Day 35 - Send a handwritten thank-you note.

One of the things I have always been big at is sending thank-you notes, whether it's for a gift I have received or a job interview, a thank-you note shows that you appreciate the gesture and also makes an impression. No, I am not talking about an e-mail or a Facebook message, I'm talking about the old-fashioned elegance of writing, stamping and mailing a thank-you note.

Although there are days that I want to strangle a co-worker, I am pretty blessed in general for having a job that I love and co-workers that are like family. Which brings me to the person I sent a thank-you note to. Over the years, I have become extremely close to my boss and his family, I tell everyone they are my second family because they basically are. My boss was extremely lucky to marry such an amazing and beautiful wife, I often joke that I came out just like her because she has the biggest, giving heart anyone could have. Whether it’s serving at a food bank, or donating clothes to those who don't have, or even taking homeless people on the side of the road food, she is constantly giving. Every day she sends me and her family an inspiring e-mail and always knows the right things to say to make me feel better and put a smile on my face, for that I am thankful. I am thankful she has been put in my life so my note went to her.

It read: "M, I wanted to send you this little thank you card for everything you do, and for always being so inspiring. It's the little things that count and trust me they never go unnoticed. Thank you for always being there for me when I have a question or need advice, you are such a giving person and so beautiful inside and out. You always know the exact things to say and can always put a smile on my face. My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to. Your dreams stay big and your worries stay small. You never need to carry more than you can hold. And while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, this is my wish for you. Thank you and I love you, C"
Every day someone - the guy making your deli sandwich or doing your dry-cleaning or the woman who drives your bus this morning - is making our lives a little better. Maybe it's a friend, neighbor, relative, professor or teacher who, even by their words or actions a decade or so ago, did or said something that smoothers our path and soothed our souls.
For that we need to say thank you. I encourage you to write a thank you note to the first person who pops into your mind after reading this entry; it's guaranteed to make their day and yours while you're writing it!

Day 34 - Creat a Sock Drive for the homeless.

One of my future deeds is to serve food at a food bank so I decided to sign up with the Miami Rescue Mission. I got in contact with one of their supervisors and in the process of meeting them I found out about a sock drive they are having.

 

For today’s deed, I decided to create my own “deed of the day” which is to hold a SOCK DRIVE out of my office. The reason behind it is that in the past I have done several local missions with my church, all of them have touched my heart but there was one that touched it the most.
Last year, mid-year I visited an orphanage with my church called FloridaBaptist Children's Home; the mission was to help landscape the property and plant as many plants for them as possible; the orphans that resided there of course had to help us as well. For those of you that know me, you know I am NOT an outdoorsy type of girl so planting plants in the scorching heat on a Saturday morning is not my idea of an amazing weekend. There I was at 10:00am; melting away and having the hardest time ever getting my shovel in the ground. As I looked around, most of the volunteers we're with their families including a male who helped the ladies out and no one appeared to be having a difficult time, in fact they made it seem like it was a piece of cake. I was the only one there volunteering by myself and I was so aggravated that I felt like just walking to my car, getting in and driving away. Then all of a sudden this little boy, who I later found out, was 7 years old, tapped me on the back and told me in a little voice "you’re doing it wrong". I turned around with a puzzled face and he said "let me show you"; he then proceeded to grab my shovel and show me how to plant the small shrub.

We spent the rest of the day together planting the shrubs, laughing and talking. Throughout the day I learned this little boys life story, he was an orphan living at that home, his two sisters (one older and one younger) had been living there as well for going on two years.  Throughout their lives they have been transferred from orphanage to orphanage and got lucky to be placed this last time together. Their mother was a heavy drug user who didn't really care for them, and they also had other siblings that lived in other orphanages. We all had lunch together and they we're so excited to show me their beds and where they slept, they talked to me about school, about friends, about typically everything. In the little time we spent together I learned that they had never had their own room, they had never owned a brand new pair of shoes they we're all hand-me-downs, and the same went with their clothes. They had holes in their shoes and their hair was a mess but I still found them so beautiful. I not only totally fell in love with the boy but I fell in love with all three of them.

The fact that they lived this life, where they didn't have a family, didn't have an actual home and they still had a huge smile on their faces broke my heart. They told me that as long as they still had each other that was all that mattered. At that moment I wished I could have saved them, adopted all three of them and taken them home with me. I could only pray that they have been adopted and if they haven't, when they do, I hope they all go together. One thing that I did learn was to not to take things for granted, little things like new shoes, or socks on my feet, and that’s what brought me to this deed.
For many homeless people, life on the streets is hard on their feet. Many don't have shoes and if they do, there's a big chance they don't have socks. The most basic ways to keep your feet healthy are to keep them warm and dry, I remember my parents always telling me not to walk barefoot around the house because I could get sick. Myth or not, everyone loves to have warm, dry feet. You probably throw away a sock as soon as you find a hole in it without even a second thought, but for many homeless individuals, keeping feet warm with a decent pair of socks is not an option. Through "Operation Warm Feet", you can help.

Providing socks for those in need is a simple gesture that goes a long way. According to Miami Health Care for The Homeless Program "Clean, white socks are a staple of homeless health care. Rain-soaked feet, ill-fitting shoes, constant standing and diseases like diabetes take their toll on the feet of homeless people. Every day MHCHP's nurses and physicians treat a huge range of foot ailments - from trench foot to skin infections, from frostbite to nail diseases."

How many people are homeless? How many can you help by providing the comfort of warm, dry feet? If you are in the Miami area and would like to donate some brand new pairs of socks please let me know and I will collect them. If you would like to start your own "Sock Box" the information is below. For those of you in different areas who would like to make a difference, google "socks for the homeless" in your town or area and I guarantee you will find a program near you.

Remember, no matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind. And a little spark of kindness can put a colossal burst of sunshine into someone's day!♥

Love each other as I have loved you. - John 15:12

Day 33 - Buy a bunch of flowers on your way to work. Give each one to acolleague you appreciate.

Today's deed was to purchase flowers on my way to work and give them out to the colleagues I appreciate most; I must say my co-workers love this good deed project because they benefit from it quite a bit lol. I didn't have a chance to buy the flowers early in the day so I ended up buying them on my lunch break. I split them between all of the employees I appreciate in my office which was each and every one of them.

They smiled from ear to ear when I went into their offices holding the flowers and you could tell I made their day. Sometimes all it takes is a small gesture to totally change someone's day. I don't know what your work situation is on a daily basis, but I do know that I have experienced myself what it is like to work for a horrible boss and in a horrible job situation. After being at my current job (which I love) for three years, I, like anyone else have horrible days where I just want to quit and walk out the door. But at the end of the day, I love where I work, I love the people I work with, love the owners of my company, and love everything about my job so I realized that I should show appreciation a little more often. You should take a moment to reflect on your working life today, do you enjoy your job, do you love your co-workers like they are family? What if you didn’t get along with your co-workers and/or boss, or what if you didn’t have a job at all at the moment?

In uncertain times, we should all be grateful for our jobs. Even if it isn't our dream job, there are always positive sides for everything and if you are grateful for what you have than better opportunities will always come into your life. So today take a moment to be grateful for your work environment and let the people you work with know that you appreciate them, even if it's not flowers, a little post-it note to say thank you or any small gesture at all is guaranteed to make their day. Remember, most of us work an 8 hour or more shift and if you do the math, most people spend more time throughout their entire life at work than they do at home or with their loved ones!!!

 

Day 32 - Put a love note in a loved one's lunch.

At my age, I am still a firm believer that people come into your life for a reason. One of my favorite quotes is "God doesn't give you the people you want, he gives you the people you need. To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be". It's funny because I think sometimes someone is put into your life because you need them, as if God sent them, and sometimes people don't realize that. Less than a year I met this beautiful, intelligent, funny young girl and counting the months now, it doesn't feel like less than a year, it feels like much longer, it feels like a lifetime.

She calls me her big sister and I call her my baby sister. The crazy part is that as much as I thought she needed me, I needed her just as much, as if God answered a prayer for both of us. Today I wrote her a thank you note, since I don't prepare her lunch in the morning; I snuck into her office while she was out and slipped the note into her lunch bag. The note read "Sissy♥, This is a little note to tell you that I love you more daily. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you and I wish you could love yourself the way I love you. And above all, I wish your life everything you deserve because in my opinion you deserve the world.  I can't promise to always have the right words to make you feel better, but I can promise to always have arms to give you a hug, ears to listen to whatever you want to talk about, and a heart that is always trying to make you smile. I will stand by you forever!! Love you♥, Your Boo Boo, xxoo. P.S. "If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you!" - Winnie the Pooh♥."

Her reply made me smile from ear to ear, knowing that a simple little card could make her happy really made my day. I know if someone wrote something like that to me it would totally touch my heart so I have made it a point, from now on to send little notes to the special people in my life so they can know just how special they are and what they mean to me, you should do the same. You don't need an actual card; just write a little note on a blank sheet of paper to someone in your life who always brings a smile to your face, your sibling, best friend, co-worker, family member or whomever!!!!

Day 31 - Tell your parents you love them and appreciate them.

People usually say "actions speak louder than words" and although I can tell my parents I love them and appreciate them on a daily basis there's really no depth to the words. I wanted to go a little beyond my deed of the day, I have always expressed myself better through writing rather than speaking so I decided to write my parents a love letter letting them know how I feel and telling them things that I have never told them before. I have always been an extremely private person when it comes to my personal life but writing these letters made me feel remarkable because I knew how it would make them feel reading it and I really hope that when I am older, my children will do the same for me.

My parents have been divorced since I was one years old so I wrote them separate letters. I am sharing these letters with you in hope that it will hearten you enough to write letters to your parents as well thanking them and telling them how much you appreciate them. Life is short, time flies by and once you lose a parent, you realize just how fast time goes by. When we are younger we don't always appreciate our parents for all that they do for us. Don't wait until it is too late to appreciate your parents and let them know while they are still here.

Dear Momma,

I know I don’t tell you often enough those two meaningful words, “thank you”, or tell you how much I appreciate you. So I am writing you this love letter to tell you that you are such an important person in my life.

I know that whenever someone tells me I look identical to you, I usually roll my eyes and deny it; in turn you always say “she hates it when people tell her that”. But the truth is, everything I love about myself comes from you. My eyes, my ability to always smile and laugh at myself, my silliness and the way I always try to see the best in people and in everything. My need to want to make the world a better place and give back to people who aren’t fortunate to have what we have. My perseverance and ability to tell myself “it will all turn out right in the end”.  I know I got my strength from you, when I was little I thought you could do anything, you we’re like a superhero, my superhero. You have taught me to be brave, I remember you always telling me “if you fill your face with laughing, there will be no more room for crying”. You have taught me to love myself, to never settle and to always have compassion for others. No matter how many times I repeat a story, you never interrupt, always listen and allow me to make my own mistakes. It never ceases to amaze me how self-less you are and always have been.

I love you for so many reasons. I appreciate how you take care of me, even at 27, when I’m sick. How you let me cry on your shoulder, even when I’ve made really stupid mistakes you warned me about. And how you are one of the funniest people on this entire planet, I love how all of my friends have always fallen in love with you instantly, and how you draw people in.

You are not only my mother, but you are my best friend. I have always had many friends but when I lived up north the only person I spoke to at least 10 times a day was you, I could talk to you forever on the phone about nothing and love every minute of it. I can tell you anything knowing that you’ll always give me an honest opinion.  You have taught me so many valuable lessons about life that I will carry with me forever. You have given me guidance, even when I wouldn’t listen. You have loved me when I didn’t deserve it. You have believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.

You have been my friend, my cheerleader, my counselor, my advocate, my protector, my cook, my maid, my nurse, my rock, my everything, but my favorite thing you have been is my mother. Thank you for giving me tools to be a happy, kind, and loving person and for setting an example of the type of mother I would like to be in the future.

I will never be able to repay you for all that you have done for me, all that you have sacrificed for me, all that you have said, all the wisdom you have shared, and all the love you have shown me. I realize that I don’t give you as much credit as you deserve. I can’t express in words what you give me without even knowing it. You’re an amazing mother and I don’t think I tell you enough. I hope that I make you proud and I hope I can always lift you up. Today. Tomorrow. Always.

I love you momma,

C

Day 30 - Deliver something small and sweet to everyone on your team - midafternoon, just when everyone's energy wanes.

The funny thing about today's deed is that about two weeks ago I had a doctor's appointment and when I returned to the office I brought everyone cake slices from my favorite bakery. In other words, I performed the deed of the day two weeks ago without having any knowledge that it would be a deed of the day. I always do little things like that for everyone in the office or anyone I care about for that matter because a) I love to see people smile and b) I love the feeling when someone surprises me when I least expect it with something sweet.


Two weeks prior when everyone least expected it I told them an emergency had arisen on the property and I needed to meet with everyone as soon as possible in our office conference room. Quickly everyone arrived with worried looks on their faces (when I say everyone I am speaking about the three co-workers I work with me in my office); as soon as they arrived asking what happened with concern I informed them it was happy hour time and time to eat a piece of cake. Everyone smiled and laughed as they sat down and enjoyed 20 minutes of delicious cake, conversation and laughter.

Today on my lunch break I went to our local grocery store Publix and purchased the most delicious looking cupcakes in the entire bakery, when I arrived back in the office I requested a quick meeting in the conference room. This time around everyone knew what was going on and we're more than happy to come into the conference room. I gave everyone paper plates and napkins and let them choose the cupcake of their choice, the price for the cupcake was a picture of themselves holding their cupcake. We all put our busy schedules and to-do lists aside for 20 minutes and enjoyed each other’s company while enjoying a yummy cupcake. It was nice to take a mental break and not talk about work; instead we talked to each other for a bit. In the future, when everyone in your office is having a hectic, overwhelming day take a short drive to a nearby bakery and buy some treats for your team. I promise you not only will the mood change in the office but the cheerfulness and kindheartedness will rub off on everyone else and will completely switch the mood in your office. Not only that but I guarantee someone will surprise you on your worse day with something sweet to brighten your day up!!!♥♥♥

Day 29 - Donate old books.

Knowing today's deed in advance I started looking through boxes for books on Sunday night; I knew during my last move when I was moving back to Miami from up north I had packed a box of just books. As I have mentioned several times in the past, I love to read but not only do I love to read but I also love to collect books. I envision someday having a beautiful book shelf in the living room filled with all types of different books. But the reality is, that day will not be coming for a while and instead these wonderful books have been sitting in a dusty box for over a year. After searching our storage room for nearly an hour I was relieved to finally find the box full of books.

One thing I am not is a hoarder; I am completely in sync with the idea of “out with the old and in with the new”. I make it a point to clean out my closet every couple of months and sometimes even get rid of clothes with tags on them so it wasn't hard for me to part with the books. I know that in the future when I do have this wonderful book shelf I am fortunate enough to purchase new books but someone less fortunate who doesn't have that luxury could really use these books and it would totally make their day when they receive them as a gift.
I went through the books dusting them off and smiling as I thought of the memories of reading them, I then proceeded to place them in a new clean box with a note that read "I hope these books help someone day dream like they did to me and once reading I hope that person decides to pay it forward by giving someone else that day dream as I did".

My initial thought was to give these books to Good Will but then I remembered that Good Will actually would re-sell the books. I wanted people who couldn't afford to purchase books to get these. I started thinking and it wasn't long until I remembered about the orphanage located in Homestead, Florida that I had volunteered at several times with my church in the past, Open House Ministries.

Open House Ministries is an amazing orphanage now known as "God's spot", it provides children and teenagers after school tutor programs, a health clinic for families that cannot afford to see a doctor, social services for families as well as an organization for community development. While volunteering there in the past I have come across amazing children and teenagers of all ages which I knew would love and appreciate these books just as much as I did. I contacted one of the employees at the ministry and set up a time to drop the books off. After work today I headed directly there and met with her to give her the books, while there I greeted a couple of small children who we're beyond thrilled to look into the box to see what books we're in there. Giving them something as simple as old books brought so much happiness to them and touched me beyond belief. I will now make it a point to take old books to the ministries on a normal basis, just so I could see smiles the way I saw them tonight. I really hope this entry encourages you to get some of your very own old books together and take them to an orphanage near you. The reward of giving these books to less fortunate children or adults for that matter will definitely give you an unbelievably good feeling.

If any of you live in the Miami area and would like to donate some old books, toys, clothes, etc. to Open House Ministries you can reach them at (305) 242-1418.♥