Tony Waller

As many of you know, I turned 64 May 11 — and instead of birthday cake, I asked for something a little different.

I’m participating in the Race4EveryKid campaign with Soles4Souls, and my birthday goal is audacious: put shoes on 1,280 kids. That’s 20 pairs for every year I’ve been alive.

Right now, 1 in 30 children in the US experiences homelessness. Many of them go to school — or don’t — without a proper pair of shoes. A new pair of athletic shoes gives a child dignity, comfort, and the chance to just be a kid.

Will you celebrate my birthday with me by helping a child in need? Every $20 provides one child with a brand new pair of shoes. If 1,280 of us each give $20, we change 1,280 lives.

It’s fast, it’s easy, and it means the world — to me and to the kids we’ll help together.

To donate you can go to the link in my bio or cut and paste this link to your browser, or DM me and I will send you a link. Thank you for helping to make my birthday wish come true. Link: https://soles4souls.donordrive.com/participants/1145

My prayer today…

Father,

On this day, I pause with a grateful heart — for the breath in my lungs, the people who love me, and the grace that has carried me through every season of my life. Thank You for the year behind me —for the lessons wrapped in hardship, the joy found in ordinary moments,
and the strength I didn’t know I had until I needed it.

As I step into this new year of my life, fill me with courage to face what I cannot see,
wisdom to choose what truly matters, and the peace that comes from trusting You
with everything I cannot control. May this year be one of growth — not without struggle, but never without hope. May I love more deeply, forgive more freely, and live more fully than the year before. Protect those I hold dear. Guide my steps when the path is unclear. And in the quiet moments and the loud ones, remind me that I am never alone.

This new year is a gift. May I receive it with open hands and offer it back in service, in kindness, and in love.

Amen.

Today, Mother’s Day carries both love and loss for me. I miss my mother deeply, and I honor the impact she continues to have on my life every single day. To everyone spending today without their mom - you are not alone. May the memories, lessons, and love they gave us continue to comfort and strengthen us. Their presence lives on in who we are. Happy Mother’s Day in heaven to all the mothers we carry in our hearts. MothersDay