Kindnessgirl

What do you do when unkindness strikes? The kind that hurts your heart in a deep place. I’m always kind of stunned by this and deeply saddened. Especially when it is cloaked in something else and it’s hard to see at first that you just got screwed over. So vague right? sorry.

I’m not sure what to do except sit in the pain for a little while…and look at it, wonder how it happened, try to understand, and cry, and look at flowers, and hold babies, and let big strong love in the form of your husband’s arms hold you, and try to move on…try really, really hard.

Remind yourself that kindness can change everything, everything.

I didn’t find this fortune in a cookie after sweet and sour chicken or wonton soup, it was laying in the grass at the strawberry patch. I find most of my soul there so it made perfect sense. You might say that this is the fortune of my life, that maybe the entire universe might be a friend even just for a moment, nothing makes me happier.

It’s been a long week. I’ve been pretty down, it’s nothing major, just one of those times when you are so aware of just how much sh*t you still need to work through. Like the kind that settles in the tub at the end of a nice bath or the backwash in your drink after a kid takes a swig. I’m very tired, like a soul tired.

It has been nothing I can hide or feel like talking about, so I’ve been hibernating. Most of my exchanges being with strangers, which feels appropriate right now…

My New Toll Friend

I drove up to the toll to get over the bridge.

Toll Friend: Hi, how are you?

Me: Bad.

TF: Did you say bad?!

Me: Yeah. It’s not going so good.

TF: Oh girl, it’s gonna be alright.

Me: Thanks…

Next day, same time, same girl.

TF: Hi, how are you?

Me: Better, you were right.

TF: You remembered me?!

Me: Of course, I believed you, I needed that. Thank you.

TF: I know how it can be…

Me: See you tomorrow? same time?

TF: Sounds good girl!

Sometimes I feel like the whole world is trying to be kind to me…and I am so grateful, you have no idea.

8:00am- Lyra is whining. Must have just woken up.

8:05am- Lyra still whining, a whimper actually. I call for Jorge to get her.

8:08am- Jorge finally goes to get her because it takes him three minutes to start to do anything.

“Pache, come see this.”

Lyra is under the middle of the king sized bed. Whimpering because every time she starts to crawl out she hits her head on the wooden bed slats. The child fell off the bed (onto a large pillow, ummm, this might have happened once before), didn’t make a peep and crawled under the bed to get out. Yes, we are the best.parents.ever.

We send these pencils in peace and love. by Roman, age 6

Kids in Utah decided to sell some toys at a yard sale to earn money to buy even more pencils.

A friend in North Carolina had a party and charged pencils at the door. She collected 5 times what she was expecting.

A little girl in Florida wrapped her pencils in her old hair bows to make them pretty AND send the girls something to wear too because girlfriends do that for each other.

A woman in Northern Samar discovered happiness can be found in small things, like pencils and pens.

And everyone involved found HOPE is real. and simple and true. Thank you Nortehanon, for inviting us into your Pens of Hope project.

We collected hockey pencils! thanks Kristin…

We put our pictures on them so you know what we look like…

We collected pencils of all kinds, who knew there were so many?

These pencils have power in them.
We sent our power in these pencils…

Your fellow peeps from the Filippino-American Association of Central Virginia and The Philippine Nurses Association have your back in a BIG way, like a thousands of pencils kind of way.

And here we are, with 8,918 new reasons to hope. We made tiny offerings and big offerings, we send our friendship and joy to all our friends in Northern Samar. Thank you everyone for all you are and all you did…much peace to you and those you love.

WE did it…and so much more!!!!!

patience

Today we are celebrating…

Balloons– I woke up before I was supposed to, so I helped Jorge blow up 100 balloons in my living room for my celebration. Gotta leave it to the event manager husband to come up with the best idea to show you are loved and worth celebrating. Lucy was delirious…”Let’s get this party started!” she kept saying while twirling. And the ole’ sucking helium and singing like the chipmunks is the best silly fun! ever.

Responsible Giving– Let’s just say it was HUGE progress for my family to give me a gift within the budget. HUGE, huge progress people! and now I have a lovely starter nest egg for my super wow camera I’m going to buy after I’ve SAVED for it!

Dreams– a random conversation this morning , “I hope your dreams come true Jackie-boy.”  I said.

 “Me too, except the bad ones. But I’ve only had like 3 of those.” he replied.

I think our dreams are coming true. I’m waiting for one more phone call but I think we are gonna make our GOAL!!! We are at 3754 pencils but we have 2 BIG donation counts coming very soon. It looks like we will do it!!!!

A Mother’s Day Miracle– I’ve been feeling pretty low about a lot of things lately and I just knew the only thing that would help me is to pick strawberries….I’ve called every day this week hoping they would be ready. It was looking bleak, I tried one more time this morning and THEY ARE OPEN!!!! I can’t tell you what this means to me. I told the farmer it was a mother’s day miracle, he laughed and told me to “come on already!”

I hope you are feeling deeply loved if you are a mother, or should be a mother, or are a mother to the earth, the world, to those around you. May you been seen, really seen, for all that you are. May the joy of all your giving be returned to you today…

Eljah, Joy and Zac with their awesome pencil collection!!!

I have loved these kids since before they were born…I want to cry just seeing their faces with all those pencils! Thank you my dear friend, love to you all….

You can upload pictures of your pencils here.

I think we are at 2500, halfway to our goal of 5,000 pencils!!!! BUT I need to know your number if you are sending them straight to the Philippines. This way we can know exactly how much is left and race to the end.

Do you still want to be join our Pens of Hope project? Don’t worry, it’s not too late. I am now taking pencils from all over the country and will include them in one big box that will be mailed on May 15th! E-mail patience@kindnessgirl.com  for a mailing address if you would like to be included and please leave a comment telling me how many you are sending so we can announce our number by  May 10th.

Wooohoooo, I think we are going to do it guys!

Thanks to all the tweeters, facebookers, and fellow friends and kindness workers…we are finding hope and connections in every nook and cranny of our planet, even our junk drawers…I think it’s because we all know even small and simple things like a pencil can change us and the world…

The magic of del– I can’t begin to tell you how awesome this kid is! His message attached to his pencils said- “Enjoy these pencils, I hope you have a sharpener!”

We are on the homestretch of this project. The pencils are coming in slowly and I have a few promises to collect on but honestly, I’m a little nervous. I KNOW we can do it but it’s time for the hustle friends. Gather all you got, the bundle you have been carrying around in your purse, the box sitting on a table in your foyer or the backseat of your car, now is the time for the trip with your kids to Target….Our  friends at the Organization of Young Filipino Americans at UVA are stepping up, so is this fabulous lady and her kind organization, not to mention all the cool kids in my city. Do you have any pencils you want to share? It isn’t too late but we have to gather our gifts for our friends soon (by May 10th).

If you are in Richmond, you can write me at patience@kindnessgirl.com for a super secret drop off address or you can mail your pencils directly to Nortehanon at

PENS OF HOPE
P.O. Box 16
Post Office, Bgy. Dalakit,
Catarman Northern Samar
6400

Remember! Nortehanon is not accepting money, just pencils- this keeps things easier for her. Don’t forget to add a message for the kids and now you can upload your pictures of you (and your pencils) to our Pens of Hope flickr pool. The race to the end is always my favorite….it’s gonna be great!

Leave me a comment telling me if you have already mailed or plan to mail something soon!

peace, joy and especially hope,

patience