Gratitude- Week 41

"Grief changes shape but it never ends" 

Gratitude: Week 41 (April 2nd - April 8th)

Last weekend my girlfriend Kristin and I attended a church Women's day of service with an opportunity to volunteer and provide support and service for various organizations. They often say when you give, you get more in return and for this day, that is an understatement...

Following a brief devotion, we chose the area of service we were inspired to assist in after browsing the opportunities listed. Drawn to the craft of fleece and the service for the grieving we decided on Cornerstone of hope where we were greeting by Theresa, a warmly engaging woman who led us to our assignment.

Early on while the three of us prepared the fleece our conversations unraveled into spaces of gratitude and I shared the details of how five dollars from a stranger at a tree farm planted this seed of giving and the narrative of pay it forward on Ryan's birthday. 

Our discussions never slowed as we uncovered the friendships created through grief while shaping small fleece pillows adorned with butterflies for mourning children. As the room filled our conversations ebbed in new directions revealing tiny slivers of our lives and the weighted stories we all shoulder.

The event was nearing its end as the completed pillows grew taller on the tables providing a fulfilling serenity where the harmony of service and stories established a bond to stay connected. 

Grateful for our opportunity we made our way through the building and up the stairs to leave. As we approached the door we heard Theresa shout out our names and we turned to notice her and her young son. 

Breathless from rushing to catch us she asked her son to show us the gift a stranger had just given him and he humbly reached into his pocket to retrieve a folded five dollar bill and laid it before us on the counter. 

As Theresa braced herself by reaching for the wall, she looked towards the sky and exclaimed her joy in a conviction of faith while my eyes rimmed with tears as my thoughts untangled the treasure illuminated before me. To me, this sign from the heavens, a gentle light,  revealed how Ryan is always with me, and that provides gratitude, and a beautiful reminder of how love lives on.

From the list...

Hobbies: I have always been into crafting, whether with paper, paint or other elements I have forever been drawn to creative play. Recently my creativity is fixed on writing and planning. My planner is like my diary with goals and lists and gratitude, what a perfect place to gather it all.

 If you are just starting to follow  #52weeksofgratitude you can start HERE   #gratitudechangeseverything