Posts Tagged ‘Sandy Hook’
- In: #26acts
- 2 Comments
Today, December 14, 2013, marks the one year anniversary of the terrible tragedy that took the lives of 26 students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Like so many people in our nation, my heart grieved with a heaviness I could hardly bear. I felt compelled to do something, anything, to overcome the shock and sadness of that day.
That began my journey of completing 26 Acts of Kindness, one act for each life lost. Below are my stories. For those that followed me every step of the way – thank you. Your support for my passion of kindness is overwhelming and humbling. Today in memory of that day, please consider doing one simple act of kindness for someone else… and let me know what you did! 🙂
26 Acts of Kindness
Act 1 – In Memory of Noah Pozner, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/new-beginnings-act-1/
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Act 2 – In Memory of James Mattioli, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/new-beginnings-act-2/
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Act 3 – In Memory of Lauren Rousseau, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/new-beginnings-act-3/
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Act 4 – In Memory of Caroline Previdi, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/new-beginnings-act-4/
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Act 5 – In Memory of Charlotte Bacon, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/new-beginnings-act-5/
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Act 6 – In Memory of Dawn Hocksprung, age 47
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/random-act-of-kindness-6-suspended-coffee-26acts/
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Act 7 – In Memory of Emilie Parker, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/random-act-of-kindness-7-of-26acts/
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Act 8 – In Memory of Dylan Hockley, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/random-act-of-kindness-8-of-26acts/
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Act 9 – In Memory of Mary Sherlach, age 56
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/random-act-of-kindness-9-of-26acts/
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Act 10 – In Memory of Victoria Soto, age 27
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/random-act-of-kindness-10-of-26acts/
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Act 11 – In Memory of Anne Marie Murphy, age 52
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Act 12 – In Memory of Madeleine Hsu, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/random-act-of-kindness-12-of-26acts/
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Act 13 – In Memory of Allison Wyatt, age 6
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Act 14 – In Memory of Jessica Rekos, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/random-act-of-kindness-14-a-heart-for-oklahoma/
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Act 15 – In Memory of Daniel Barden, age 7
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Act 16 – In Memory of Rachel D’Avino, age 29
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/random-act-of-kindness-16-discounts-for-diners/
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Act 17 – In Memory of Jesse Lewis, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/random-act-of-kindness-17-of-26acts/
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Act 18 – In Memory of Jack Pinto, age 6
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Act 19 – In Memory of Benjamin Wheeler, age 6
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Act 20 – In Memory of Olivia Engel, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/random-act-of-kindness-20-vacation-adventures/
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Act 21 – In Memory of Grace McDonnell, age 7
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Act 22 – In Memory of Catherine Hubbard, age 6
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Act 23 – In Memory of Avielle Richman, age 6
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Act 24 – In Memory of Ana Marquez-Greene, age 6
https://celebratekindness.wordpress.com/2013/10/13/random-act-of-kindness-24-of-26acts-sharing-pics/
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Act 25 – In Memory of Josephine Gay, age 7
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Act 26 – In Memory of Chase Kowalski, age 7
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This morning as I sat listening to the sermon at Cool Spring Baptist Church, something Pastor Brad was saying struck a chord in my heart. He was quoting Luke 6:37 – 38, talking about how God commands us to give and how when you do, it will be given back to you. How nothing we own in this world truly belongs to us. How we need to be kind to others, not stingy with our gifts, talents, and resources.
Wow. It was if God himself was whispering in my ear, “See? This is what it’s all about!”
Let me explain a little more. For the past year, as many of you faithful readers know, I have been on this journey of blessing others with kindness. I do it with no expectation of reward or acknowledgement, although I do feel compelled to share my experiences with others to inspire and share my joy. Yesterday, those tables were COMPLETELY turned on me as my husband and I were recipients of the most amazing random act of kindness!
It all started when I told my husband I had to run out to take care of a few errands. He had been doing yard work around the house and without a second thought had placed his cell phone on the top of my car’s trunk, unbeknownst to me.
(I bet you know where this is going, lol.)
Well, you’re exactly right. I got in my car and drove to Target with nothing more on my mind than my shopping list. As I entered the store, I received a phone call from an unknown number (which I usually ignore), but something prompted me to answer it. On the other line was my husband asking a simple, yet weighty question: “Is my phone still on the top of your car’s trunk?”
Oh. Dear. Heavens. The walk back to the car was at a frantic pace, already knowing what I would discover. No phone. Ugh.
When was the last time you lost something of value in your life? Now notice I didn’t say “something valuable” because we all have a different measure of value on different things. To some, a cell phone is just that – a phone. Nothing more, nothing less. To my husband, however, that phone was much more. (And, I might add, to many of us as well!) Think for a moment about the impact a lost cell phone would have to your life. Personal and professional contact information, not stored anywhere else. Photos. Apps. Email. Banking. Books. Yes, I know many of these items can be recovered (well, many except the photos – that’s just heart-wrenching), but think of the time, the inconvenience, the cost involved in replacing a lost cell phone. And if you have a passcode lock on your phone, well… even if found, how would the person get into your phone to even let you know it was found?
Not the way we wanted to spend our Saturday, that’s for sure.
As I scoured the parking lot and retraced my car’s route, I despondently drove home, sharing in my husband’s panic and loss, when my phone rang again with the unknown number. (My husband was borrowing another phone to call me). The excitement in his voice superseded any words he actually spoke. “You are never going to believe this – I found my phone!”
Praise be to God!!
The next 5 minutes of jubilation was spent with him describing how he simply called his phone number and someone answered the phone (apparently you can answer a phone call without having to enter through the passcode lock – thank heavens!). The kind stranger, named Robert, was driving the same path as me and happened to see something shiny reflecting against the pavement, smack in the middle of a busy intersection. Robert took it upon himself to pull over to the side of the road and actually retrieve the object from the road when traffic subsided.
What he found was an untouched, unmarked, undamaged smart phone.
Can I just stop right here and let that resonate with you for a moment? Untouched. Unmarked. Undamaged. In the middle of a busy intersection. Of MOVING VEHICLES. ON ASPHALT. Wait – say that again? Untouched? Unmarked? Undamaged?
Ladies and gentlemen, you have just witnessed a modern day miracle. God is so good! If you are the owner of a smartphone, you know how easily it can get a scratch (or even worse, a cracked screen!) Yet here was a phone that survived a 35 mph turn, from the back of a car down to the pavement, in between tires of many other cars traveling down the same path. Untouched. Unmarked. Undamaged. Immaculate.
All I can say is… WOW!
Arriving home, I told my husband he HAD to reward this kind stranger! I raced upstairs and grabbed a restaurant gift card I just happened to have (I was going to give it as a Christmas gift to a family member) and asked my daughter to make a Thank you card. Then I grabbed my very last Sandy Hook RAK card, #26, and said a prayer of thanks.
Front of card
Inside of card
Back of card
Gift card with Chase Kowalski’s RAK card (#26 of #26acts)
The recovered phone
Luke 6:38 says: “Give, and it will be given to you.” No truer words were spoken in this moment. This RAK is dedicated to Chase Kowalski, age 7, who like my husband enjoyed running (among other sports ambitions.) According to his memorial website, Chase completed his first triathlon at age six and ran in many community races. I can’t think of a more perfect child to receive this RAK as you must be quick and speedy to run a race and retrieve a phone from oncoming traffic.
Today I leave you with a quote that was in my Facebook feed this morning. Without a debate about the accuracy (because we all know not to believe everything we read on the Internet), this quote fills my heart with joy and inspires me to do more with what I have.
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” –Mother Teresa
My best friend and I have birthdays only 10 days apart. We have often joked over the course of our 20+ year friendship that our birthday season begins in September and ends in August the following year… because some years it takes us that long to carve out time to get together and celebrate! (Seriously!) This year as we were ticking off the busy weekends on our calendars, we realized there was one night where both of us had no plans. NO PLANS?! Really?! How could this be? Without stressing over logistics (Who would watch the children?), we quickly made the decision to meet halfway between her house and mine and spend the evening together.
Being October, we were delighted to discover that Busch Gardens amusement park was still open on Friday nights for their Howl-o-Scream festivities. Although we weren’t all that interested in getting spooked by creepy people, we were very excited to finally, for the first time ever, ride a roller coaster together! We entered the park, purchased a glow-in-the-dark beverage, and made our way to Busch Garden’s newest roller coaster, the Verbolten, talking non-stop the entire way.
The lines were relatively short, so we were strapped into the coaster in no time. Here are some more pics of our adventure!
The Verbolten sign
Strapped in, getting ready to start the ride
Finishing the final hill
What a fun night! We rode more roller coasters, laughing and screaming the entire time. (You would have thought we were teenagers the way we were carrying on! Ha!) When the park made their closing announcements at 10pm, we reluctantly made our way back to the parking lot, not quite ready for our evening of birthday celebrations to end. Suddenly hungry, we decided to continue our evening of catching up with some breakfast dinner at a local iHOP.
As we entered the restaurant, we were surprised to see the place was packed with teenagers! Oh my! Luckily, we still had gifts to exchange and lots of conversation to share so the delay in being served wasn’t a huge issue for us.
As we sat down and scanned the menu, my attention was swayed to to HUGE cup of salted caramel hot chocolate shown on the bottom of the front page. The cup was massive and I could almost taste the delicate mixture of salt, caramel, and chocolate melting on my tongue. Unfortunately, it had a price to match its girth, so I was torn about whether or not to order the drink. As I was debating the pros and cons with Lisa, the waitress arrived to take our orders. After introducing herself as Jeannie, pointing to the plastic name badge on her shirt, she pointed to my menu. “Oh honey,” she drawled with a southern flair, “That drink right there is worth every single sip. It is the best drink we have to serve!” Well, who could resist a recommendation like that?
I ordered the specialty hot chocolate and Lisa ordered a regular coffee. We chatted back and forth as we continued to interact with our waitress who checked on us often. “Whose birthday is it?” Jeannie asked, pointing at our brightly colored gift bags. We told her we were celebrating both our special days and she clapped her hands together, beaming with excitement. “I just love birthdays! Open your gift! What did you get?” We had to laugh at her enthusiasm – it was as if she was celebrating her own birthday right in the mix of ours.
A little while later she arrived with the colossal cup of steaming hot chocolate and we made a production of taking photos to document all the fun:
Me (looking a bit windblown from all the roller coasters) with our iHOP waitress and THE CUP
Pure heaven!
Oh So Good!
Even Lisa got in on the photo fun!
Two hours later (I am not kidding!), Lisa and I were still enjoying our time together with Jeannie checking on us and sharing in our conversation. That’s when it hit me. Here is this lady, working the night shift as a waitress at an iHOP on a Friday night, with mostly teenagers as customers (who by now had left the restaurant leaving behind minimal tips, I’m sure.) What was her story? Why was she working here? Did the night shift pay more than the day shift? I didn’t want to pry, but I felt like I needed to bless this gal who made the end of our birthday celebration so memorable and joyful. Reaching into my purse, I discovered some mad money birthday cash I had received as a gift and knew I would receive greater happiness by paying it forward instead of using it for myself.
I quickly jotted a note on the back of the receipt and left it with a ten dollar tip on the table. Surely that would brighten the darkness of her night shift!
We quickly left our tip, paid our bill, and said our final goodbyes before the long drive home. It was a wonderful way to end our evening of friendship and fun!
This random act of kindness is dedicated to Josephine Gay, age 7, a darling little girl who was found in the arms of her behavioral therapist, Rachel D’Avino, following the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy. Joesephine had a nervous system disorder and could not speak, but she had learned how to share her thoughts with those around her through signs and smiles. She was the joy of her parents, despite the challenges of her condition. It was humbling to realize what a gift I had been given during my time with Lisa – an entire evening filled with so many words, so many stories, all taken for granted. Humbling, indeed.
Keep pressing forward, my friends. Be kind to others. Stop and listen to their stories. Join in the fun and allow yourself to be blessed in the process!
For those who know me in real life, it’s no surprise that I’m a photo freak. I take photos of EVERYTHING! In fact, years before digital photo albums became available, I used to be a Creative Memories consultant, teaching others how to safely preserve and share their photographic memories for generations to come. I have albums upon albums on my bookshelf documenting milestone events such as birthdays, graduations, and vacations. For me, photos are the keys to our past and the joys of our future.
Keeping that in mind, can you imagine just how many photos I take while on vacation? It’s crazy! I am the person who annoyingly asks, “Can you take a picture of us?” to the chagrin of my family members. I might also be the gal who sheepishly admits to taking not one, not two, but quite possibly twelve (12!!) photos of a gecko who just happened to meander near my sandals. Yes folks, I am a photo freak by every definition of the word.
Last month our family took a week long Disney Cruise, a vacation we’ve been saving up for over the course of several years. I could not WAIT to take photos of the islands we would visit and embrace the colors, sights and sounds of a new culture. Such joy! One of our stops was the beautiful island of St. Thomas; 32 square miles of lush tropical paradise with crystal clear water and bright, colorful flowers. We planned to take our children on the Skyride, a cabin-like closed compartment with windows that travels up a mountain, allowing you to see the island from an aerial view as it rises 700 feet in the air. Unfortunately, the Skyride was closed the day we arrived, so we had to change our plans while there.
It was hot. Scorching. The moment you stepped on the white cement, you could feel the heat radiating from the ground through your shoes. Thankfully there was a gentle ocean breeze and several open shops that provided cool relief from the heat. After about two hours of walking around and taking photos, we decided to head back to the ship. In order to gain entry on the boat, you had to pass through an entrance area barricaded by a chain link fence. You had to show a photo I.D. and your boat’s key card as well. Depending on the time of day you returned, you could be met with quite a line at the re-entry spot as every single guest on the cruise had to pass through this security clearance area.
Once past the chain link fence, you walked towards the ship’s boarding gangway where you stood in yet another line, waiting for your ship’s key card to be swiped. Did I mention how hot it was outside? By mid-day it was brutal! Even though the lines moved forward at a decent pace and the security officers were friendly and kind, it was still a draining process.
My daughter and I were patiently waiting to proceed through the second set of security clearances when I overheard a woman behind me speak with despair in her voice. “Oh no……,” she moaned “I totally forgot to take a picture of the St. Thomas sign!” I turned my head at a 45 degree angle to see a dark haired gal pointing to the long “Welcome to St. Thomas” sign on the other side of the chain link fence. Even if she held her camera high above her head, there was no way for her to take a picture of that sign without an ugly metal fence obstructing her view.
“Would you like me to email you my photo? I just took one with my daughter right before we got in line. I even took one WITHOUT my daughter, so you might like that one instead!” She paused for a split second then grinned from ear to ear as she replied incredulously, “Are you sure? You would do that for me? That would be wonderful!” I had to laugh at her shock. “Of course! I’d be more than happy to do that! No big deal at all!” She gave me her email address and I typed it into my phone. I even joked that if she sent me a photo of her kids, I would Photoshop them into the picture and no one would ever need to know. We laughed at the idea and continued chatting through the clearance area, into the elevator and all the way up to our separate floors.
It wasn’t until I exited the elevator and was halfway down the hall, heading back to my stateroom, that I realized I had completed another RAK. My business cards! In a moment of sheer panic (which is silly to remember in retrospect – who on earth panics about RAK business cards!?!?), I ran down the hall and up a flight of stairs, hoping to catch her as she exited on the 7th floor. Sadly, I wasn’t quick enough to tell her about my 26 acts, but I figured if it was meant to be for her to know about my mission, then I would see her again before our vacation ended.
Well, see her again I did. That night before dinner there was a hypnotist show and who would be one of the people chosen for the show? Yep, yours truly. (That, my friends, is a WHOLE separate story right there – oh gracious!) Following the end of the show, as we were making our way through the crowds of people, I saw her. Right about the same time, she turned her head and saw me, too. “It’s you! It’s you!” she said as we both made our way towards each other. We hugged like long-lost friends, laughing and sharing stories about the show. I reached into my purse and handed her the business card, explaining that I had tried to find her after I got off the elevator. She then touched my heart as she said my kindness reminded her that there is still good in this world. Priceless. Humbling.
This Random Act of Kindness is dedicated to sweet Ana Marquez-Greene, an adorable child who loved to sing with her brother at the piano. In a statement the Greene family made in December 2012, ” [Ana] routinely committed selfless acts of kindness: every drawing or craft project she began was envisioned not for her own enjoyment, but as a gift for another. She often left sweet notes that read, ‘I love you Mom and Dad,’ under our bedroom pillow – not on special occasions, but, rather, on ordinary days.”
While taking a family vacation on a cruise ship to St. Thomas may not count as an “ordinary day”, this RAK was selfless, an offer made as a gift for another. I’m sure had Ana been standing in my shoes, she would have done the exact same thing.
Be blessed my dear friends and keep paying it forward!
- In: #26acts
- 2 Comments
As a continuation of the previous post, I was at Starbucks getting a few moments of peace from a crazy hectic day (which just happened to also be my 41st birthday). I used my registered Starbucks gift card to receive a free drink of my choice (God bless the person who decided salt, caramel, and coffee would make a good drink combination – pure heaven for me!) After ordering my drink, I handed the barista a sealed envelope which contained a note and a $5 bill to allow a complete stranger to enjoy a free tall pumpkin spice latte on me in celebration of my birthday and to honor the memory of Alyssa O’Neill.
As the barista passed my drink across the counter, I gathered my purse then looked up to see him reaching into the pastry display case and placing something in a to-go bag. As I started to walk away, he handed the bag to me stating simply, “Your birthday cake! Enjoy!”
WHAT?!?! Did I just get RAK’d by a barista?! No way!! All I could do was laugh at the joyous surprise by such a sweet, kind gesture. “Really? For me?” He grinned from ear to ear (such an infectious smile!) as the other barista chimed in from the other end of the counter with “Happy Birthday!” greetings.
It was a priceless moment that literally was the icing on my cake.
I frantically dug through my purse trying to find my RAK business cards as I knew this was worthy of one of my #26acts. Did it matter that it was a RAK received instead of given? Absolutely not! A RAK is a RAK no matter the type! 🙂
So I found a card I was saving for Avielle Richman, age 6, and explained to the barista that he actually completed my #23 random act of kindness. I had seen a video clip showing Avielle’s parents talking about their daughter’s infectious smile and knew this RAK belonged to him because his smile matched hers. I’m hoping that he will visit this website and see that he is part of an amazing journey to remember those sweet children lost from Sandy Hook Elementary. Here is the barista with my business card:
What joy! Such a simple act of kindness, yet so powerful. So important. So meaningful. A true blessing indeed.
It wasn’t until I was back in my car that I opened my to-go bag and saw what delicacy he had chosen for me to enjoy. A beautiful pink cake pop with tiny white sprinkles, molded firmly to a solid white stick made to look like a delicate lollipop. I almost cried at the pureness of the moment. My birthday cake indeed.
Thanks to Starbucks for offering free birthday coffees to pay it forward with kindness and for hiring such kind-hearted baristas who take opportunities to make a difference in someone else’s life. My day may have started off as a hot mess, but it ended in peace and joy.
Be blessed my friends! Thank you for sharing in my first complete year of blessing others with deliberate acts of kindness!
It’s interesting how many acts of kindness I’ve witnessed by others the past few weeks. Maybe my Pollyanna glasses are always on, I’m not sure, but it always makes my heart so happy to see others being NICE with no expectation of personal reward or financial gain. Last week as I was dropping my husband off at work, we approached a bend in the road where there were cars at a standstill on the opposite side of the street. From a distance it appeared to be construction work, but the closer we came we saw the leading vehicle was a truck with an opened driver’s door. Was there an accident?
Slowing our speed, we saw the cause for the backup. Two adorable beagle pups, tails wagging to and fro, smack in the middle of the road. “Watch out!” I said to my husband, as the pups were in our direct path of travel. We came to a complete stop and watched as a young gentleman hopped out of the truck and approached the dogs. He knelt down, hand extended, and coaxed each pup into his arms. Then he placed each dog in his truck, hopped back in, and drove away.
I tried to snap a photo of the nice young man and the pups, but it all happened so fast, this was the best I could do. I did, however, see the name of his business on the side of his truck: Tree Frog Tree Service. What a wonderful act of kindness to observe at the start of a work week!
A few days later, I was enjoying the mild temperatures by giving my youngest son a wagon ride through our neighborhood. The Red Flyer wagon, used with all three of my kiddos and now starting to show signs of age and wear, still provides a smooth ride for anyone under the age of five. After making our way to the very back of our neighborhood, it was time to turn around and head back home, which prompted my three year old to hop out of the wagon saying, “I walk now, Mommy. You pull the wagon.”
Have you ever been on a walk with a three year old? It is very special, reserved only for moments of unrushed time. No emails to answer. No busy schedules to manage. No arguments to dispel. Just precious time spent with my boy, finding the simple joys in the world around us. Oh, how I treasure these moments!
He scanned the edges of the smoothly paved asphalt road looking for rocks. “Look Mommy! This one has colors!” Upon close inspection, I discovered this ordinary piece of granite did in fact have colors – thin strands of peach and pink threading across the speckled grey hardness, sparkling in the sun. “Oh, that’s a special one! It’s a keeper!” We smiled at one another, speaking a language only our hearts could translate, and continued our journey home.
“Look! Mommy! Look!” It was a voice filled with sheer delight. I watched as my son ran right into the middle of the road and knelt down, pointing to something my forty year old eyes could barely see. “What’s that? What did you find?” I asked my son. “A worm!” he shouted, with pride and excitement. “A WORM!!”
We watched the little critter crawl from the road to his hand, as my son giggled from the delicate caterpillar hairs tickling his hand. Oh, the joy! His hand twisted a bit and the caterpillar fell off, crawling back on the road. We both stooped down to observe his wanderings right about the same time we heard the rumblings of a truck coming towards us. “Come on, baby. There’s a car coming! Let’s get to the side of the road,” I said as I started to pull my son out of the middle of the street. “NOOOOOOOO! The worm! The worm! He’ll get smushed!”
Do you ever have moments in your life where you are convinced things happen in slow motion? This was one of those times. I looked up, trying to half-carry my son while pulling a wagon handle, and saw the truck that was previously barreling down the road come to a complete stop in front of us. The gentleman behind the wheel smiled and motioned for me to take my time (thank goodness, because we could have easily been hit!)
As I dropped my son to the ground, we ran back to the caterpillar and scooped him in our hands. He was now safe! Returning to the side of the road, the truck pulled up a little closer and the man rolled down his window. “Caterpillar?” he asked. We both smiled a secret smile as I nodded and thanked him for his kindness. I bet he was remembering his younger days as a boy as he drove away.
I decided to take both of these acts of kindness and pay it forward with another act of kindness focused on animals. I purchased some tennis balls and decided to drop them off at a local dog park so someone else could play with their pet.
This random act of kindness is dedicated to Catherine Hubbard, age 6, who loved animals of all kinds. She was especially fond of bugs and butterflies that she would find in her backyard. Catherine’s dream was to open an animal shelter and even though she was only six years of age, she already had business cards ready for her dream job. Her parents are planning to build an animal sanctuary in her memory, which will be built from a child’s point of view. In addition to an adoption center, a farm animal rescue, a wildlife rehabilitation center, a learning center, and a butterfly garden, there will also be a gallery showcasing Catherine’s artwork. If you would like more information on this project, please click here.
Take time this week to notice the little things. Be kind to one another, even if you receive nothing in return. You just never know how your one act of kindness can affect someone else’s day!
Be blessed, dear friends.
How do you like to celebrate the 4th of July? Do you go to a cookout? Plan a day at the pool? Spend time with friends and family? We do different things each year to celebrate the national holiday, but one thing we always try to do is watch the fireworks. I love being out with a crowd of people, listening to patriotic music played by a concert band, waiting for darkness to fall and the first firework to light the sky.
This year as we claimed our spot in the open field of Dogwood Dell, we watched as people spread out blankets, played games and chatted, all sharing the same space for the same purpose, a united group of strangers. If you’ve ever waited for fireworks, you know it’s best to claim your spot early, so we were there hours before dusk. As soon as I started to unpack our chairs and bags, I realized we had no games for the kids to play to pass the time. No cards. No UNO. No triominoes. Nothing. Cell service wasn’t that great, so the games we had hoped to play on our phones and iPods quickly became obsolete as our batteries dwindled faster than the evening shade.
It was about this time that we saw a single bubble floating in the sky. One. Single. Bubble. We watched in awe, completely transfixed, as it began its gentle descent across our blanket. >pop< “What…?” “Where…?” “Who…?” The questions tumbled out as everyone tried to figure out who was blowing bubbles. It didn’t take us long to see a girl with long brown hair and a red skirt, standing with a lady who was probably her mom, both blowing bubbles from huge wands dipped in liquid tubes. Before I could answer a single question, the kids were up on their feet, running towards them, as more bubbles came our way.
Popping Bubbles
Pure Joy!
Oh, to see the joy on my children’s faces! I glanced towards the girl and her mom and both had smiles that would brighten even the darkest of days. Children were laughing, shouting, chasing after bubbles on a warm summer night, oblivious to any cares or worries of this world. It was perfect!
The mom noticed how engaged we were with the bubbles and offered her wand to my son, Daniel. “Would you like to blow some bubbles?” Daniel graciously accepted the mom’s offer and together with the daughter, they blew bubbles for all the children surrounding our blanketed space.
Daniel passed the wand to his Uncle Barry, who then became the Pied Piper of Dogwood Dell, showering the children with bubbles galore.
Not long after the bubble fest, the sun began to set and we were surrounded by twilight. “The glo sticks!” my daughter shouted, as she dug through her purse to reveal four unopened black canisters. “Hurry! It’s getting dark!” She dumped all four tubes into her lap and together as a family we worked together to bend the sticks, releasing their fluorescent glow.
As we were creating bracelets and necklaces connected by small plastic tubes, we noticed a young boy watching us from his parent’s nearby chair. “I wish I had some of those,” we heard him tell his dad. I looked at my daughter and was met with her smile. She had heard him, too. “Would you like to have some? We have plenty.” She then carefully selected one of each color and attached connectors so he could create his own glowing accessories. “Have fun!” she said as she turned back in her chair and continued her task.
Could I possible love my daughter more than in that moment??
Katrina with her headband and necklace
Our evening ended with an amazing fireworks show and we left Dogwood Dell with happy hearts. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our country’s independence, surrounded by friends, family, and many strangers. We were blessed by kindness of others and found a way to keep that blessing going to someone else. Who knew something as simple as bubbles and glo sticks could make such a lasting impression?
This Random Act of Kindness is dedicated to Benjamin Wheeler, age 6. According to the Huffington Post, Benjamin was always running, a joyful child, who blew kisses to his family saying, “Catch it and put it in your heart.” His parents were musicians and would write and perform their own music. At Ben’s funeral, they played songs from a CD they had released right before he was born, one which was titled, “Stars in the Sky.” On this night, long after the fireworks show had ended, I looked at the sky as we were walking to our car and thought about all those beautiful stars and all those beautiful children from Sandy Hook Elementary. A lump filled my throat as I looked at my own three children, healthy, happy, still bouncing from the excitement of the evening. It made me realize, yet again, how special EVERY moment should be; how I need to be still and treasure the small moments as well as the big.
If we are not guaranteed tomorrow… what can I do to make a difference for someone today?
Be blessed!
Last Friday was the official “last day of school” for teachers. WOW! Another school year done, time for summer break. As I was packing up my belongings for the two month hiatus, I thought again of the students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I recently read that their district has plans to demolish the existing school and rebuild another one.
Starting over. Renewal. Rebirth.
Focusing back on the present I took one last look in my computer lab, then shut the door quietly and walked down the hall. There were tearful goodbyes for coworkers who were moving away or moving on to new adventures. There were smiles and laughter as others shared their plans for the summer. Keys and paperwork were turned in and… that was it. The school year was over!
As I got into my car, my purse overturned on the front seat, spilling everything out. The first thing that caught my eye was a page of coupons for the restaurant, Ruby Tuesday. Oh my gosh, I had totally forgotten that was in my purse! When it arrived in my mailbox a few weeks ago, I almost threw it away (It’s not close to my home, so I never go there). Then I realized I could use the coupons to bless others for random acts of kindness! I put it in my purse with good intentions, but with all the end of school craziness it ended up lost in the muddle until this moment.
I bet you know where this is heading… 🙂
Instead of driving home, I drove to Ruby Tuesdays. Even the darkening skies couldn’t damper my excitement at bringing a smile to a stranger’s face.
I pulled out the coupons and made dedication cards for each. I would be able to bless four people today! Awesome!
I chose to dedicate each of these RAKs to Rachel D’Avino, a behavioral therapist at Sandy Hook. Surely she would have been excited about the last day of school. She may have even gone out to lunch with her friends to celebrate the onset of summer break. I felt it was a perfect way to honor her memory.
I walked into Ruby Tuesday and was met by the greeter. “How many in your party?” I had to smile at that question, because it was a party in my heart indeed! I explained my purpose, that I wasn’t here to eat, but rather to perform random acts of kindness in Rachel’s memory. The greeter returned my smile and ushered me into the dining area. “Feel free!”
As I scanned the room half-filled with diners, I decided to start on the right side and just bless each table until I ran out of coupons. The first table had an older couple eating. “Hi… My name is Tamara and I am doing random acts of kindness today. I would like to bless you with a discount on your meal. This card has my website and can explain more.” They were surprised at first (as expected), but thanked me for my generosity as I moved on to the next table of diners.
Two ladies were sitting behind them, the waitress checking to see if they needed anything else with their meal. “Sorry to interrupt,” I began, “But I wanted to bless your day with kindness. Here is a coupon for your meal today!” It’s difficult to explain the rush of emotion you receive when you bless a stranger in this way. There’s always a little bit of apprehension at first (“Are they going to think I’m weird?!), but the appreciation shown by others quickly overrides the worry and replaces it with pure, unfiltered happiness. It’s truly a win-win experience for me and the stranger!
My third coupon went to a mom and her two children. She reached out and shook my hand, grasping it firmly between her own. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” The gratefulness in her voice hinted to an untold story of need. I KNEW the moment she grabbed my hand that this RAK today was no coincidence. She was absolutely chosen by God for today’s blessing!
My last coupon went to a large group of diners seated in the middle of the room, two tables pushed together to accommodate everyone. “This isn’t much, but I hope it blesses your day!” The lady smiled back with appreciation as I quickly exited the restaurant. My work here was done!
No matter if you are a student, teacher, parent, or professional, I hope the start of summer break brings blessings and joy your way. And the next time you get a coupon in the mail, maybe you will choose to use it for someone else instead!
Be blessed, dear friends, and thanks for reading! 🙂
This week, I was delighted to participate in a Random Act of Kindness to benefit “A Heart for Oklahoma”, a church based mission to bring supplies to those suffering from the effects of last week’s tornado. What made this RAK especially close to my heart is that it was organized and led by one of my high school friend’s daughter, Claire Belfield Henry, a homeschooled 7th grader who has also captured the Junior Miss Mechanicsville crown. (You can read more about the mission here.)
They were collecting basic health and beauty supplies to personally deliver to Oklahoma which was GREAT because I had received donations of these items from friends! I love when God works out details like that! Here is the basket I created to donate to this project. It contained shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, tooth brushes, dental floss and picks, deodorant, heating pads, nail clippers, body wash, soap, lotion, and cleansing wipes.
I drove to my local Kroger and there was Claire with another gal, Michelle, from her church. Her delightful smile was contagious as she thanked me for my donation. “Wow! It looks so pretty!” she exclaimed. She could have easily won an award for Miss Congenialty as her conversation with me was inviting, purposeful, and filled with excitement for her project. She allowed me to take a few photos for the blog (which I knew her Momma would approve!)
Their collection site outside of Kroger
The girls with my basket of donations
I went inside the store to tackle my never ending grocery list. As I stood in the checkout line, I thought again of Claire and Michelle. How wonderful to be so involved with giving at such an early age! I decided to reward their hard work with a bag of Skittles candy (which was a little inside joke because Claire’s mom is going to make my daughter a Skittles cake for her next birthday party.) As I made my way out of Kroger and towards her donation stand, I realized another young girl had shown up to share in the donation table duties. Without hesitation, I turned right back into Kroger and bought more Skittles so that ALL the girls could share in some simple delights for their labor.
I took an opportunity to have my photo taken with local royalty, too. 😉
This RAK is dediated to Jessica Rekos, age 6, whose parents described their daughter as a “mini CEO”. She sounded just like Claire. These two girls shared a passion for helping others, but doing it in an organized, efficient way. I could easily imagine Jessica doing something as grand as this mission. I am always humbled when I see such leadership skills in our children. Their self confidence is inspiring!! I hope Jessica’s parents know that her spirit lives on in other “mini CEOs” around the world.
Thanks for sharing in my joy of giving. Be blessed, my friends and have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Today as I was waiting in line at Kroger to purchase flowers for my nieces’ dance recital, the gal waiting behind me struck up a conversation. It always amazes me how different people are in this world. Some individuals won’t even make eye contact with a stranger, much less speak to them. Others, like myself, think nothing of chatting with someone they’ve never met (and probably will never see again.)
If someone had observed us, you might have thought we were acquaintances. Co-workers. Maybe even friends. We chatted about discounted flowers. She was buying fresh flowers for her mom’s grave, but it wasn’t a somber occasion, just a matter-of-fact statement of what she was planning to do. “I promised my mom I would NEVER bring her fake flowers… I just can’t disrespect her wishes.” We talked about the weather. Other grocery stores. All of a sudden, my vision moved from her face to her enlarged belly, peeking below the bouquet of flowers she held in her hands. “Oh my goodness – you’re pregnant!” I exclaimed, stating the obvious. A small-boned lady with gorgeously straightened blond hair (can you hear the underlying strains of envy in my description of her beauty? Ha!), it was funny that I had completely missed the undeniable shape of a baby belly facing me. She laughed at my surprise as I added, “Happy belated Mother’s Day!” (remembering the joy one of my pregnant friends received when a complete stranger said the same to her.)
All of a sudden, it was my turn to have my flowers arranged and wrapped. I stepped to the side and motioned for the mom-to-be to go ahead of me in line. “Are you sure?” she asked. “Of course! I have more flowers than you and lots of time. You go ahead!” We continued our conversation, talking about her pregnancy. I learned that she was due in September, she was having a boy, and her other son was born 11 years ago. “I was hoping for a girl, but…” Her weak smile couldn’t hide the completion of her sentence. Even though I have been blessed with a daughter, I could empathize with the sentiment she dared not speak.
“Awww, you know what that means… you’re going to be blessed with AMAZING daughters-in-law!” Her smile brightened a bit and I leaned towards her and whispered, “And just WAIT until you meet your granddaughters… you will be able to spoil them to death with no guilt whatsoever!!” She laughed at my premonition, her bright smile shining once again. As she gathered her finished flowers, she turned to me and said, “You know, I never thought about it that way, but you just might be right!” I smiled back and our exchange was done.
And I never even asked her name.
Today’s Random Act of Kindness is dedicated to Allison Wyatt, age 6, who “delighted in showing people how much she cared.” In a statement to People magazine, her parents said, “Allison made the world a better place… she would often surprise us with random acts of kindness.” Maybe the gal I met today will have a daughter-in-law or a granddaughter just like Allison. We could always use a little more brightness in this dark world.
I didn’t get a chance to take a photo of the mom-to-be, so here’s a photo of the flowers I bought instead, lol.
Be blessed dear friends and keep passing along the joy!
celebrate kindness 