Whew! What a long and glorious summer! Our niece came and stayed with my husband and I for a month (yes, a month!) and we had a blast with her. I will be back-blogging oursummer memories soon, I pinky promise! I also had lots of wonderful new clients, and some beautiful newborns that I was pleased to meet after doing their mommies’ maternity sessions earlier in the Spring!
But here is what I wanted to blog about RIGHT AWAY (before I get as behind as I am on my summer blogging!). September is my birthday month, and with the inspiration from a friend who is also celebrating a September Birthday – I have decided to dedicate the entire month to committing Random Acts of Kindness/Giving Back! It has been such a joy to step out of focusing on the fact that my birthday is coming up (once I hit 25, I stopped counting!) and instead focus on small things I can do to make the world, and my community, and my home life
a better place!
So here is a recap of the first week:
Day 1: I was at Hobby Lobby buying fabric for my weekly sewing class. Unfortunately, the line was about 6 people deep and there was only one fabric cutter available. After waiting about 15 minutes and still being 3rd in line, an older lady came up and she had 2 of her very rambunctious grandchildren with her. So, even though I was running late for class – I decided to let her go in front of me in line
She was VERY grateful and we ended up chatting a little bit while we were waiting. Sometimes the smaller things add up, and I hope that we were able to lighten the “mood” for the others in line who were getting quite impatient while waiting. I also wrote a thank-you card to my sewing teacher, who is just so sweet and patient and has instilled a love of sewing in me in just the few months I have been going!
Day 2: This was a rough day for me. Just “one of those” days, as they say, where I was given more stress than I thought I could handle. To top it off, I left my car windows down and a torrential downpour came through soaking my car. I was stuck inside for the evening due to the storm, so I had to get “creative” with my give. I found out about a Target program where you can“Enchant Your Little Loved One with a Surprise Call from a Disney … I knew my 8-Year Old niece, who lives in Florida, would get a BIG KICK out of this. So I signed her up! Even better, the call relays a message, such as “you are doing a great job,” and I know she has some struggles in school – so hopefully the call will lift her up (I scheduled it for this weekend!).
Day 3: This was the first Saturday of College Football, which is the Holy Grail for my husband! I can’t even begin to explain what a big sports fan he is – he even has an internet radio show dedicated to talking about Sports! I dedicated the day to him, and us as a couple! I recorded College Game Day in the am since he would miss it at work. I put the air mattress in the living room so we could just cuddle up and watch football all-day and all-night. I watched any and every game he wanted to – and ordered a pizza and wings to arrive just as he was getting home from his morning gig at the radio station. We definitely had a great day and may have lost our voices a little from yelling at the tv!
Day 4: On day 4, Sunday 9/4 I hit the Labor Day sales as my “give” for the day. American Eagle had a 40% Off sale, so I bought my husband a new outfit for fall as a surprise - jeans, t-shirt and button-down shirt. I “gifted” myself with 2 pairs of pants from the sale as well. I am actually very bad about buying things for myself (do any of you other givers have this problem?) so these are the first new pants I have bought myself in about 2 years! Then, I bought my mom (who some of you know has been going through a very rough few months) a few things for Fall to bring to her next time I go to WV for a visit. My husband also gave ME a gift: – he detailed the inside of my car, shampooed it and vacuumed it out to try and get the smell out from the rainy-day incident! Love him!
Day 5: {Labor Day!} This was another chill day for my husband & I. I find that as we get older and busier, the amount of quality time we have together has dwindled slightly. Luckily, we are both dedicated to make any & all time we have together count. We both had Labor Day off and spent the day hanging out inside. There was a lot of rain in the forecast from Tropical Storm Lee, so we left the air mattress inside the living room and hung out all day – playing video games, cards, reading, talking and watching movies. I must admit that I didn’t do a thought-out give today, but my “give” was more of giving my complete time and attention to my love! I didn’t even turn on the computer – now that is an accomplishment! I know we both felt closer, fresher and more ready to face the week – so that is a bonus.
Day 6: Tuesday 9/6: I gave the gift of a NAP to a new mom!
Day 7: Wed. 9/7: Being there for a friend! I got a message from a friend that she was going through a rough patch. My “give” for the day was to give her a call in the evening when I had plenty of uninterrupted time and just be there as a listening ear and encourager. The phone call lasted almost 2 hours, and I think (hope!) she was feeling better at the end! Little does she know, I also got her an encouraging card and a little cross (see tomorrow’s give!) to try and brighten her spirits through the miles!
Day 8: 9/8 ~ Reaching out to those who need encouragement was my goal on Thursday! My husband and I headed to the annual Greek Festival in Charlotte, where I have bought “prayer knot bracelets” in the past. These bracelets are made in a monestary in Greece and prayed over, and my husband and I get one every year (and when his dad visits from Greece, he brings us some too!). I went to the festival with the mindset of getting some for a few friends who are going through rough patches, but they didn’t have any this year (due to a strike in Greece postal service!). Instead, I picked up 3 little crosses and will be mailing them to 3 people who I think could use a boost of encouragement and love! Shhh – they have no idea
Moving Forward:
One thing that I am doing photography-related as a give this month is donating $10.00 from EVERY session booked in September to The Alzheimer’s Association in honor of my father, who passed away from complications of the disease 2 years ago. Use the Conact Me tab to book your Fall or Holiday session today!
I am also really looking forward to Tuesday, when I am meeting up with my friend Wendy to assemble “Birthday Blessing” packages for an organization called “Bright Blessings” in Charlotte. “Bright Blessings (formerly Birthday Blessings) is a volunteer-led 501(c)3 non-profit organization bringing joy and support to homeless children by lifting spirits, boosting confidence, broadening horizons and supporting critical needs.” We are going to fill a classroom pack with treat bags and birthday supplies so that a homeless child can celebrate their birthday at school.
I am taking suggestions for the rest of the month I would love to hear your ideas, or things you have given or received that have meant the most to you! I will be posting photos after Tuesdays “Birthday Blessings” get-together!