The Magic of Santa

And then there was – that holiday season I was SANTA…

Like most of my “projects”, this concept started small and seemed totally do-able.

          SET UP A LITTLE TABLE AT THE FRONT GATE WITH EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR KIDS TO WRITE LETTERS TO SANTA.  Special chair.  Paper.  Envelopes.  Crayons.  Pencils.  And the all-important – MAILBOX (complete with flag to put up once your letter was inside).

 But once the letter writing station was mounted, I started on my other “brilliant” idea…

                 A LIFE-SIZED ADVENT CALENDAR, with different special treats, many of them gift                         wrapped and tied with bows, for every day of December!!

 I think you can predict where this is going…

And if your mind went straight to the work and the hours and the scotch tape and the wrapping paper and the confusion – well, you wouldn’t be alone.  And I will get to that.

But first.  First, let’s start with the MAGIC…

This holiday season will be one to remember.  I am a believer.  I am a believer in all things sparkly and magical and slightly quirky.  And this holiday season reinforced my beliefs 1 million times over.

Let’s talk about the Santa Project.  It has brought me so much JOY!! 

Since the first letter to Santa was “mailed” in our special mailbox, I have been SHOPPING (online).  Shopping for mostly toys, all requested in the letters, some of which I had never heard of and had to Google to figure out what they even were (Wild Kratts??  Plants Vs. Zombies??)  And you would think the shopping would have been my favorite part of the project.  I mean, shopping for over a hundred kids, FUN right? 

But actually, it is HARD to pick a favorite part of the Santa Project.  There have been so many amazing bits and pieces – reading the kids’ letters, wrapping and tying ribbons and bows, secret phone calls to parents to decipher phonetically spelled wish lists…

But I think if I had to choose, my very favorite part has been WRITING LETTERS BACK FROM SANTA FOR EACH CHILD. 

I wrote personalized letters in response to each person.  It was soooo fun!  It was the ultimate creative writing project, and I composed some letters I am very proud of.  I do believe that I may have switched some non-believers back into believers, made some believers even STRONGER believers, and well, for those who were obviously in on the “truth” – I made them smile big smiles.

Santa’s letters mentioned special things about each writer, things only Santa would know!  “You did a great job at being kind this year”, “I couldn’t believe how many times you said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in 2020!  I started to keep a list to count them but you said those nice words so often I lost track!’, “I know virtual school is tough – it is hard to pay attention.  But YOU, you my friend, are doing awesome!!”, “Your handwriting is so GOOD this year!  Have you been practicing??”, “Please give that sweet mother of yours a big hug from me, she had had a tough year,” and “My favorite part of the letter was your drawing!  You used PINK, which is one of my very favorite colors.  I showed your drawing to Mrs. Claus and we hung it on our refrigerator.”

But of course, it is 2020…  So not all wish lists were “nice”, and not all were things that Santa could wrap up and deliver in this sleigh.  A few kids asked Santa to cure Covid.  One asked for no-shot hormone blockers (they really want and need the hormone blockers but are afraid of shots.)  One asked for “A German Shepard that my family is not allergic to”.  And one asked for a baby brother.

Instead of ignoring those delicate and difficult requests, I decided to tackle them head-on.  One response to the request to cure Covid was: 

“The first think you asked was that I end Covid.  Oh my little friend, I wish I could.  I specialize in magic and Christmas and toys and joy, and the doctors specialize in medicine.  So, I cannot end Covid, BUT I did talk to some of the best doctors around and shared your wish with them.  They assured me that they are working VERY HARD (barely even taking breaks to eat!!) to find a cure for Covid.  They hate Covid as much as you and I do!!  And they told me to remind you that a vaccine is coming soon, so that is a good step in the right direction.  But, they stressed this part, WE MUST KEEP WASHING OUR HANDS A LOT AND WEARING OUR MASKS!!  Even after the vaccine we will have to do that for a while, until things start getting better.  So yes, it stinks, but we all have to pitch in and do our part, right?  (By the way, you should see how difficult it is for me to get my mask over my big white beard!  I had to have a special mask made.  Luckily Mrs. Claus is great at sewing!)”

The gut-wrenching request for no-shot hormone blockers received this response (this is just part of the letter):   

“Your request of no shot hormone blockers really made me think.  You are right – there SHOULD be no shot hormone blockers!  A pill maybe.  Or a syrup to drink!

After I sat (eating cookies) and thought about it a while, I considered going into the workshop and talking to my elves about making some for you.  But then I realized – the elves make TOYS.  Medicine like hormone blockers is not a toy!  The elves are the wrong people to give that job to.

So instead, I contacted some doctors.  I told them of your request, and I asked them to GET TO WORK on making no shot hormone blockers.  They assured me that they would do some research and try to figure out how to do it.  They sounded confident that they could figure it out but warned me that it would not be easy and would likely take a while.  They need to experiment, test it on people, and get it all approved.  (For what it is worth, I did tell them my deadline was December 25^th, but they seemed to think they would not be able to meet that.)

So, my friend, I am sorry.  I really, really wanted to grant your wish.  You deserve it. Heck, other people deserve no shot hormone blockers, too!  (Excuse me for cursing there, I just got worked up a bit about this.)”

The request for a baby brother got this response: 

“You asked for a couple of things, including a baby brother.  I am sorry to tell you that I cannot bring you a baby brother.  The elves make TOYS, not brothers!!  😊  But I have made a note in my journal that you would like one, and if I find any little brothers looking for nice big brothers I will give your mom a call.“

And what about THIS dilemma – what do you do when a child writes and admits that they were not an angel this year (this honesty was reported in 3 or 4 letters!)??? 

“Your letter made me giggle.  You reported that you have been, and I quote, “goodish”.  Now WHAT, my child, is “goodish”?  It is more leaning toward the GOOD side or the BAD side?  Is it right in the middle?   I would’ve liked a few more details from you…  So, before I decide what to put together in your Christmas box, I will need check my notes from the year.  I keep them in ABC order so that I can quickly read through them if I need to double-check on someone.  Let’s see here…  The “N” section.  Nancy, Ned, Nicholas (oh such a nice name!!), Niquita, and there you are, Noah!  What did I notice of your behavior this year…

          -          You did pretty well at getting along with your little brother

    -          You did not torture your cat

    -          You obeyed your mother (most of the time)

    -          You brushed your teeth before bed (again, most nights…)

    -          You were grumpy a few days

    -          And you sometimes put your dirty clothes in the basket

 I would say that I would give you “good” instead of “goodish” for your overall annual rating!”

Or, how about when the oldest child is the family seems to have stopped believing, but writes a letter to Santa along with their younger siblings.  Only, to point out the fact that they are onto the game, they refer to Santa as “Santa” the whole letter???  I’ll tell you what this “Santa” did – he referred to the child with her name in quotation marks in the whole letter! 

In the end, I wrote 108 individual letters from Santa.  Some people said I should use a template but I was having TOO MUCH FUN writing them!!  Things I discovered about my Santa as I wrote – he is a feminist, he believes in science, he supports equality, and he rewards kids who ask for very little with a LOT (wait until the kid who asked for a single candy bar opens the box fullllllllllllllll of big candy bars!)  I guess you could say my Santa is a lot like me, go figure…

I have gotten to watch several children open their gifts from Santa and it has been beautiful.  There have been literal, LOUD SQUEALS of delight!!!  Shouts of, “He knew!!!  He knew!!!!  He knew what I wanted!!!!”.  Many loud, “LOOK!!!  LOOK!  Look what he brought me!!!”.  It is glorious to witness (usually from hiding behind our venetian blinds to stay out of sight).  And just now I got to talk to a family with 2 kids – one who wrote a very clear letter saying exactly what she wanted (and of course Santa bought) and an older sister who wrote a nice letter but didn’t ASK for anything.  They were searching under the tree for the older sister’s gift when I came outside.  She was resigned to the fact that since she didn’t ASK, she wouldn’t get a gift.  She obviously doesn’t know this Santa very well.  The whole families’ eyes LIT UP when magically the gift for big sister was found. 

I can’t close without going into the numbers, and most importantly, the THANK YOUs.  Numbers first:

-          102 letters were “mailed” in our special mailbox

-          6 other recipients came about organically during the process and got gifts

-          108 Santa response letters were written and 108 people received gifts

-          Because some gifts contained more than one item, I estimate 200 items were purchased

-          Popular items were Lego, LOL dolls, Superheroes, dolls, and princesses

-          6 adults wrote letters (2 did not leave contact info so did not get a gift or reply – well, one will get her gift next month since she requested “a better government”)

-          Children these days are mostly named with names starting with the letters A – G.  There are loads of A and E names!

-          Old fashioned names are very popular again

-          Mad props to the parents who gave their kids the middle names “Adventure” and “Danger” and call them by their first and middle names.  I LOVE that!  I got to meet one of them in person yesterday, too!

Total spent on the Santa Project 2020:  $2408.74 (each gift averaged $22)

I planned on using funds raised at the Kindness Yard Sale to cover this project, but so many kind and generous people pitched in with donations specifically for these gifts!!  A total of $2060 was donated solely for this project!!!!  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to the generous friends, neighbors and strangers who saw something magical and pitched in financially to make it happen! 

And THANK YOU to neighbors who answered my urgent pleas for more boxes, wrapping paper, and tissue paper.  Thank you to those who delivered cookies that kept us going. Thanks for the wine (which also kept us going!).  Thank you to the neighbor who gifted me the most beautiful Mrs. Claus outfit ever.  Thank you to the very hard working delivery drivers.  Thanks for the offers to help (which, because of Covid, I was not sure how to accept, but believe you me, if this project happens again you WILL be called upon to wrap!!).  

Special thanks to Elf David who put up with the mess around the house for a month, the late nights, helped track Amazon boxes (3 are still on the way as I type…) and wrapped gifts.

And most importantly - thank you to the believers.  The ones who helped spark my creativity and forced me to come up with many clever stories on the spot (“Ummm, how do the letters get from this mailbox to the North Pole??  Why, ummm, ELVES!  Of course yes – ELVES!  They come during the night and pick them up!!  What’s that?  Have I SEEN them do a pick-up??  Uhhh, no…  No, not yet…  They do it in the dark of night!  I try to stay awake and watch but it is difficult…”)

To my family and friends – our annual “Christmas cards” may be “mid-January cards” this year.  Your gifts have not yet been wrapped or mailed.  But I love you and I miss you. 

This is a season of magic.  It is not the Christmas any of us imagined, and yet it is Christmas indeed. 

 

 

Hug From A Stranger (By Way of Dried Fruit)

Do you know what this is?

I bet you guessed a plate of dried fruit.

And while you would be RIGHT, you would also be WRONG.

Because what it actually is, is a hug from a stranger.

David was outside working in the yard on Saturday when two people walked up.  They introduced themselves and chatted with him.  They told him they enjoy driving by our house very much.  They like the signs I hang, and the election project inspired them.  I could hear voices out there so peeked out the window, but was in the middle of doing something and did not go out.  But I WISH I had.

Because these people, these complete strangers, gifted us with this because display of dried fruit and an intricate, beautiful wooden bowl!!  They took time out of their lives to stop by, talk, and deliver an amazing present to perfect strangers!  Isn’t that amazing??

Luckily, they signed their name and address on the card so we know who to thank.  And I have found them on Facebook and friended them.   But I was just so honored and excited to be the recipient of this kindness. 

These people didn’t know what a hard couple of years we have had.  They didn’t know the anniversary of my dad’s death is creeping on the calendar. They didn’t know my sister and I have had to indefinitely postpone our trip to get our sister’s ashes made into artwork.  They likely do not know that my WHOLE JAM is spreading kindness, most often to strangers.  They didn’t KNOW.

But they took time to appreciate what they saw.  To be thankful.  And to interact.

And for that, I am ever so grateful.

Thank you for the hug, strangers.  It meant more than you can understand.

 

Special Veterans Day Kindness - Kindness Yard Sale Accounting

This is a special edition of Kindness Activist just for today, Veteran’s Day. 

Veterans Day is a day to celebrate all who have served in the United States Military.  Memorial Day is for those who have served who have passed away.  Even so, I like to honor veterans on both days by going to Arlington National Cemetery, which I am fortunate enough to live very close to.

Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is a beautiful place.  The green grass.  The rows upon rows of headstones.  And, this time of year, the bright colors on the Autumn trees.

ANC is different than “home-town” cemeteries where families are buried together and loved ones live nearby and can go visit whenever they like.  Because it is an honor to be buried in ANC, many families make the decision to have their family member’s resting place there, even though it means they will not be close enough to visit the graves.  My family is buried in the Midwest and I cannot visit their graves frequently, so I feel for people who have loved ones they are missing in ANC but cannot come to pay their respects.

Because I am privileged to live so near the final place of rest for so many soldiers, I always try to share my good fortune in that regard with others.  We can drive into the cemetery because we have a special family pass, so in non-Covid times we always stop and pick up people who are walking and drive them to the grave they are looking for.  This year for Veterans Day, I asked in a Facebook group of people who live in Omaha (my hometown) if they would like me to visit a loved one for them.

I was pleased that people replied and gave me the names of their loved ones to visit.  We looked up where the gravesites were, bought flowers, pulled on rain boots for the weather, and headed to Arlington National Cemetery.

         

 I was humbled and honored to pay respects to:

            Michael Lindee, United States Marine Corps

            Henry A. Wiley, United States Navy

Kim De Cesare, United States Air Force

Thomas Tensley, United States Air Force

Christopher Parsons, United States Army

And my partner’s parents, Stanley (United States Army) and Dorothy Gaine

 

After visiting those graves we still had roses left.  I saw a man who I recognized from having driven by him earlier.  I knew he had been standing out in the rain under his umbrella visiting someone’s grave for a long time.  As I approached, I could see from his gestures that he was deep in conversation with his loved one.  I quietly approached and excused myself and asked if I might give his family member some roses.  He said yes and was very touched.  He explained that this was his father’s grave.  We had a nice chat about his father’s service and in the end, I gave the man a rose to take home, too.  He seemed like a very gentle, sweet, appreciative soul.

As I walked on, I saw a woman with 3 small children and a little puppy visiting a grave.  I approached and asked if I could give them flowers to leave.  The mother was very grateful – it turns out they were visiting her grandfather.  I had 3 roses left – one for each child to leave for their great-grandfather.

 

Like so many acts of kindness, this was a very simple gesture.  The flowers cost less than $10, but the kindness and love spread is valued at much, much more than that. 

Thank you, veterans. 

Thank you, families of veterans.

Your sacrifices and service to the country are appreciated.

 

Money used from Kindness Yard Sale funds:  $9.53

 

 

 

PIE It Forward! Kindness Yard Sale 2020 Accounting Update

There’s a lot of negativity going around lately, what with Covid raging and the election almost a week away. So, I thought I should take a moment to update you on how I have used more of the money raised at the Kindness Yard Sale! Nothing like a bit of KINDNESS to take the edge off of a tense time. First off – PIES! “What??” you wonder. “Pies? What does PIE have to do with kindness?”. Well, I PIED IT FORWARD! More specifically, I went into our amazing local pie shop, Acme Pie, and left 2 cards (each with $40 in them) for the next 2 pie shoppers to come in. I figured the shoppers could get their pie with that money and use the left-over money to spring for some ice cream to put on top of the pie, a cheap bottle of wine to drink with it, or whatever else they wanted! I have no idea who came in after me to find that their pie had already been paid for, but I can only imagine it brought a smile to their face. 

Total spent: $80

Acme Pies in Arlington, VA are the BEST!

Next up – COFFEE! A neighbor is on furlough due to the pandemic, so has limited funds for groceries. The local grocery store had an amazing sale on bags of coffee, it was “buy 2, get 3 free”!!! PLUS we had a coupon! Well, I couldn’t pass that up! So we got lots and I left the bags of coffee on the neighbor’s doorknob. Boy was she happy. She said she would have enough coffee to last a good long time. 

Total spent: $16 

See this girl? Her name is Bella and she is 14 years old. Not only is she smart, she is also an entrepreneur. She has opened her own online business selling earrings that she creates from fun stuff!!! I donated $50 of the Kindness Yard Sale funds to help her buy more knick-knacks to create earrings. I wish her and her new earring shop well! If you are in the market for funky earrings, you can find her work here:  Bella's Earring Shop

Total spent: $50 

Bella and her dog

I am a sign language interpreter. Professionals in my field, like many others, have been hit hard by the pandemic. Many interpreters freelance – going to doctor appointments, therapy, business meetings, etc. And many of the settings where they normally work have been closed since March. This has meant no income. So, I used some of the yard sale money to donate to a fund started by RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf). The money will be used to support interpreters in need. I am proud I am proud to say that as of tonight, 27 donors have raised over $6000 for the fund. If you would like to contribute to this fund, go here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/registry-of-interpreters-for-the-deaf/covid-19-certified-interpreter-relief-fund Because interpreters are ESSENTIAL. 

Total spent: $50.40 

Image from the RID campaign

The other day I took myself out for breakfast at my favorite local coffee shop for the first time since Covid began. I sat at an outside table, but while I was inside waiting on my order I noticed a woman organizing school supplies by putting them into tote bags. She told me that her name was Anika and that she was starting a non-profit to help underserved youth in our community. She had run a Go Fund Me campaign, hoping to raise a lot of money to buy new school supplies for kids’ whose families could not afford them. Her Go Fund Me did not reach the goal she had hoped, but she was marching on anyway, making as many supply bags as she could. That sounded like just the kind of project that the kindness money was raised for, so I gave her $20 toward her cause. 

Total spent: $20 

Specially packed bags of brand new school supplies ready to be delivered

A woman in our county, Jaimee Wise, recently had a brain aneurism. Luckily, her young son noticed there was a problem and got help quickly. She is in a coma and the family will have a lot of medical bills, so $100 of the Kindness Yard Sale money went to a Go Fund Me for Jaimee. If you would like to help out, too, you can find the information here:  Go Fund Me for Jaimee Wise

Total spent: $100 

This is Tri. She lives in my community. She recently took a big step and sat for her lactation consultant exam. She, like me, is a nervous test taker. So BEFORE her test some Kindness money was used to get her a multi-amazonite bracelet (with the hopes the “woo woo energy” in it would help her be calm and take her test (the website says, If your nervous system tends to run away like wild horses over the hills, this Multi Amazonite Energy Bracelet is the ticket to temperance, hope and a happy can-do attitude. Amazonite is known as The Hope Stone, and this bracelet is comprised of specially selected stones that ebb and flow like sunlight on water and a thousand grains of sand on the shore.” Then, for AFTER her exam, I used a bit of money to get her a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate. She doesn’t get her results until December, but I have a good feeling that she passed. 

Total spent: $23.99 

Tri, soon-to-be LACTATION CONSULTANT!

That’s it for now. More stories coming soon, including a re-telling of a recent Kindness Activist fundraiser – 2020 Sucks Bingo!! Until then, please keep spreading kindness. The world really needs it these days.  And if you know of someone that could use a little kindness, send me an email at:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com.  I am always looking for good ways to throw kindness around like glitter.

The Kindness Continues - Yard Sale 2020

It’s time for another update on how funds raised at the 2020 Kindness Yard Sale are being used!  Get ready, it’s a good update and the money is spreading lots of joy!

First off – FLOWERS

Who doesn’t like flowers, right??  There were some vases left over after the yard sale, so I put them to good use!  I bought bouquets, arranged them, and handed them out to people who deserved some sunshine!  We delivered one to the local fire station, one to the police station, one to the man at the hospital who was working outside the emergency room checking temperatures before people could enter, and one to the hard working people at the post office.  The flowers made the recipients smile huge smiles.  Their jobs are sometimes thankless.  If you have a moment, make sure to thank important workers like them!!

Bouquets full of love and kindness

Total spent:  $35.98

Next up – VIRTUAL SCHOOL

Like many districts across America, our school district decided on remote learning.  I am not a parent so I have not experienced this personally, but every parent that I see is stressed beyond the limit at trying to make sure their children don’t fall behind in this difficult new virtual environment. 

So, I decided that the PARENTS needed some encouragement.  I bought parent-worthy treats and wrapped them in pretty boxes.  Inside were:  a can of wine (yes, you can buy wine in single serving cans!), a bottle of hand sanitizer, tea bags, chocolate bars, biscotti, a Kind bar, and a cake in a cup mix. 

Little treats for overworked, overstressed parents

Each came with a pretty card and this note:

“Dear You.

Yes, you.

You didn’t PLAN on being a teacher.  Or maybe you DID, but you didn’t plan on doing it from your HOME with your kid/s on iPad/s. 

And yet – 2020.

Here you are.

And it’s NOT EASY.  In fact, it is downright HARD!!!

But you are doing it.  Cuz you have to – it is what needs to get done.

There may be tears.  A bit of yelling.  Maybe even a curse word or 2…  But never-the-less – you will persist!!

And you deserve a little treat.  Everything in here is for YOU.  Not for your partner.  NOT for your kids.  But for YOU – the one making sure the iPads are fully charged, the missing headphones are found, and the kid sits in front of the screen and pays attention to the teacher.

These treats were purchased for you using money raised at the 2020 Kindness Yard Sale.  ENJOY!”

Presents ready to be delivered

I made 8 gift boxes, then just started knocking on doors!  It was a little odd knocking on stranger’s doors but it was also fun.  I had a lot of “no answers” (they were probably busy learning on their iPad!) but then finally someone came to the door.  I explained what I was doing and the woman happily took the gift.  One man was very skeptical and asked what was inside the box.  I explained and he replied, “No thanks,”.  That’s ok, buddy!  More treats for someone else 😊 .   

Delivery in progress

The recipients loved the boxes.  Here is what one parent told me: “Thank you so much.  I’m actually a little teary eyed.  It’s been rough and we (parents in general) have been worried about how our kids will fare, sad that this is their “normal” (my son started his first year at middle school), and just stressed that we are not “doing it” right.  The thing is, no one is really encouraging parents because we are all busy encouraging the kids.  So, this gift is refreshing, and a salve on our wounded belief in ourselves.  Thanks a trillion.  I owe you a real hug after the Rona takes her leave.” 

Total spent:  $57.41

Thirdly – CRAZY SOCKS

I saw this post in a Facebook group:  “Hi, I'm new to the group. If this isn't appropriate, please delete... I HAVE A FAVOR...A VERY SPECIAL FRIEND OF MINE IS TURNING 9, today (but hey, she's not going to care if they are late). Maddie has the heart of gold and spreads kindness wherever she goes. I was wondering if some of you wonderful painters would be willing to send a rock to her for her birthday. If so, message me and I will send you her address. (I have her mom's ok.) She loves the colors pink, blue, purple. Flowers, butterflies, polka dots the Eiffel Tower, she loves crazy socks LOL. Their family doesn't have much money right now and I just thought this would lift her spirits. She is so easy to please. Thank you for making this birthday a special one for Maddie.”

Well, that was a no-brainer!!!  I contacted the author and asked if it would be ok if I sent a pair of crazy socks!!  (I am a crazy sock lover, too!  I have a whole drawer full.)  I picked some mis-matched watermelon socks and Miss Maddie loved ‘em. 

Crazy socks are the best

Total spent:  $13.95

And finally for this update – A RAINBOW

I saw this rainbow rug on a recent Ikea shopping trip and I KNEW who needed it. 

A neighbor has been doing great things for the community all during Covid.  She paints rocks and makes games with them!  She paints very detailed, gorgeous rocks, then hides them in neighbors’ yards.  Then she puts a sign at the end of the block telling people what to look for and how many rocks they can expect to find.  It’s super fun!  She has done the solar system, rainbows, quotes, Hamilton, and now the final game of the season is about voting.  Her rock hunt is a terrific excuse for lots of people in the neighborhood to get some fresh air and exercise.

This neighbor is also a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.  Her family has pride flags and signs out all year round.  So, let’s just say, I knew this door mat would fit right in!!

One rainbow rug, comin' right up!

We snuck it over and dropped it off quietly with no note.  It didn’t take long for her to figure out where it came from 😊 . 

Total spent:  $12.99

That’s it for this update.  There are literally thousands of dollars left in the 2020 Kindness Yard Sale fund, so expect more “accounting” news as it happens.  Now get out there and SPREAD SOME KINDNESS!

Sweet 16 Kindness

I really believe that the vast majority of people WANT to help, want to be KIND.  But sometimes we get so busy and overwhelmed by our own lives that it is hard to see where we can help out in someone else’s. 

But when people are brave enough to raise a hand and ASK for a little assistance, kindness and love overflow.  It’s beautiful!

And that’s what happened recently here in Arlington, Virginia.  A mom contacted me and explained that her daughter’s 16^th birthday was coming up.  She wondered if there was any way our community could help make it a SPECIAL day for the girl, even though Covid restrictions are still in place and money is tight.

And do you know what?  That’s all that was needed.  An ASK.  A clear request for what would be helpful – a blow-out party for a special girl turning 16!!!

A group of 18 women had been working together to help another family.  I posed the question to them – would they like to work on a 16^th birthday party, or were they “helped out” from the other generous things they had been doing for the other family??

I bet you can guess where this is going, can’t you?  Those 18 women rolled up their sleeves and went to WORK!!!  “What is her favorite flavor of cake??”, “What does she enjoy doing??”, “What is her favorite color???”…  Messages and questions flew for days!!  We were ENERGIZED – we had a MISSION!!!

And even though we all had our own things to be worried about – sick family members, school starting, house renovations, work, etc. – having this PARTY to plan seem to give us energy and life!!  I don’t think any of us KNEW the birthday girl.  But we had all turned 16 before.  And we all wanted to make it a special day for her!

Each person pitched in.  One offered to make cupcakes!  One ran to the store to find a shirt in just the perfect color for the birthday girl!  One asked other people to donate items that the girl would like!  And piece by piece it came together – like a big birthday puzzle!!  The birthday girl had a wish for special shoes.  She had picked out some really cool Vans.  So, one group member scoured the internet and found the same exact shoes locally.  And even though she was super busy building a little schoolhouse and taking care of her family, she drove out and got the shoes.

Beautiful necklace for the birthday girl

Perfect make-up case for a strong woman

A member of our community heard the birthday girl liked skateboards so donated his longboard!  A member of the small group and her boyfriend had the equipment needed to make personalized vinyl letters to decorate it and spent HOURS getting them just right!  The longboard turned out PERFECTLY!  They also made the plain shirt into a printed workout shirt with the birthday girl’s favorite Bible verse on it! 

Longboard BEFORE

 

Longboard AFTER!!!!

Donated gifts came in – books, journals, beautiful photo prints….  Some gifts were purchased new with money raised at the Kindness Yard Sale.  And everything was wrapped carefully (and fancy!) to surprise the recipient.  20 presents were ready to surprise a special stranger.

Gifts just waiting to be opened!

A time and location was set.  A photographer was sent to the location (my partner, David 😊 ).  And 4 cars met up.  One was decked out with a sign and big bow.  One had HAPPY BIRTHDAY blaring from the speakers.  With secret messages to the mom, we headed over to the house.

And the birthday girl was SURPRISED.  She was HAPPY.  And she was GRATEFUL.

Here is a video of how it all went down.  You will smile if you watch it.  It will remind you that there is good in the world.  Drive By Sweet 16 Birthday Party Video

You only turn 16 once.  And I would like to think that the kindness of strangers made this girl’s 16^th birthday a memorable one.

Happy birthday, G-Zel.  We were honored to be part of your special day!

If you see a need in your community, reach out.  And if you could use a bit of assistance, ASK.  Don’t be embarrassed or afraid.  Because there is an army of people around you just waiting for a call to action.  We all want to help.  And who knows, maybe your request will be the one that makes us smile so hard our cheeks hurt.

Kindness Yard Sale Money spent on birthday gifts - $87.58