May 29 : Random Act of Kindness

Overwhelming kindness has been  filling my cup lately. Since my second cancer diagnosis , I have been blessed my many random and planned acts of kindness.


Week Five of radiation is almost completed ; time is flying by incredibly fast or not !

Wonderful things have filled my cup - not just gifts but also good conversations, a relaxing run in the park and being cheered on by spectators , a fabulous warm 'shrug' find at the Op shop thanks to the Volunteer and more !

• Denyse's friend , who lives locally - gifted us a massage - a well timed , incredible RAK for my husband too! She read my story which Denyse shared.

I want to share the beautiful wise words of Maya Angelou - who passed away today- she wanted all people to believe we had the power of change within us.


"My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness" ~ Maya Angelou

Blanket of care from a lovely friend and a cake !

A Warm Hug from another friend and she send me regular cards too

Box of sunshine

• Two cakes , one from my SIL and the other my friend who gave me the purple & pink blanket... they got gobbled before a photo.

• A lovely prize won with a huge stash of goodies.

Daily, I am astonished by the kind words, [mentions of] prayers, cards and messages , from friends and even acquaintances ;  there is no time for sadness when I feel cared for and comforted by bith friends and people who barely know me.

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.

Scott Adams (1957)
Creator Of Dilbert Comic Strip 

(credit )

It is never too late to make kindness a habit...{ignore the date below I just liked the list }

download it here

Though we have little practical family support at home , others have stepped up during a really difficult time for my family and I. Our church friends have provided two meals per week while I am away and I am so very grateful.

I posted five cards two weeks ago and it felt heartwarming as I posted them thinking about the recipients .

Hopefully, I've got a few RAKS up my sleeve too for some of my fellow lodge residents next week.

Have you felt the touch of kindness recently ?
Do you pay it forward ?

 ♥

Love and hope in a Shoe box

Imagine a box filled with treasures beyond your wildest imaginations.
Imagine it bringing hope & a message of love from afar.

when a child opens a shoe box, they’re opening more than a present lovingly prepared just for them. They’re opening up their community to a world of life-changing opportunities.

Over the past week or so I've started  collecting things... we have our boxes ready to assemble and pack . We will choose gifts for boys in 5-9 yrs age. I'm going to do a girl 5-9 too for ~Charlotte~ and maybe a teenage boy.

We have made it a yearly tradition.


It's such a great and easy way to bring smiles to the many children out there that are not as privileged as our own or children in desperate situations . It also teaches my boys about the joy of giving and bringing happiness to others. The Drummer boys enjoy packing and selecting treasures (gifts).


There is 2.5 weeks until the boxes need to be handed in.

The instructions are simple

• SOMETHING TO LOVE
  Teddy bear, doll, soft toy, etc.
• SOMETHING FOR SCHOOL
  Exercise book, pencil case, pens, pencils, colouring pencils, sharpener, eraser, chalk, etc.
• SOMETHING TO WEAR
  T-shirt, shorts, underwear, cap, beanie, sandals, thongs, etc.
• SOMETHING TO PLAY WITH
  Tennis ball, cars, skipping rope, marbles, musical instrument, yo-yo, slinky, finger puppets, wind up torch, etc. (No battery operated items)*
• SOMETHING FOR PERSONAL HYGIENE
  Soap and face washer, toothbrush, hairbrush, comb, hair-clips, scrunchies, etc.(No toothpaste)*
• SOMETHING SPECIAL
  
  Carry bag, sunglasses, bangles, necklaces, craft kits, stickers, note or photo of yourself.

In 2011, teams in Australia and New Zealand delivered 290,437 gift-filled shoe boxes to South East Asia and the South Pacific. This year  the number of shoe boxes given by Australia and New Zealand will reach 3 million! Last year over 8 million children globally received shoe boxes and this season, the number of shoe boxes will reach 100 million given to children in 152 countries since 1993.

Even if you can't fill a box yourself, you can choose to adopt a box and just pay postage $9 for a box of gifts.

Whose life will your shoe box change this year?

Full details are here.

Visit The Operation Christmas Child website to find out more and to find out where to drop your shoeboxes call 1800 684 300. There are drop off points all over Australia. You can now follow your box to it's destination country.

Hurry the last day for Australia is 25th October.

♥

Wordless Wednesday ~ A big Thank you

A beautiful handmade gift from Anorina ~ Samelia's Mum

♥

Irrevocable Hands of kindness

This week has been one of my best ever .
I've been overwhelmed, in a good way, by messages of love and support, flowers and chocolates as well as a huge parcel of very thoughtful gifts from dear friends in the blogging community.
I will get around to thanking you properly soon , I am so grateful.

There aren't enough words to thank you all personally.
I've had emails from strangers, or rather - friends I haven't met yet , women who are breast cancer survivors or currently undergoing treatment, offering to answer questions or just have a chat.
Kind, gentle messages across social media.

Countless messages assuring me of prayers, friends offering practical support and of course our families giving us TLC the last 2 weeks.
My husband has been my rock and so caring, under immense stress.
I've been embraced from Dublin to NZ and everywhere in between.
I wish everyone the same measure of support and kindness when they go through difficult periods.


I know it has made me feel stronger , evoking piece of mind and filling my hope tank to the brim.

I have some great quotes and images for my vision board too.
I'm banking on laughter too because have you noticed that when you laugh really hard, you stop thinking about pain, your worries and ... I am sure you can think of more.
People have shared funny images and inspiration on Facebook too.


I feel good in myself. I feel strong , fit and healthy.
I still have one drain in situ, beneath my left axilla (armpit) giving me pain , though the Endone is covering the pain relief well. It's there for a reason probably till Tuesday when I see my surgeon.
My short hair is growing on me - such a difference after 17-18 yrs of longish hair.
Now, I feel daring but can't decide what colour ?

This weekend my littliest miracles will celebrate another trip around the sun. I can't believe - SIX !
They had so many BIG plans to celebrate with their school friends and have been writing invitations for months.
I feel a little disappointment for them. We shall celebrate no less- with cake , fairy bread, chocolate crackles and lollies with their cousins and maybe a few friends . The school party might wait till term 3 commences.

So tell me how kindness touched you this week or share how you lightened the load for someone else ?

 ♥

Kindness

So I signed up to the  Million Acts of Kindness this morning after I read Jo's from Country Life experiment's post last night on giving and saw the button again on How I spend my Dash blog today.

I've been feeling down after watching friends struggling this week - one with her mother-in-law undergoing chemo and her own child ill in hospital again. On the way to hospital her vehicle broke down at a busy freeway exit and NO ONE stopped to help - cars just hurtled by , she was all alone with her sick daughter , though twitter offered their help.

Another internet friend's mother is gravely ill in ICU where they are preparing to say goodbye. A kind friend of hers was trying to organise something to help her and keeping her URL friends updated.

It brings back intense memories of being called to ICU to say goodbye to my own Dad 6.5 years ago.

My own life is not without it's dramas too.

It is times like this that acts of kindness are so important , though any time is perfect to start making a difference.

Countless times I've been gifted  Acts of random kindness . So many good and kind people have crossed my path, I feel blessed.

I loved what Jeanette wrote ...{the blog it was posted on originally no longer exists} -

The Simplest Acts of Random Kindness (A.R.K)

Build one! :)

Smile

Laugh

Say hello

Help for no reason

Embrace with a look

Hug with your words

Listen and actually hear

Make eye contact (but do not stare)

Don't argue even when you are right

Leave encouraging, anonymous notes

Wave at a total stranger just because

Laugh for no reason at all (it's contagious)

Turn the texting off and make an actual call

Pay for the coffee for the person behind you in line

Look at yourself in the mirror and say Thank you

Buy a bag of groceries and give it to a family in need

Hold on to your opinion and encourage another person's

Let a child teach you something (even if you already know)

Share your umbrella... even if it means you are left in the rain.

Tell your spouse at least one thing that makes you fall in love with them all over again

Say please and thank you as you tell the Deli person what you want on your sandwich

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel motivated today to keep the kindness moving .

50 acts of kindness a day for 55 yrs - one bus stop at a time. That's a commitment!

.. what can you do ?

Check the website ~ find daily ideas, hints and suggestions for what you can do to make life happier for the people around you ...not to mention YOU !!

I took the pledge even if I am late to the party.

1. Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end." ~ Scott Adams
2. Make the world a better place by practicing acts of kindness - one A.R.K. at a time ...soon we will all be sailing.
3. Loving will never empty your heart and giving A.R.K. will never empty your pockets.
4. Ask yourself: Have you been kind today ? Make kindness your daily modus opernadi and change your world ~ annie lennox.
5. I still can't imagine what 1,000, 000 acts of kindness would do ...

What are your thoughts on random acts of kindness do they make a difference ?

How have you been RAK' ed or ARK'ed   ? 

♥

Grateful for Weddings , RAKs & Babies

A Wedding  ~  it reminds me of how grateful I am for my husband of 21 yrs. We were married in a warehouse with a Christian ceremony, the building stands but it is no longer a church - just a warehouse. 

 

Image via flickr

I don't remember our exact vows though I trust we mostly hold true to them and cherish them highly. Our future was before us (like William & Kate's today) a blank slate, waiting to be filled with shared dreams and adventures.A future that was filled with all the hope and promise two young twenty-somethings with the world at their feet could ever imagine...

Incredibly two weeks ago we saw G, a Pastor at the time, who 'talked' us through our wedding vows. G was at DH's niece's enagagement party. Plus our lovely photographer, V who is now his bride. 

(Though this Pastor wasn't the Pastor to sign our official marriage certificate...and a year had me all worried we weren't married - he was stirring us up at our friend's wedding)

 

Every day , I am thankful for my husband's strength and tenacity.  I am grateful today I can pause for a moment to just reflect and recognize all that we do have and enjoy it simply for what it is, without thinking about what it is not.

"What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility." - George Levinger

We've been apart the last 3 days and I've missed him terribly ...and his cups of tea :).

Steve -  a 'VIP' truck driver & random stranger ~ who helped back up the car & caravan today after I found myself down a narrow, bendy street blocked by construction ...DEAD END -  Steve's RAK {random acts of kindness} rescued me.

It wasn't supposed to be a one way street , with cars parked either side . I'd still be there otherwise waiting for hubby to come rescue me after he got home from Dubbo 6hrs later.

Babies ~ the International acclaimed movie preview screening of BABIES is on Sunday May 1, 1pm at Event Cinemas Macquarie see this post. If you are in Sydney Sunday and would like to attend I have 5 free family tickets , you can meet me there.

Today is the last day to enter the Lego City SPACE comp - click the Lego Logo 'brick' on the right.

 

 So, what's making you smile today?
... Please add a link back to Maxibella in your post. Blog hop to visit other bloggers who are spreading a little sunshine.  

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Grateful Saturday - Sam

This Saturday I am grateful again for my children.
The the light of my life & my happy place. I was feeling a lot of intense grief last week with the loss of so many children and mothers & fathers. I hugged them tighter and I read them more stories at night just because. I felt blessed.

 

I'm grateful for flowers.My Sam is so sweet.He spontaneously gave my Mum a flower today (but weedlike)...She said 'Thank you' and he said 'It's just a small one'. It breaks my heart to know that he faces many challenges in life because NF1 but he is so happy & cheerful at the smallest things. He gives me flowers too.

I am grateful for Sam's awe & wonder at the stars and moon ...most nights he wants to go check if the stars are out. One night he said 'Look, Mummy, look - the stars are multicoloured' as he awwed over them (was on the way home in the car at night). I wished I stopped driving to look.

Last year I wrote about how I was in awe of four and posted my interview with Joel twin#2.

I've finally got around to posting my Super Sam twin#1 because I kept losing his answers Id written down.

What Kids Say ?
What Sammy @ 4yrs , 4 months ...on the right drums says ...
What do you want to be when you grow up ?
Teacher
How old is Grown up? 
30
How do you know when you are in love? 
you kiss somebody
How big is an elephant? 
bigger than mummy & daddy (thanks Sammy)
What's your favourite colour? 
pink
Name something that is bigger than Australia
Bigger up in the sky
Where does dust come from? 
from the dirt
Who's the most famous person you know?Daddy 
Why do people go bald? 
got all his hair cut'ted off
How do we get rain? 
from the clouds 
What do you do to make yourself feel better when you're scared ?
 cuddle a friend
What comes next in this sentence ?
>You can't teach an old dog to ...talk
>If at first you don't succeed...run away with the wind (breeze was blowing that day)
>Boys are ...I've had enough talkin !! and he ran away
>Girls are ...
>Boys like ..
>Girls like...Playing with ponies

Why do mummies yell ?
Me
If you were an animal what would you be ?Lion
What is your favourite place?Farm
What won't you leave home without ?Me , Mummy & Daddy
(I borrowed this idea from the free local paper)



I'd be more GRATEFUL if someone wants to join in my Pay it forward .
I wasn't expecting a huge rush but to have no-one is very disheartening.


So, what's making you smile today?
... add your Grateful post below it's a blog hop .Please add a link back to Maxibella in your post. Blog hop to visit other bloggers who are spreading a little sunshine.




 ♥ Never miss a post

Pay it forward

It's kind of fits into the category one of my 101 in 1001 days - Random Acts Of Kindness. Pay it forward is a such gorgeous idea.

 “Together we can change the world, one good deed at a time.”  

( I would credit the image if I could find it)

I've seen this PIF challenge around the blogosphere on so many blogs and all the while I envied them.

I've been fortunate to join in Kymmie's @A day in the life of us

This is her PIF post.

Kymmie took the PIF 'baton' from Cate who loves to keep busy.

Though I, too, am thinking what the blazes will I make that is good enough to send to others ?

Surprise me - surprise for you !

So, like Kymmie said " If I'm okay with this, you can be too ! "

Don't be intimidated (said Cate). I'm still am !!

How does it work ? :

I promise something handmade to the FIRST 5 people who leave a comment here. To be eligible, you must repost this message, offering something handmade to 5 other people. The rules are that it must be handmade by you, and it must be sent to your 5 giftees sometime in 2011. Ready, set, GO!

The commenters who ask to take part must post the same offer on their blogs, and then send something handmade to the five commenters who ask to take part, and so on and so on.

Please link back here so I can share some link love with the participants!

Read more: Pay it forward.. http://becauseican.co.za/2011/01/10/pay-it-forward/#ixzz1BcRD0Y4m
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

The commenters who ask to take part must post the same offer on their blogs, and then send something handmade to the five commenters who ask to take part, and so on and so on.

Please link back here so I can share some link love with the participants!

Read more: Pay it forward.. http://becauseican.co.za/2011/01/10/pay-it-forward/#ixzz1BcRD0Y4m
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

The commenters who ask to take part must post the same offer on their blogs, and then send something handmade to the five commenters who ask to take part, and so on and so on.

Please link back here so I can share some link love with the participants!

Read more: Pay it forward.. http://becauseican.co.za/2011/01/10/pay-it-forward/#ixzz1BcRD0Y4m
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

I've haven't got a plan as yet but I have got a few lovely ideas in mind and I can borrow ideas I see about the PIF realms. The Tip junkie has 100's of ideas.

I have 344 days to complete my promise.

It won't necessarily make the world a better place but I'll give it all my heart.

“If you have much, give your wealth; if you have little, give your heart.” Anonymous

What are you waiting for ? Go ! (pretty please)

Please link back here so I can share some linky love with the participants !

The only eligibility is that commenters who ask to take part must post the same offer on their blogs, and then send something handmade to the five commenters who ask to take part, and so on and so on. It works on an honour system.

Update ; Ps I'm very worried that I won't get 5 people but if so I'll still make 5 things and donate them. 

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What's your battle sign ?

Yesterday was World Kindness Day ...it should be something we practice everyday.


Perhaps it could also read ...

Everyone you know or don't know is facing some kind of battle in their lives.

What if we all wore a sign to describe our battle. What would your sign read ? What is your battle ?

I saw this post tweeted first by Kim@allconsuming and RT'ed by others. It really made me stop, think & listen.

I know we are all busy but you should read this.
So if you please can you all just take three minutes to go and read this post Seeing past what it seems at Brave Girls Club:

How empathic are you to the post...care to share
Or you just adhere to the attitude of "I'm glad it's not me" when you read such stories.

Lastly... even if I never know what your battle is - I hope you win, or at least enjoy the fight.

It is also definitely something to think about before getting annoyed at someone too. :)
I have to think about my sign *sigh*.

Sunday Citar! Tabitha @ FreshMommy.

♥ Never miss a post
Ps here are some kindness activities for kids