Last night we were driving home from Logan and while the rest of the family was snoozing away the miles, I found myself thinking about today--August 18, 2008. I felt the feelings of loneliness and weight of memories of this difficult anniversary start to sink in. If I've learned anything in a year, it's knowing I can no more push those feelings away than I could stop the sun from rising. My next thought was about what it takes to sometimes move on from those really difficult feelings. This year when things are tuff, I've relied on the old adage of doing something nice for someone else. It reminds me that life goes on and reminds me that our world is filled with opportunities to live. With that thought, I remembered Ruth and Nick and what their lives stood for. They personified service. Nick and Ruth would drop what they were doing to run to the side of friends, family and neighbors in need. Then I thought of the hundreds and hundreds of acts of kindness we and other family members have received this year. Friends and complete strangers have reached out to Joie, to us, and to extended familiy members in an effort to support us through tuff times. This thought grew into an idea--a challenge for myself and others that would help us today and act as a memorial for the family members we lost. I found myself making a commitment to myself that no matter what else happens today, I will do something kind for someone else, in memory of Ruth Nick and Audrey. We, the Jarmans, challenge all of you to do something nice today for someone else. Listen to a friend, make your sister's bed, leave a note, send a card, bake some cookies. make a phone call...whatever you want to do...in memory of Ruth, Nick and Audrey. Reply back if you do this--we'd love to hear what people were able to do!
7 comments:
I sent letters to all my grandparents and to my cousin. Joie
i sent a letter to my grandpa & grandma.c
and i gave a letter 2 my mom and dad.
i wrote a note that is my grandpa and grandma.megan
Wow, lets see, I helped my friend go to a location and set an appointment, then I will take her to the appointment tomorrow, I picked up the BSA pictures and left them on Cirtus' Desk, I stopped an picked up some stuff for Ben and my friend Cheryl at the store, and I helped Chad feel better after a long depressing day at work. I don't think dinner should count, I just pulled out left overs and did an Grandma C thing and just added it all together and heated it up. It tasted ok, but my kids didn't really like the firs go of the dishes separated, why in the heck would I think they would like them all mixed up together. But I dished them up they ate 5 bites and then threw their dishes away (paper see I was really lazy) Then I dished up some for Chad to take to work tomorrow, (he actually liked it) and now I only have a little left in the pot to throw out and see I didn't waste a thing! Ok so it is a crapy way to throw out left overs that nobody liked in the first place, but at least I could say, I provided dinner. Last night's dinner was peach cobbler and ice cream. bet your mom never does that. Anyway this isn't my blog it is yours, and this isn't about dinner it is about letting you know about nice things we have done for others. Any way thanks for the challenge.
Unfortunately I didn't read this before the 18th but I am happy to say I did a couple acts of kindness that I would like to dedicate to Nick, Ruth and Audrey's memory. (We miss you guys!) I babysat my friends kids so she could go to the doctor. I finally invited a little girl over to play with Whitney, whose older sister asked Chris if Whitney would invite her little sister over to play cause she was lonely. What a great sister she has!
I didn't read it until late last night myself, so I tried to think of something I did. The most I can say is I went and did the Walmart shopping for one of the guys at work instead of making him go himself. I didn't feel my best, so it would have been easy to say no.
I love this challenge, and think it is something we should continue doing. When we have a choice of doing something kind, just think of Nick and Ru and say yes!
One thing I love to do is when I have a lot of stuff in my basket at the store and the person behind me has only a few things, I always say "go in head of me". They usually say "no, it's ok." But my response is "I try to be nice to one person each day, and today that person is you." We laugh together and they go in head of me.
I have to say it was harder than I thought it would be. The day was going fine, but as emotions wore thin around here, it got tuffer and tuffer. I tried to just keep it on my mind all day. I stopped and talked to a neighbor in the store and thanked the people in the store who helped us. I called mom to see how she was doing but ended up crying myself, so I don't think that one counts. :-) I love the idea of just continuing random acts of kindness in their memory.
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