Kindness has been a recurring theme lately. I find myself talking about it, noticing it in the others, and also encouraging my children to be above all else, kind. With this filter in place, I find myself saying thank you more ofte n, gathering more smiles, giving more smiles and attracting a kinder world around me. Even the restaurant who gave me a free smoothie because I thought I’ d ordered one… (I hadn’t but they still gave me one regardless.) Kindness is a happy space to live and breathe in. I also find it easier to return to this mindset when I slip up; My practice must be paying off!
I recently lost a customer (it feels strange to call her a customer because she meant so much to me.) Emotions come in waves and instead of sharing words of sadness, I’ll honor her memory by sharing a taste of the kindness she brought to my world. Judy was one of my favorite people to work with, because she used photos to uplift others. She shared my language of gratitude, love for family and friends, and the desire to uplift and connect others in our communities. She was kindness and that carries on in me.
Every time Judy came calling, it’s because she had a compliment to share, or because she located photos of someone she cared about, that she wanted to display (or give as a gift to display) for the purpose of sharing love. Judy embodied my mission and every project I completed with her was an expression of love. She illustrated kindness to the core and enriched the lives of more people than her family could ever know. She never looked for credit or praise… there was no ego in the way. It was always in love and kindness.
Judy knew there doesn’t have to be an occasion to make a meaningful connection. Inspiration often hits in honor of a birthday, an anniversary or a milestone… but “just because” is the best reason. It comes free of obligation, no strings attached, just for the sake of being kind. It’s detected as an impulse and some people have truly tapped into those impulses (our nature, our God, our inner being’s nudge) to do something out of kindness because that’s our natural state; love. That’s why it feels so good to do good things as we are led to.
A photo, a vacation, a family tree, a special place … these are valuable subjects that can be transformed into an uplifting gift to warm your space and affirm a relationship. The Judy-style method is to find the photo(s), send them to me, and say I want a book, a wall collage, a bookshelf item… I’m here to help you carry through with that loving impulse. Helping you express loving, kind emotions and sentiments is my bliss.
One of my favorite “Judy projects” was in honor of a renter of her beach house. This group of ladies came every year for their girlfriends beach vacation. The host had passed during the pandemic and the group was coming as planned without her. Judy was so sad for these grieving friends and sent me the woman’s photo and name, asking me to make a tribute frame. She said she wanted them to have a photo representation of her waiting for them at the house and that they could (if they wanted) give her a seat at the table. They were so moved by Judy’s thoughtfulness but have no idea how much the creation of this gift enriched both Judy and myself. The act of creating it was my bliss, and she delighted in the giving of it. Needless to say that experience stuck with me and it didn’t cost much time or money to express love, sympathy and pure kindness.
If your captured memories look more like a mess than a treasure, and some need to be scanned and sorted first, no problem. I can make them manageable so YOU can use these moments to spread kindness (not clutter) in the world. Having your favorite moments rescued from boxes of dusty photos and albums, or from fading media are another way to show yourself kindness and if you know you need accountability or someone to just get it done, contact me; That’s what I do! I love helping you get back to sharing your moments that make life richer, while making new moments in the process. You may even need to enroll in my Digital Peace online course– coming in September 2022!
I received a fabulous voicemail from Judy on Mother’s Day 2022, and am so glad I saved it for a day when I need a boost. Since she passed, I’ve listened to it with an even deeper appreciation for her HUGE heart. I won’t delete it. It’s now a special memory in my life story.
“…You don’t have to call me back. This is Judy. I love love love love what you dropped off. I love how you wrapped it, I think it’s amazing, I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day, that’s all…”
When inner kindness inspires our actions and words, we can take our photos from clutter to stronger relationships. If you need help getting that transformation, CONTACT ME and let’s get this done for you.
Thank you, Judy- your legacy lives on!
Happy Reminiscing 🙂 Kris
