Since putting up the blog, I have gotten a bunch more acts of kindness sent to me. Each one is like opening a little present. I am loving this.
Today I got an email from one of those wonderful people I mentioned who reconnected with me after years to offer prayers and support when we lost Elliot. In honor of Elliot, she recently undertook a volunteering project administrating a new program called National City Project which seeks to reduce juvenile crime by offering victim-offender mediation. Reading this one made my day.
A friend of mine recently emailed me to tell me that while at the grocery store recently she was picking up flowers for her daughter's daycare teacher as a thank you, since her daughter will be moving to a room with older children. While at the store, her four year old asked her if they could get flowers for his teacher too. She said that she was about to explain to him that they didn't need to get her flowers since he would be with his teacher for a while yet, and then stopped, remembering Elliot. They bought a potted plant for his teacher and included a note thanking her for taking such good care of him. My friend said that it made the teacher's day. She ended the email to me saying, "Thank you to your dear sweet Elliot for reminding us to cherish the special people in our lives and to remember to let them know how much we care about them."
Another friend recently shared this story with me: A friend of hers recently went missing, and when she found out that they were holding a search for him she was compelled to help, in honor of Elliot. She said that she was nervous about what it would be like or what she would say or do. She said that she prayed that Elliot would accompany her on the search, and she found his presence to be comforting. When she got to the search she got fliers detailing her missing friend and for the next four hours went door to door in farm land to share his story. While it was hard to share his story, she was taken aback by the faith, hope, concern, and love that complete strangers had and shared. She said that as it was nearing dusk, the sunset had a spectacular glow. They didn't want the sun to set because of it's beauty and because they were trying to cover every address assigned before dark. She said, "I'm convinced Elliot was with us every step and he did his random act of kindness by holding the sun up just a few extra minutes that evening." My favorite part of this story is what my friend took away from it: "A community is an amazing thing. People truly care and are more than willing to go an extra mile even if it is for a complete stranger. This world is filled with so much love, hope, and faith, and it is remarkable." I am touched by what she took away from this and it also makes my heart skip a beat - in a good way - because these are exactly some of the lessons I took away from my experience of losing Elliot.
Thank you. These messages all touch my heart.
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