Monday, July 22, 2013

Here's Why

For the 3rd time today I was asked Why? :)

Here's why...

I was inspired a couple of years ago when my Friend Clint was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer. He went through Hell to get to Heaven. While he struggled he inspired me with his positive approach. Never a woe is me, never a question of why me. He would post about his boys and his wife and getting the most of his time with them. I decided to send them a Care Package (that turned in to many more) to remind them of the little moments. I made sure my kiddos were involved, too. We sent Bubble & Squirt Guns, decks of cards, coloring books, slinkies, sidewalk chalk, legos, anything we could think of that Clint would have the strength for and his boys would remember. Things that he and his wife Angie (now one of my very best friends) might not go out and get themselves but would bring smiles to their faces. They loved it! And it made us smile (and cry) in the process.

Since then we have found that leaving a simple basket/giftbag/beachpail on a doorstep (or we'll mail it) with smiles is not only a gift to the recipient, but to us as well. We try to catch the friend off guard, they never know when it's coming. We all like the element of surprise and to date, we haven't been caught on a doorstep. The kiddos have even asked about doing them and have suggested our next recipient. If I go too long between Care Packages, the kiddos push me to do another.

One of the best parts, I've inspired some friends to do the same. My friend Nina posted a pic one day on FB of her Care Package to a friend, I liked it, and then out loud said "whoa! that's MY desk!" It was a really cool surprise for me. She got me.

I jokingly "complained" to my bestie Sherry a year ago that I was "suckered" into Coaching Madi's Soccer Team. Sherry showed up with a Soccer Care Package, including my own fun water bottle, to let me know it was meant to be and motivate me to do a great job with it. It worked.

And the crazy thing, just like I hope my friends "need" the smile at that moment, we receive Care Packages in return timed perfectly. Another friend of mine, Krissy dropped off a Get Well Package one time when the whole family was sick. She texted me two minutes later: "Ding Dong." I never even heard her on our step.

It's cool, too to find out later that the Care Package brightened a bad day or kicked them out of a funk or reminded them to stop and relax. You never know when someone just needs to be reminded that they're important. One of those was a long distance Care Package to someone I've known over 30 years to be one of the strongest people I know. Even she needed our Care Package that day.

So, to answer your question, I'm a sap. I like to surprise people and let them know they're on my mind. I like to think that in a tiny way I made a little difference today. And I like to think the Care Package will be paid forward and with it many more smiles.

Smiles
~jul