Spreading GoodWill

I just realized that I promised to post updates on our 25 days of GoodWill and, though I have been writing, I haven't been posting. It is hard to believe that it is half over already. I have found such joy in doing this little project and I am so thankful for the people I have met and the amazing good that is happening in our community. We continue to miss Will everyday, which I'm sure won't change any time soon, but knowing that he continues to impact the lives of others makes his absence hurt just a little less. My girls know just how to keep this mama busy and help a heart heal. So thankful for family and thankful for these organizations that have welcomed us in and let us share a little piece of our GoodWill with them. These are in no particular order...just random ramblings of what each day has entailed up to this point.



- Salvation Army's Red Kettle Bell campaign received our GoodWill tonight. It was a cold night of bell ringing, but much warmer when you're surrounded with friends. Who can resist 10 adorable girls singing Christmas carols and spreading good cheer? The girls teachers were also good sports and came out on this cold night to support their efforts. We live in such an awesome community. 

- Today's GoodWill came full circle as we donated Will's medical supplies to His Hands Free Clinic. After dropping supplies, they offered to pray with me and expressed they were in need of more volunteers. I'm your girl. As I was getting a tour of the clinic, she mentioned that I probably wouldn't know the doctor that is on the exec board as he is through Hospice. How about that? I do know him. Dr. Bell, who we so loved, was now receiving back the very supplies that he gave to Will. I shared Will's story with her and it just felt like God had guided these supplies home to where they were desperately needed. 

- We spread GoodWill at Northbrook Manor Care today by delivering flowers. We have an abundance of gorgeous bouquets sitting on our counter right now, so we decided to share the beauty. The girls and I stopped off and dropped these fragrant flowers for the residents to enjoy. It felt good knowing that their beauty will brighten someone's day on Will's behalf. 

- Our GoodWill today was shared with...William. Today I dropped off more flowers at the nursing home (I won't post which one for my new friend, William's privacy). I asked if there was anyone by the name of William that would like a little pick me up and as luck would have it, I spent a fabulous afternoon learning all about this amazing man. This was way more fun than just dropping flowers at reception.

- Birthright was our focus of GoodWill today. I cleaned out a lot of our baby supplies while the girls were at school for another mama to be able to use. I took the girls with me to do the drop off as today's task was a real challenge for me. 2 huge totes were filled with baby essentials that I know I can't use anymore and need to part with, but it still stung to get rid of. Onesies, diapers, bottles, blankets...I spent the day washing and folding these items preparing them for their new home. I pray they comfort the next baby as much as they have comforted ours.

- Kiwanis received our GoodWill today in the form of books! It is an understatement to say that we love books at our house. Each girl has a bookshelf busting at the seams, in addition to 2 more bookshelves in the basement and a couple of totes of books as well. Will's bookshelf in his room...also full. Most of these books Norah has long outgrown, but we were hanging on to them to read to Will. It was time to let them go. I kept a few important ones (Goodnight, moon...a definite keeper) but the rest went to the Kiwanis. 

- Today was spent delivering more flowers to spread a little GoodWill. I had so much fun at the nursing home the other day, that I was really excited to see if I could find a new William at a different nursing home today. My new friend was non-verbal, and it was just the peace and calm that I think we both needed today. It was reassuring to know that he felt calm in my presence and I felt at ease knowing that there weren't going to be any questions that would catch my emotions off guard.

- Meals on Wheels was the focus of our GoodWill today. We purchased some holiday meals for families to be delivered for Christmas. So much of our social gatherings and celebrations revolve around food that I often take for granted that food preparation can get really expensive around the holidays. As much as I want to see families enjoying delicious meals, I also don't want the social stigma of that food expense to discourage people from getting together.

- My GoodWill today is going to ensure that I use every ounce of #WillPower I've been given. After a few years of thinking I would overcome the lottery to run the Chicago Marathon, today all the signs directed me to run this one-and-only marathon for Will. But, not just William Everette, also William Richard. I will be running for the Will Cure team which runs to raise funds for the Foundation for Myotubular Myopathy, a rare genetic disorder. Though a different genetic disorder than what our Will had, it seemed all too coincidental in timing that this link found its way to my inbox. As I was checking it out, I came across a picture on their blog that stated; "Running teaches us to keep moving forward, one step at a time, especially in the most painful moments." I knew then, I would run with my Will alongside me every step of the way, so that another mama would be able to keep her Will alongside her. I coughed up the entry fee and started a CrowdRise page to meet my $1500 minimum. Chicago, here we come. God bless my sister for running for charity with me, she's definitely got the #WillPower. Any other takers?

- We're saving lives with MVRBC for today's GoodWill. Mark's too proud to brag about his 3 gallon donor status (that's 72 lives he's potentially saved), but he doesn't miss his opportunity every 56th day to save a life. Today, I jumped on the bandwagon. I'm not a great donor. I usually get deferred either for travel or medical reasons, and I have yet to meet anyone who gets excited about my tiny veins, but this week I pumped my iron (pills, that is) and crossed my fingers I'd be able to donate. I made it through the first round, but once I got hooked up, my stupid veins couldn't pump blood fast enough to make a pint before it clotted. I'm riding the coat tails of my awesome husband today since, although I couldn't save any lives...he sure did.

- Today we spread GoodWill through Olivet Neighborhood Mission by fulfilling Angel tags for their giving tree. We chose a 2 year old boy to shop for and dreamed that just maybe his name was Will. The big girls were great at picking out all the coolest trucks and trains, and Norah painstakingly combed through every inch of clothing to find the perfect clothes for this little guy to wear. Top it off with some great books to read and hopefully this little guy will be feeling pretty special at Christmas.

- Spreading GoodWill at Xavier today I know made Will smile. Today I stopped by to drop off the memorial money from his funeral and discuss a plan for its use. Though we hope to use part of it to establish scholarships for students in need, we also wanted to see if there was anything that the building and grounds needed. Coincidentally, the Angel of Hope statue (for grieving the loss of children) is in need of a light. This beautiful statue was dedicated nearly 5 years ago, and the funding to put a light on it just isn't there. It seemed so meant to be that all those that loved Will contributed to possibly spread light in his honor. *Update* After attending the prayer service the following week, it was so apparent that this was a need, as all night people were tripping over the makeshift lanterns that were used to light the statue. 

- Our GoodWill today was spent at St. Matthew. Our church hosts a luncheon for families who are in need of assistance during Christmastime. They shop for families, provide gifts that are wrapped and ready and families can come, eat lunch together and take their gifts home all ready to be opened at Christmas. We brought chili and rolls and stayed to helped serve today. The girls rocked the beverage table and carrying food to tables for guests. As an added bonus Santa was watching the whole time to ensure a job well done and rewarded them with a candy cane at the end of the day. Thanks, Santa!

 - GoodWill was shared at the Catholic Worker House tonight. The whole family was in on this one as it was a perfect way to humble ourselves during the hustle and bustle of what often times becomes a very materialistic time of year. We delivered food to the Catholic Worker House tonight and as we were leaving, a woman stopped Grace and said, "thank you for feeding us tonight." The wording struck a chord with her. It resonated with Grace that the woman didn't say, "thanks for the food." It was obvious to her that it wasn't about the enjoyment of having food and camaraderie, it was about the necessity of having food and shelter. They were able to see the tight living quarters, shared spaces with strangers, and need for basic necessities that all-too-often our family takes for granted. As with all the GoodWill we have shared, we received more from this experience than those we were serving.