. Now that you’re in your meditative state, picture anything that’s been stressing you out leaving your body with every exhale.

Macey J Foronda and Chris Ritter for BuzzFeed

By entering the “center of your head,” you should picture waving good-bye to all your “bad energy,” whether it be relationship problems, work, or financial issues.

7. Now picture your “aura,” or your personal space around you, and acknowledge what color you want it to be.

Macey J Foronda and Chris Ritter for BuzzFeed

Your aura is a field of energy around your entire body. Picture your aura as a protective bubble around you that starts 1 to 3 feet away from your body. You might naturally see a color take over your aura, and it can mean anything from security to self-love. There’s not really any bad color.

Your aura tends to take on energy from others, whether it be their worries or even happiness. By pushing out all your old energy, you’re cleansing and refreshing your own aura.

8. Finally, imagine a giant golden sun is above you, and it’s slowly filling your body with warm, happy energy, like water filling up a glass.

Macey J Foronda and Chris Ritter for BuzzFeed

This way, you’ll feel renewed with fresh energy, and hopefully all your anxiety and worry have been replaced with a serene feeling of relaxation.

9. Now, once you finally take a few final deep breaths, slowly open your eyes and your should feel as relaxed as this baby owl.

For more meditation and relaxation techniques, you can visit Kris’ website here, and if you need to relax on the go, here’s a soothing audio track with step-by-step instructions.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/candacelowry/heres-how-to-chill-the-f-out-in-under-10-minutes