Encouragement in a Balloon

I've laid out the ground work-the who, what, where, when and why covered. What I haven't done is shared the action part.  After all your waiting and wondering, here it is...

I have dear friends.  I'm fiercely loyal and will do whatever I can for these people.  I am not a person that trusts easily.  When I find that I can fully trust someone, this is a life long bond I feel with them.  I don't take the term friend quite as cavalier as some do.  In fact, I think the word acquaintance doesn't get the appropriate usage it should. (If you haven't found great friends, check out my Friendship Dating post! Great tips!)

Amy, my friend, had just moved away.  I miss her.  I love her.  From the moment we met, I found out we were so much alike.  She's been a gift to me.  She and her husband have saved me. They saved my family.

Amy has had her struggles too.  We all have.  The past two years have been extremely difficult for all of us.  It has been test after test-each our own different tests, but difficult the same.  I hope that I've been able to be some comfort to her, like she has been to me.  She's amazing and sweet in every way.  You could never find a better woman.  To know her, makes you a better person. Kind and stylish!  (I learn about all the cool iPhone apps from her!)  She is poised, graceful, loving, passionate, determined, loyal, dedicated and strong. Most of the time, I don't think she even knows how wonderful she is.   (Totally sounds like a girl crush, doesn't it?)  

But why shouldn't we have this?!  Why are we brought up to hate other women?  This is a different time.  

I had, had a pretty crap week.  I had been, what felt like, slapped in the face by a good friend.  Not just once, but repeatedly. 

Sometimes, you just sit there dazed.  Sometimes I wish I had a full time job to have the distraction of a deadline, and work to keep my mind off stuff.  But I don't.  I do what I do best-have conversations with myself.  During low stages, these pretty much become bitch-fests.  

But I don't want to do that anymore.  I had made the decision I wasn't going to let this get the best of me (something that I SWEAR I tell myself way too often), but I needed to do something about it.  Words like this can come pretty easily, but I've found unless you DO something about it, they're just empty words.  Empty words, full of feelings.  

I knew Amy was entering some running competitions.  I wanted to help her with this, but I also wanted to do something that would encourage her spirits.

I wanted something different, something that, maybe if I received in the mail, would mean so much to me.

The kids, of course, were sick this week too.  I didn't have much time to put it together, and I didn't know how it would ship. 

I was so worried, and usually, it's this type of thinking that stops me from doing these types of things all together.  

Do you ever do that?  Have great ideas to do some good, but you stop yourself because of how it might be received, or how embarrassed it might make you feel to step out of YOUR comfort zone?

I saw two different ideas on pinterest and decided to put them together.  One was the Box of Sunshine the other was a Box of Balloons for someone to open.  I combined the two.

I bought yellow balloons and filled them with gifts.  Each balloon had a gift like Yellow Power Bars, AirHeads, iTunes Gift Card, and Starbucks Gift Card.  But also, each one of these balloons had something written about Amy in them.  Something special about her or quotes that suit her.

For example, I used her name.  Amy's name means beloved, loved, or to love.  This is Amy.  I was amazed when I looked it up.  Especially after just having two children and scouring name books, I had never really given thought to the meaning of my friends names.

I also gave her quotes. 

"An excellent wife, who can find?  She is far more precious that jewels."

Proverbs 31:10

"She opens her mouth with wisdom.  And on her tongue is the law of kindness."                          

Proverbs 31:26

I had a few other inspirational quotes from other places as well, but as I hand wrote these out, I also included why these suited her.  Anyone can write down a quote, but when they explain why they mean it for you, it means even more.

I put the balloons into a large box, put a card on top, and sent it with love.  

I heard it was very well received.  I heard it was special and wonderful. I heard thanks and appreciation.  I heard that it made a difference.  

I had helped someone, and I had helped myself.  My "project" was just what I needed remind myself of someone else with needs.  I felt like I had struck gold!  I didn't have to wrestle with my crappy feelings, because I had put them aside.  I made a decision to counteract the feelings.  I made a decision to do something that would focus on someone else, rather than myself for once.  And my decision, worked!

Imagine, if we all started this, what an awesome chain reaction we could start?  Will you help me 'Counteract the Poison?' 


Here are some more posts on giving!

Blessing Bags, More Than Generous, Mother's Milk, Flying With Thanks, Coffee Dates, Library Fine

Do you have a story to share?  We'd love to hear it!