Jones Soda Kindness

 

It is just so encouraging when profit driven companies practice Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR – in the business marketing world). Which, really in simple terms translates as: integrity, community engagement, relationship building, and employee wellbeing. In the past few months I have come across a couple of really inspiring stories that deserve dakbands, and recently I experienced the profound effect of such corporate compassion.

About nine months ago a dear friend, Rick Hill, a member of my home church group was diagnosed with cancer. Last Saturday we celebrated his life at his funeral. He died a pop star – literally.

His beloved wife, Dena, entered a picture of Rick in a contest to appear on the label of Jones Soda. Their picture won. When the company learned that Rick had died, they provided the root beer with Rick’s label for everyone at the reception. Nuff said. Go buy some Jones Soda!

It should be noted that the picture above epitomizes Rick - shoveling snow in a kilt (sporran and all), work boots,  a leather jacket and a cowboy hat (he made that kilt himself!). How we will miss you, and your kindness.         

                                                                                          

Walking The Labyrinth

As promised, I'll continue my post from yesterday about my New Year's experience at The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine convent.

Here is the program we followed:
Friday, December 31
9:00 am Registration, refreshments
10:00 am First Retreat Session: Celebrating the Past - A Blessed History
12:00 noon Eucharist followed by silent dinner
3:00 pm Second Retreat Session: Visioning the Future - Your New Year
5:00 pm Silent Supper
7:00 pm New Year's Eve Vigil
7:30 pm Third Retreat Session: Finding your symbol in the Labyrinth
9:00 pm New Year's Eve refreshments

Saturday, January 1
8 - 9:00 am Silent Breakfast
9:00 am Morning Prayer
10:00 am Final Retreat Session: Sharing the Light
11:30 am Eucharist followed by talking dinner
1:30 pm departures

General Retreat Rules:
- there is no obligation to participate in any of agenda items
- no cell phones, alcohol, drugs or smoking in the Guest House
- silence in all sleeping areas
- spirit of quiet throughout the building
- Talking in the Conference Room, sitting rooms (with door closed), or outdoors
- meals are silent except for New Year's Day dinner

The balance of silence and talking was perfect. I'd never participated in a silent meal before, and it is quite a unique experience. I found it forced me to eat more consciously. At the end of the meal one of the sisters rings a bell, as a signal that the meal is finished. Everyone stands and says a brief thanksgiving. It was just one of the many enlightenments I enjoyed.

One of the highlights for me was walking the Labyrinth on New Year's Eve. The convent has a beautiful, eleven sided, stone Labyrinth modeled after the labyrinth at Chartres. Each stone in the labybrinth was laid with prayer and the sacredness can be felt upon approach. Before we entered the labyrinth, C.J. (our retreat leader) gave us all some notes on how to use the labyrinth prayerfully, meditatively. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has no dead ends. There is one path into and out of the center. As you walk the path, you move closer to, and further away from the center. The center of the labyrinth can symbolize the goal of your life, God's heart, the center of the world - anything you want it to. Once you reach the center, you can stay there for as long as is needed. It is a place to focus, savour, release, connect with all of your senses, receive grace and enlightenment. The inward path and the outward path are opportunities of reflection. It is a personal journey. Some questions we were encouraged to ask ourselves as we made the journey included: What am I thankful for, what do I bring with me to the labybrinth, what am I leaving at the center, what am I taking away with me, what causes me to alter my path, is there a symbol that might represent this journey?

Despite the rain, almost everyone at the Retreat walked the Labyrinth. The following day, New Year's Day, we shared our experiences during the last session. The stories were profoundly moving. Some people created artwork that represented the symbol they received during their journey. Each piece of art and story was a gift of inspiration.

The opening of the New Year was kind and gentle to us all.

Gratitude for 1000 Gifts

I had no plans to write another blog post this evening. I made up my mind that I was too tired - exhausted really. The 5:30 am alarm, leaving the house by 6:00 am, driving to Toronto to endure an entire morning of pre-admission tests for my impending fourth cardiac surgery of the year, next Tuesday, wiped me out. I decided to spend the evening in front of the television watching a movie that we intended to watch last night (but worked on a grant proposal until 11:00 pm instead!). While waiting for my husband to wake up from his pre-bedtime nap (he's putting our son to bed), I thought I'd catch up on some blogs I enjoy. So much for the movie......

Ann Voskamp writes a blog called A Holy Experience. Reading her writing is like drinking in peace, entering sacred space and feeling at home, like you never want to leave. Admittedly, I don't follow her blog often enough, or I'd have written about her book before now. One Thousand Gifts: Dare to live fully right where you are, is a book that chronicles her writing of a list of one thousand gifts. Not gifts she wants, but gifts she already has. Everyday gratitude. She calls them daily graces. I like that. Here is her blogpost about the beginning of her journey to recognize all the gifts God has placed in her life, her heart and soul. Some gifts from her list: “… the smell of the florist’s… the sound of kernels of corn streaming, tinkling…. leaves floating in puddles…”

In the same post I found this wonderful quote from John Milton, “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”

I realized, reading her post, and Milton's quote, that dakbands are those epiphanies. Moments of kindness (transcendent awe), that change forever how we live in the world. I want people to experience those moments, that new way of being in the world. I want people to create those moments, not wait to stumble upon them. At the end of Ann's post she invites the reader to begin their own list. I am accepting her challenge and will share my list here, and on our facebook page. Choosing to recognize the simplest moments, as gifts, will inspire even more kindness in the world - join me.

#1 filling my house with the exotic smell of indian spices as I try to produce equally exotic tastes

#2 drinking homemade ginger/cinnamon tea

#3 my husband putting the four year old to bed, while I write

#4 curling up in front of the fire to watch that movie.....

Over the Top

Last weekend was definitely 'Over the Top'. Not only did we Canadians celebrate Thanks Giving, but I spent two days with friends at the Women of Faith conference in Rochester New York, aptly themed Over the Top. A couple of years ago I led some workshops at the Christian Camping and Conference Association annual conference - and loved it; but, this was my first time at a conference of any kind as simply an attendee. Unfortunately I was only able to attend the first of two days, however, I was sorely tempted to skip all the prep work I had to do in order to host Thanks Giving dinner, so I could stay.

The music was great and the speakers were amazing. Patsy Clairemont and Andy Andrews were the keynotes of the day. Patsy is funny, poignant and the best dressed sixty-something I've ever seen - look what she is wearing in the Youtube link at the bottom of the post. She rocks. Andy was also incredibly funny, inspiring and relevant. I left with both of his best selling books. And as good fortune (or answered prayer) would have it, we were able to give them both a set of dakbands.

To top the day off, Steven Curtis Chapman performed and his wife, MaryBeth Chapman spoke about her new book. It was pure magic.


But you know what really made it the most fun? Being there with my friends. From left to right: Lori, Vicky, Me, Connie, MaryAnn. Lori hosted MaryAnn, Connie and I in her lovely century home, and had forty-seven other friends who attended the conference. That's definitely, over the top. We arrived on Thursday evening at Lori's and spent the evening huddled around the dinning room table with a bottle glass of wine, doing what women do best......emoting :) MaryAnn spread the dakband love, all day Friday - I think every policeman in Rochester now has a pair - which was really fun. I'm still waiting for an update on how Saturday went, but I'm pretty sure Connie and MaryAnn (my fellow Canadians) are out walking off their turkey dinners, just like me.

Three Time Lucky

Timing is everything.

Sometime around noon today I found myself in the Defibrillator Clinic at the Toronto General Hospital trying to maintain some semblance of composure as I explained to my mother, in the public waiting room, that I was being admitted, yet again. I need a third surgery to fix a misplaced lead in my heart. My Mom immediately grabbed my hand and suggested we say a little prayer. “Let’s just give this to God. He’s already here,” she whispered. So I began to silently chant, “God you are taking care of me.” We were sent downstairs for x-rays and blood work while my room was being organized. I kept chanting.

As I stood in line for blood work I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful young Caribbean girl, maybe 16 or 17 years old, in line in front of me. Her hair was wrapped in a lovely head scarf, she looked about four months pregnant and like she felt quite ill. When she approached the desk to register everybody in line learned that she didn’t have a Health Card, and the test she required cost thirty dollars, which she didn’t have. Before her conversation with nurse ended I started to frantically tear through the black abyss I carry around as a purse, looking for thirty dollars. All I could find was a twenty. I ran over to my Mom, who had not seen or heard the situation, and barked at her to quickly give me ten dollars. The look on her face at any other time would have been Candid Camera material, but I in was in a hurry. I caught the young woman at the doorway and slid the money into her hand. She turned and collapsed in tears on my chest. “Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you.” I just held her and told her everything would be okay. I hope I didn’t lie. A little while latter, we bumped into her again as she was coming out of an elevator. She offered me the $1.50 in change left over from the thirty dollars. I kissed her cheek and hugged her. I didn’t know what else to do.

I got in the elevator to go up to my room. In that moment all the fear and anxiety that I was feeling evaporated. It was only thirty dollars, but this third surgery is worth it.

Places to Inspire Kindness 2

Unfortunately the photo in this post is not mine, my photos are about twenty years old and not of a quality even worth scanning. Yet, the picture in my mind is so crisp and clear that it includes a sound track as well.

The Cliffs of Mohr stretch for an impressive 8 kilometers along the west coast of Ireland in County Clare. They fall precipitously to the edge of the ocean seven hundred feet below. Along the grassy fields above, there are no guard rails, no fences, just a line where the earth meets sky.

I spent an afternoon there. A glorious, solitary, cloudless September afternoon. I found a spot in the field with grass so deep I was invisible to passersby when I laid down - which is exactly what I did. I was close enough to the cliffs edge to feel daring, but far enough away to feel safe. I closed my eyes and allowed the concert of crashing waves and sea birds to seep into my soul. When I finally opened my eyes again, it was dusk. For four hours I had been cradled in a peace so profound that I was afraid to get up for fear I would never experience it again. I found God there. Or should I say, He found me.

What could be kinder?