Thank you for the inspiration.

Originally posted here:  Walking In Your Footsteps

I had an idea for kindness that won’t cost much. I was inspired by the collaboration this past two weeks of Mindy and Rajni. Mindy gives out origami peace doves, and today Rajni posted a video about making paper butterflies. I immediately thought, “I could do that!” I used to make decorative fans in a similar way. I still have my craft bag and wallpaper sample books, dried flowers and hot glue guns! =) I even had a name for my business that never quite got off the ground: “Fanfare”

So, I also read that Rajni gives out something called “quote cards.” I’m guessing these are inspirational quotes printed on paper or cardboard, right? Well – cool. I have a ton of those through under1000skies.

Then I thought,  I can also make special ones that lead to inspirational stories. I was thinking of Mia’s story about helping the man with the orange turban:  We Belong to Each Other – A Love Story. That really touched my heart. I love the quote she shared too. So on one side of the quote card would be the quote and on the other the URL to the story.

Looking forward to more opportunities to be like Rajni (quote cards) and Mindy (doves and a million other things) and Mish (kitty helper, hug creator, etc. ∞) and (so many other people here). Basically, as opportunities present themselves.

The quote above is a sample graphic that I want to use with Mia’s story and quote “we belong to each other.” This beautiful photo is by “Skeeze” from Pixabay Photographer Volunteers.

 

 

Any of the graphics on our site with our logo under1000skies are free to print and share.  I’m working to redo all graphics to include the logo to honor every contribution and kindness given to us, especially our homeless artists.  I’m also working on getting our purchased domains under1000skies.org and .com linked to this WordPress site, but it’s slow going and lots of left-brain learning. Not my strong suit.  (See “Help Wanted – Tech Advice” on our About Page.)  If you share online, a link back would be great but is not a requirement.  The only exceptions are the Year-1 photos with a “limited copyright” (for example, Chip Haldane’s photos for the Eowyn Challenge from New Zealand.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Crystal Palace, Story + Comments, KindSpring.org

(d.m.) Photo Cinque Terre, Italy by BabbePhotograpy, Pixabay
(m.p.) Photo Elgot, Isle of Skye, Scotland by Frank Winkler, Pixabay
(p.j.) Photo Isle of Skye, Scotland by Frank Winkler, Pixabay
(r.g.) Photo Himachal Pradesh, the Himalayas by Avalok, Pixabay
(b.2.) Photo Isle of Skye, Old Man of Storr by Frank Winkler, Pixabay

 

I am a sad girl,
but my face makes other plans,
focusing energy on this smile, so as not to waste it on pain.
The first thing they took was my sleep,
eyes heavy but wide open,
thinking maybe I missed something,
maybe the cavalry is still coming.
They didn’t come,
so I bought bigger pillows.

“You Have a Big Imagination or 400,000 Ways to Cry” by Emtithal “Emi” Mahmoud

from:  TED:  A Young Poet Tells the Story of Darfur

Photo: Sudan by Ahmad1574, Pixabay

If you could see
What I see
In those moments when
You're most vulnerable
You might recognize
Through the haze
Of your sadness
There is something within you
The word beautiful
Fails to describe

I've heard you cry out
For nothing more
Than the most basic
Of human needs
To be touched
In a way
Where you are seen
To be held
In a way
Where you are heard
To be safe
From all this
Which has been given you
To hear those words
This is not your fault

Such things 
Are not much to ask
If I could give them
To you, I would
Over and over
A thousand times a day
But like you
I've never known
These things

You'd think in this
We'd find common ground
But it's exactly
What keeps us apart
For how do we give
What we've never known
How do we share
What's never been shown
And how can we love
That which we fail to see

-River Dixon from "Common Ground" The Stories In Between

Note: For this, I did two. I want it to reach all ages and all hearts. One of the commenters said that this poem was “necessary.” River responded, “I never had anyone say that before.” I told him I agreed. Everyone needs to hear this.

 

“This is my story. This will be my song.’ -DotMatrix,

From:  With All My Heart.  A story of letting go.

KindSpring.org

“Everyone’s fighting some kind of battle. And I continue to believe, despite moments of doubt, we all have equal access to Vastly Infinite Possibilities.”

-E in “Good Enough,” Born In Providence.