UNAWARENESS AWARENESS WEEK

AWARE
I am aware that I am totally unaware of many things … I'm clueless … I have a tendency to focus on specific things, and, because of that, I am unaware of what is happening around me. But, I am aware that I am unaware.

UNAWARE
I must say that, while I am unaware, I am not necessarily unhappy. I tend to enjoy my time of focus, but it is somewhat disconcerting to know that the building I'm in could be on fire and I may not notice. So, I've decided I need to become more aware of that which I am not aware.

CALENDARS
One thing that I wasn't aware of was that they actually have awareness calendars. This new information actually left me in “a days.” In any case, I located an awareness calendar at https://nationaltoday.com/awareness-holidays/, which contains a list of awareness days, awareness weeks, and awareness months. I'm going to highlight some of these.

JANUARY 2021
January 2021 is almost gone, but it was home for these awareness holidays: National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Paget's Awareness Day, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, World Braille Day, World Leprosy Day, World Leprosy Week, Cervical Health Awareness Month, Glaucoma Awareness Month, National Birth Defects Prevention Month, National Blood Donor Month, and Thyroid Awareness Month. Even as unaware as I am, I knew about the problems with human trafficking and have been aware of the Holocaust. But, Paget's was new for me.

FEBRUARY 2021
While there are probably more awareness events for February, I did discover that February has Give Kids A Smile Day, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day, National Condom Day, National Donor Day, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week, National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, National Children's Dental Health Month, Low Vision Awareness Month and American Heart Month. I was unaware of these last two awareness campaigns even though I am aware that I've had poor vision most of my life. And, my recent recovery from heart failure episodes have made me become more aware of heart health.

MARCH 2021
March marches in and brings us International Women's Day, National Panda Day, Great British Spring Clean Day, International Day of Forests, World Down Syndrome Day, Kick Butts Day, World Water Day, American Diabetes Alert Day, World TB Day, Poison Prevention Week, National Aplastic Anemia and MDS Awareness Week, National Sleep Awareness Week, Endometriosis Awareness Week, National Caffeine Awareness Month, National Kidney Month, National Social Work Month, Brain Injury Awareness Month, Hemophilia Awareness Month, March To Health Month, National MS Education and Awareness Month, National Nutrition Month, Red Cross Month, and Poison Prevention Awareness Month. I was unaware that poison was such a problem, needing both a week and a month, and I feel that we probably need a National Caffeine Awareness Year.

APRIL 2021
April is one of my favorite months as I am aware that it is my little Pudykin's birthday which makes it especially special. It is also World Autism Awareness Day, World Health Day, National Public Health Week, National Infant Immunization Week, Distracted Driving Awareness Month, National Internship Awareness Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Stress Awareness Month, Cesarean Awareness Month, IBS Awareness Month, National Autism Awareness Month, Primary Immunodeficiency Awareness Month, and Sarcoidosis Awareness Month.

MAY 2021
I am aware that May is the month of my wedding anniversary, so I will tend to be less obnoxious during this month. No guarantees though. There aren't many awareness days in May, but World Fair Trade Day is on the calendar. Somehow, I think it might apply to my wedding anniversary in some way, but I suppose I probably got the better deal.
It does seem that many associations want us to be aware of things all month, as I could find all of these awareness months: ALS Awareness Month, Arthritis Awareness Month, Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, Better Hearing and Speech Month, Better Sleep Month, Celiac Awareness Month, Clean Air Month, Correct Posture Month, Cystic Fibrosis Month, Hepatitis Awareness Month, Huntington's Disease Awareness Month, Lyme Disease Awareness Month, National Cancer Research Month, National High Blood Pressure Education Month, National Lupus Awareness Month, National Melanoma Skin Cancer Awareness Month, National Mental Health Month, National Neurofibromatosis Month, National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, and National Stroke Awareness Month.

JUNE 2021
It looks like most of the United States spends most of June outdoors because we have a smaller awareness list for that month:
National Cancer Survivors Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Sickle Cell Day, National HIV Testing Day, National Hydration Day, National PTSD Awareness Day, Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week, Pride Month, Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month, National Aphasia Awareness Month, and National Scleroderma Awareness Month.

JULY 2021
We must be too busy to be aware during the month of July, and that’s just the naked facts. This is all I could find: World Population Day, National Nude Day, World Hepatitis Day, Be Nice to Jersey Week, Eye Injury Prevention Month, Hemochromatosis Screening Awareness Month, and International Group B Strep Awareness Month.

AUGUST 2021
August is a busy month for most, as many of the “littler” peoples are returning to school. So, we get a shorter list for this month: DOGust 1st, Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs, National Women's Day, National Minority Donor Awareness Day, International Youth Day, World Humanitarian Day, World Mosquito Day, International Homeless Animals Day, National Black Women's Equal Pay Day, World Breastfeeding Week, Cataract Awareness Month, MedicAlert Awareness Month, National Immunization Awareness Month, Psoriasis Awareness Month, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month.

SEPTEMBER 2021
September is a special month for my parents as it is the month of their wedding anniversary. If it's not your parents anniversary, here is a list of days, weeks, and months for you to explore: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day, International Ataxia Awareness Day, International Day of Charity, International Day of Clean Air, International Literacy Day, International Day of Democracy, National Pet Bird Day,
International Day of Peace, Falls Prevention Awareness Day, National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, World Lymphoma Awareness Day, World Heart Day, Balance Awareness Week, National Assisted Living Week,
National Eczema Week, ?National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, National Suicide Prevention Week, Baby Safety Month, Children's Eye Health and Safety Month, Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month,
Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, Liptember, National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, National Cholesterol Education Month, National Learning and Development Month,
National Peripheral Artery Disease Awareness Month, National Suicide Prevention Month, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month, World Alzheimer's Month, World Candle Month, Reye's Syndrome Awareness Month, and Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month.

OCTOBER 2021
October is the month of my birthday, as well as the birthday of the lovely Keren Vedder Stepp. But, if you need more to increase your awareness, here are some special days, weeks, and months for you: International Day of Non-Violence, National No Bra Day, National Stop Bullying Day, Global Handwashing Day, World Food Day, World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day, World Osteoporosis Day, International Stuttering Awareness Day, World Psoriasis Day, World Cerebral Palsy Day, World Mental Health Day, Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, National Depression Screening Day, World Spine Day, Lung Health Day, Fungal Disease Awareness Week, Mental Illness Awareness Week, National Retirement Security Week, Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Healthy Lung Month, Liver Awareness Month, National Orthodontic Health Month, National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, and SIDS Awareness Month.

NOVEMBER 2021
November tends to be a month of remembrances, so here a list of things, days, weeks, and months that we can be aware of: National Cancer Awareness Day, World Kindness Day, World Diabetes Day, National Philanthropy Day, National Recycling Day, International Day For Tolerance, Great American Smokeout, Transgender Day of Remembrance,
White Ribbon Day, World Lewis Day, National Computer Security Day, GERD Awareness Week, Mouth Cancer Awareness Week, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month, Diabetic Eye Disease Month,
National Diabetes Month, National Epilepsy Awareness Month, National Healthy Skin Month, Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, National Marrow Awareness Month, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Prematurity Awareness Month, and Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month.

DECEMBER 2021
December means that we become more aware of the people around us ’cause we are usually making lists. Here are a few more days, weeks, and months to be aware of, though: World AIDS Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, National Miners Day, International Animal Rights Day, Universal Health Coverage Day, Monkey Day, International Tea Day, National Handwashing Awareness Week, National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, and Universal Human Rights Month.

TIME
As time passes, my “rememberer” becomes more of a forgetter, so please don’t take offense if I remain unaware of that which I am not aware. We all live busy lives until we quit living them, and can’t be aware of anything. But, I hope this list helps you remember some of the things and challenges people face, and together, we can become more aware of them.

ME
I did not intentionally leave out any day, week, or month of awareness, but I am aware that I probably missed a few. Please forgive me.
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