Week 10: Be a Hero

Five years ago, when I was counting down to my 40th birthday with 40 act of kindness, I had an AHA moment: I decided to donate blood...and I thankfully never looked back.

Since that blood donation in week 22 of the first Kindness Countdown, I have attended my local blood drive like clockwork every eight weeks. 

A couple of times my iron was low and I didn't qualify (not a huge surprise being a lifelong vegetarian), but that made me all the more determined to figure out how to care for myself so I could care for others. My secret: Orgain Organic plant-based protein powder.

The Versiti Blood Center employees who work our events have the best energy, they play the best music, and are so easy to laugh with!

A couple of them have told me they've passed along my plant-based protein powder tip to others with low iron. One man refers to me (affectionately, I think/hope) as "the woman who smells like she has chickens" because after growing up on a farm, immediately picked up the sweet smell off my muck boots when I once had to rush to make an appointment. Today, a woman and I bonded over the career changes we both made this year and shared stories about our children and her grandchildren.

And then there's the Cedarburg Lion's Club who hosts our bi-monthly drives! They are incredible, and work so hard to keep us all comfortable and thankful for the incredible Out & Out salad donations (they have The Best food), games, and snack tables to socialize at when we're finished. 

It really has become a special part of my community! But I do have one complaint: 

There are not enough young(ish) people there.

When I first began donating again five years ago I remember the moment I realized I was the youngest person there...by quite a lot. I usually still am. And *I'm* counting down to my 45th birthday. 

If you're reading this, please consider donating.

Please gently remind your friends and family to donate.

Please tell them it doesn't take long, that it's pretty pain-free, that they'll save up to three lives with each donation. 

Please offer to go with them, to start your own tradition, to build your own community.

And then congratulate each other for being a hero!

"When you give blood you give another birthday, another anniversary, another day at the beach, another night under the stars, another talk with a friend, another laugh, another hug, another change." - American Red Cross

PS, a lot of the regulations regarding blood donations have been updated; many people who didn't qualify in the past most like now do. Please double-check the rules and regulations for your local blood drives.  

Week 9: Kind Cards on Cars

I live in quaint, historic city of Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Our tiny town is known to be packed with tourists any given weekend, but yesterday and today, we've seen an unusually high number of visitors thanks to the Milwaukee Film Festival being in town at the Rivoli Theatre for the first time and what is being billed as the last warm weekend of the year.

Whatever the reason, our little walkable downtown has been crowded...and a wee bit stressful to maneuver. I thought I'd do what I could to make it cheerier.

Yesterday, my kids and I took to the streets, armed with cards carrying messages of kindness, love, and compassion.

The various cards read:

* You are enough
* You don't have to do it all
* Love what matters
* You are so full of love
* I believe in you
* You are perfect just the way you are

We walked through the city parking lots depositing cards on cars parked there. We tucked them into driver-side windows in the street. We "littered" the town in kindness.

And then we sat and watched.

It was amazing to watch people's faces transform when they returned to their cars and caught site of the cards on their vehicles. Their expressions quickly changed from one of annoyance to having a flyer to throw away to a smile in recognition of the love they had just received from a stranger.

While most of the cards were placed willy-nilly, without intentional paring for each car and card, I did place a few "You don't have to do it all" cards purposefully on cars with car-seats inside, "I believe in you" on vehicles that, like mine, had seen better days, and "You are enough" on cars that were obviously owned by women.

(Note: This all happened with a quick glance, I promise I was not creepily snooping inside the cars of stranger!)

I hope these cards brightened the days of their recipients.

I like to think of them tucked under car visors as a reminder, holding pages of a good book where they'll continue to make the reader feel strong, placed under a souvenir magnet where they'll be glanced at each time the fridge is opened for a midnight snack, or passed on to someone else who could use a smile.

Now go back and read the card messages for they apply to you too! <3

Week 8: Merch Table With a Mission

My family and I attended a spoken word performance by Tanner Olson, AKA Written to Speak, on Friday night, where my son and I volunteered. 

I've been following the Written to Speak Facebook page for a couple of years now, finding Tanner's words inspiring, and often, just what I need to read or hear at the time. (Funny how that always seems to happen!)

I was quick to lend my family's services when I learned he was coming to town to perform his poems, tell a few stories, and join in some fellowship, I knew it would be an inspiring night, and I was right!

My son worked the PowerPoint slides for the two performances and I sold Tanner's merchandise before and after the show to the attendees (and my own family - my daughters LOVED the show and were so excited to get autographed poetry books and a t-shirt). 

Volunteering at the event was loads of fun as most of the people there had been, like me, following Tanner's journey to a full-time poet/performer for a handful of years, and were excited to see him live!

He has a great ability to balance humor and thoughtfulness pretty perfectly; one moment you're laughing out loud and the next you find yourself thinking "Huh, I never thought about it like that before."

His poetry inspires the reader/listener to recall childhood moments, reminds them to set new goals, of God's love, of hope and kindness. 

I can confidently say everyone left the event smiling and feeling lighter than they did walking in on the first freezing night of the season. And Tanner's bags of merch were a little lighter as well!

Here's a snippet of one of the poems you'll find if you check out the Written to Speak Facebook or Instagram pages or purchase his book (it's like I'm still working his table... ;) 

Week 7: Putting the FUN in Fundraising

The Saukville Community Food Pantry is an organization that services all of Ozaukee County, providing community meals, free food in a market atmosphere, school supplies, shoes, and more to those who need it. 

I joined the Board of Directors in the first quarter of this year and have greatly enjoyed lending my ideas, marketing skills, contacts, and time as well as working alongside the other members for such a great cause! Plus we have fun...like I did this week!

I attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting on behalf of the Pantry Thursday night at a local brewery, Rebellion (hence the flags), and talked with the packed house of people from my community for a couple of hours. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it!

I talked with a graphic designer about helping us with some merchandise, discussed the possibility of a couple of companies holding food drives in their offices, and walked away from the brewery with a guarantee they'd donate a package to an upcoming raffle event we're having!

The event definitely put the FUN in fundraising and helped to make the night successful for the Saukville Community Food Pantry! Thanks, everyone!

Week 6: A Little Give and Take

Some days we need a little help: a kind word from a stranger or hug from a loved one. Other days we've got hope and compassion in spades and can't wait to give it away.

What kind of day are you having today?

Like most people, I've found myself on both ends of the spectrum this week...and just about everywhere in between.

I was grateful when a dear friend picked up the phone when I called late this week; she listened, shared words of wisdom, and made me laugh during our hour-long conversation. Her love, compassion, and understanding really turned my mindset around.

Earlier in the week, a close friend of mine was in need of some hope, peace, and courage of her own. It was an honor to be able to listen, help carry her burden, and provide a glimpse of a view with a little more light.

Life is one big give and take with those we spend our days with, both people we know and strangers we encounter.

And so this week, I performed a re-do of one of my favorite Kindness Countdowns activities from 5 years ago: creating and hanging up Give and Take flyers.

I posted some up at a bustling local cafe, in the grocery store (life is busy, people running errands can always use something to smile at), inside a laundry mat (I used to contemplate life pretty hard while waiting for my laundry back in the day), and in my office (while high-stress moments have been known to happen there - it's a real estate office, it goes with the territory - it's also full of some of the most motivated and kind people I've met).

Yesterday, while spending the day with my son, I revisited most of the flyers. And do you know what I noticed? More items to share were removed than those in need.

That doesn't mean people aren't yearning for compassion, freedom, and patience. It just means they're still willing to share the strength they have with others.

Isn't that cool?

If you'd like to perform this act of hope and kindness in your community, feel free to download the flyers below. You never know whose day you'll turn around!

Except your own, that is a guarantee.

If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that doing something nice for someone else is the quickest ways to brighten your own day.

Week 5: Happily Helping Humans & Horses

Rides & Reins is a therapeutic riding center located 30 minutes from my house.

The organization is doing incredible things; I'm proud to say my daughters have been a part of it for the past 5+ months, taking full advantage of their homeschool schedule, volunteering three hours each week.

They clean the barn, groom and tack horses, and side-walk with the clients to ensure their safety and overall experience.

I had the pleasure of joining them for a shift for the first time this week. And to say it made an impact on me is an understatement.

When someone participates in therapeutic horseback riding, they are likely to experience physical, emotional, and developmental rewards.

I saw all of that and more.

My afternoon of volunteering started with lots of sweeping (both inside and outside the barn; "It's the first thing our clients see" the President of the organization told me, "We want to make a good impression!") followed by fetching some handsome horses from a field, and then grooming and tacking them.

Grooming horses has always relaxed me. Back when my youngest started taking riding lessons years ago (she now volunteers more than she rides), we would arrive early so I could spend extra time currying coats, cleaning hooves, and brushing tails and manes.

I was happy when it was time to prepare the horses (I got three cleaned and dressed) and it was an honor to actively participate in a student's lesson. I shadowed an experienced side-walker in hopes of returning regularly to lend a hand when my daughters are there.

Seeing my girls work hard for such a good cause, sharing special moments with the riders, giving them smiles and encouragement when they need it, and being patient and calm to provide a peaceful environment for the horses and their riders made me beyond proud to be their mama!

(Especially because patience and calmness don't necessarily come naturally to my girls and me ;) - it turns out this is therapy for us as well!)

I learned a lot about the services Rides & Reins has been providing the past 20 years and the benefits of horseback riding for the students they serve. Here is an excerpt from their website if you'd like to learn more too:

"Because horseback riding gently moves the rider's body in a manner similar to the way a person walks, riders with physical disabilities often show improvements in flexibility, balance, and strength.

Not only does therapeutic riding offer physical benefits to students, but also psychological benefits. The rider feels a sense of achievement that often enhances motivation towards recovery. It also builds concentration skills.

Individuals having special needs often form a unique relationship with a horse that can lead to self-confidence, patience, and increased self-esteem. Medical professionals, as well as the American Physical Therapy Association, recognize the positive qualities of therapeutic horseback riding." (ridesandreins.org)

I'm so glad I joined my girls on this adventure! It was an honor to assist this great mission and I'm looking forward to lending a hand at the barn again soon!

Week 4: Anniversary Appreciation

The 18th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on bustling New York City, the capital of our great nation in Washington DC, a peaceful field in Pennsylvania, and every freedom-lover across the globe took place this week Wednesday, September 11.

Like everyone else, where I was, who I was with, and what I was doing is forever engraved on my heart. Leaving my office, walking down Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee towards my car, hugging a loved one with tears streaming down my face was like something out of a movie.

The tragedy of that day was felt especially strong in my family; my father was a Captain on the fire department in St. Francis, the city I grew up in, for 40 years, and then a volunteer on the department in Belgium for another decade.

When I saw the first tower fall, my heart sank.

Just as I do for every car crash, building fire, and other cause for alarm, when I saw the towers fall, my initial thought was for those brave souls climbing UP, knowing they had just come tumbling down.

The firefighter community is a tight one. I didn't just have one dad looking out for me, keeping tabs of my whereabouts, making sure I wasn't in trouble, growing up. I had 12 guys doing that in my small town, a dozen guys and their families who I could turn to, whose lives were intertwined with mine.

And I thought of them, and the family of firefighters in NYC on September 11, 2001. And I think of them all on each anniversary.

This week's Kindness Countdown activity was to make a "THANK YOU" sign and drop it off with a couple dozen black & white cookies for our local volunteer fire department.

The two volunteers there when my children and I arrived asked what organization we were with so they could reach out and thank them. My daughter said, "We just thought it would be a nice thing to do."

"My father was a fire fighter for many decades," I added.

Our eyes met and we nodded. There was no mention of 9/11. We didn't need to say the words. I think we both understood the inspiration for delivering sweets on that specific day.

And then we smiled and got a tour of the incredible fire department in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

What an impressive one it is! And this is coming from someone who has visited countless fire departments across the country (my dad's department had a wall of patches on display growing up, and we'd pick up a handful of them each year on our travels).

It was a pleasure to spend some time at our department, hear stories from the volunteers, look at the large collection of antique gear, and share our gratitude with them.

They're true heroes!