The Ben's Bells Project

Hi Friends,
Thank you for understanding during my recent writing slump.  I chuckled at the comments from my last post because while I said that I felt I had become boring, you said that my post was "interesting."  Not one of you said, yeah, right!  Boring as dirt!   So, thank you for being such good blogging friends.
Today I took Elliot out for a science lesson.  It turned out to be one of the best homeschooling days we've had so far this year.  And we've had lots of very good days together.  Today was good because while we were free and in the wild out in the woods, searching for animal tracks to make plaster impressions of, my sweet boy said "I love homeschool, Mom."

I told him that I loved it too.  Especially because we were doing this together, as a family.  And because on beautiful sunny days we get to go outdoors for our learning.  And although the purpose was for Elliot to learn something new, it was actually me that got a lesson.  I learned that random acts of kindness really do happen.  As we made our way to the lake, I found this hanging from a branch:

 

Attached to this beautiful, handmade wind chime is this note:  "You have found a Ben's Bell.  Take it home, hang it in your yard, and remember to spread kindness throughout our world.  Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."  At the end of the note there is a web address, which you can visit by clicking here.   

In case you haven't extra time to visit the Ben's Bells Project, I will share that I was deeply touched by the story behind these chimes.  Two loving parents lost their three year old son Ben...and when this happened they wanted to die too.  But because they also had another son, they had to go on living.  They chose to do something positive in their grief.  They began making these beautiful gifts and hanging them around their city of Tucson, Arizona.

  The message and the kindness and the bells are spreading.  I feel very lucky to have received this gift.  I am now committed to carrying that message and that kindness outward in some way.  I'm not sure how this will happen, but I'm certain to be more aware of ways that kindness can be shared between perfect strangers.  I think there's a difference in being kind to our family and friends..it's a given and it's expected...but to be kind to unseen strangers, when no one is around to see it...that is very special.

I have to say that being gifted melted away the last residues of my blue and boring feeling.  I suddenly feel excited and happy again.  It's amazing to me how really small things do make a big difference.

Have you ever been in a financial pinch?  Well, that's been a familiar feeling for me as an independently employed person.  But I'm finding new ways to "see" how really I'm completely blessed with abundance. 

Another "gift" I recently received came to me after I committed to teaching the writer's/illustrators class.  The first session is quickly approaching but I feel like I'm in a holding pattern.  I've often been worried that no one will show up, and so far there are no students.  While browsing our local Goodwill, I discovered a brand new, still in the plastic, block of 100 percent cotton cold pressed watercolor paper from France.  This stuff sells for $65.00 at our local art store.  I paid 2.99 plus tax.  There's really no explanation for why I was there that day...but my intuition tells me that the discovery of this paper is a sign to have faith.

And so I'm feeling "full to busted" with the generosity of unseen people.  It's helping so much to restore my sense of purpose and joy.    I hope that your days are happy and full of this good feeling too.