**THROWBACK POST**
November 28 2013:
Team TLC is getting ready for our 31 Days, 31 Random Acts of Kindness! Our Casa is overflowing with love and gratitude! xoxo
Throwback Post: 31 Random Acts of Kindness
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Tag Archives: kindness
Throwback Post: Lillian’s Idea of a Christmas Miracle
**THROWBACK POST**
December 22 2013:
Lillian’s idea of a Christmas miracle:
Thursday night as I was tucking her into bed, I didn’t feel good. I also didn’t feel like telling her a “life story”. She likes to hear little snippets about my life before she goes to sleep every night. I suggested I share a story that had happened that day.
I told her I went into a store after dropping them off at school. I stuck a kindness card we made into my jacket. We leave them wherever we go. As I was walking down one of the aisles it fell out of my jacket. I noticed after a couple of steps and turned around to pick it up. Then I realized no one was on this entire long aisle with me, the week before Christmas, in a crowded store, I was alone on this big ole aisle.
I told Lillian it landed right side up and that was where it was supposed to land for just the right person to find it, so I left it there. Lillian giggled and said, “A Christmas Miracle”. I giggled too as I had certainly not thought of it that way! Perhaps it was the perfect message that someone needed to come across at the exact moment in time that they “found” it.
Throwback Post: Kindness With a Chromosome Lesson While Sharing Gratitude
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July 20 2015:
One of my most favorite quotes in a great book we received today!! Sam is a C18 buddy who has 18q-. YAY Monica Tello McDivitt!!! Can’t wait to meet you and Sam face to face next year in San Antonio!!
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Went to Trader Joe’s today to stock up on food for the Chromosome 18 Conference. Since we’re driving this year, we get to take our own food! YAY! Thomas told the cashier about our plans and she wanted to know all about a chromosome 18 conference. Got to give another person a mini chromosome lesson. Always seems to be the cashiers at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods who ask to know more. So friendly!! Here we are at the 2013 conference farewell dinner. xoxo
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July 20 2011:
I suggested to Thomas and Lillian that we make a poster to thank the organizations and people that made it possible for us to attend the Chromosome 18 Conference. They took the initiative and each wrote a blog post too! They bless me tons and tons! https://lilliandarnell.com/and https://thomasadarnell.com/2014/07/19/conference-thank-yous/
Throwback Post: What Time Did You Go To Bed
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October 3 2013:
Thomas asked me earlier what time I went to bed last night. I told him and we went about our business. A little bit later he came over and helped me wash the dishes and then cleaned the stove and told me he wanted to help so I could go to bed earlier …. I am blessed times 500 million and beyond that I get to be this little person’s Mama!! xoxo
I so much LOVE seeing him embrace all the GOOD that life has to offer and my wish is that he continues to do so and never loses sight of it.
(Thomas on a May 2013 Date Day at Virginia Foothills Park)
Throwback Post – Thanks for the Company and Dinner With The Romano Duo
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May 11 2015
Stopped by Great Basin Community Food Coop this afternoon to get a chunk of solid cocoa butter and had a great time chatting with the person who checked me out. As I was leaving, he said, “Thanks for the company.” … I like that. Have never heard that before. Yet, that’s what we were doing .. keeping each other company for a few minutes talking about eating good fats! Spreadin it!
May 24 2015:
Hey y’all! Had our first dinner with The Romano Duo last night … Homemade lasagne … YUM!! They always bring little gifts for us and this wall plaque was one of mine. Cool y’all!!
Post Office Gift by Camilla Downs
November 18 2016:
The Post Office Gift
As Paige entered the post office she was greeted with a line extending nearly to the door. Internally she breathed a sigh of relief knowing she would be using the self-serve kiosk. With only one person waiting ahead of her, she contentedly stepped in line behind him.
He turned to face Paige and with contempt said, “It may be awhile. This lady is having problems. She’s been up there for ten minutes.” He was referring to the customer using the kiosk. Paige spent a few seconds taking in the situation.
The woman at the kiosk seemed to be looking for something and holding her arms up in confusion. Paige could sense the woman’s overwhelmed feelings penetrating the already flat energy within the foyer.
Without hesitation, Paige approached the woman and asked, “Can I help you?” With a slight hint of desperation the woman said, “I can’t find my postage.” Having used the self-serve kiosk an absurd number of times over the years, Paige had become intimately familiar with it.
She knew exactly where the postage was dispensed. If you’ve never used the kiosk before, you wouldn’t know that you cannot visually see the postage once dispensed. One must bend down, placing one’s hand inside the dispenser box to pull the postage from the dispenser. It does not release and drop on its own.
The woman was quit relieved and delightedly thankful. She moved on and the long waiting, irritated man moved forward to take his turn. His frustrations mounted so that he could not get his credit card to work in the card slot.
Paige gently approached and asked, “Can I help you?” He pushed his card towards her and said, “Sure, give it a try.” The card once again did not work, yet, most likely due to having been tried repetitively. Paige felt he simply needed to go back one step and come around again to the payment screen, yet, his frustrations had grown too large for his patience.
After confusingly hesitating a couple of times to thank Paige for her help, the man decided to leave. He seemed to be torn as to whether to throw in the towel, expressing his thanks, and giving it another try.
Paige felt a wave of peace and compassion flow into her entire being as she knew in another time, another place, she had stood in both the man’s and the woman’s shoes.
She was also aware of times in the past when she had been deeply lost in her own thoughts and worries; times when she didn’t even notice that another being was in need of help.
After getting her packages posted, she departed with a joyful, peaceful heart with the hopes that anyone watching was inspired to spread loving kindness in their own way and their own time.
2016 Camilla Downs
Camilla’s Happiness Journal: Week of January 8, 2012
January 8, 2012, Sunday, Happiness is:
Volcano eruption experiments with Thomas.
Being comfy in our house with Thomas and Lillian.
Going to the park with Thomas and Lillian.
Being a part of Thomas and Lillian’s “skill” of living in the present moment.
Hearing my kids tell me how good dinner is and asking if we can have this same meal every night!
Family reading night with Thomas and Lillian – pure bliss . . .
Monday, January 9, 2012, Happiness is:
To be honest I didn’t want to write my happiness log for tonight. I’ve had a really funky day. Thomas had a rough day too which added to my funky day! 😉 The first day back at school after a break is hard for him. But I know after I write this I will go to bed much lighter and “happier”!
Watching Thomas play at the park and make friends with kids he has just met.
Cooking dinner with Thomas and Lillian.
Sitting on the couch with each of my kids snuggled beside me and reading a book to them.
Support and cheering from my friends.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012, Happiness is:
Being a part of Thomas’s excitement about riding the bus to school.
Knowing that Thomas had a GOOD day at school.
The energy at Advanced Pediatric Therapies {where Lillian receives ST, OT and PT).
Kindness from people you’ve just met.
How happy Lillian is when I pick her up from therapies.
Lillian reading a book after dinner while Thomas and I put together one of his Lego sets.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012, Happiness is:
Thomas asking me to snuggle next to him in bed.
Doing good things.
Laughing.
Spending time with awesome, fabulous friends.
Realizing the power of our attitudes and thoughts.
Love.
Thursday, January 12, 2012, Happiness is:
The sparkle in Lillian’s eyes when she’s excited and happy.
Hearing Thomas laugh in his sleep.
Kind and loving words spoken by friends.
Thomas and Lillian sitting beside my desk “helping” me work.
Thomas’s gushing compliments about something as simple as macaroni and cheese.
My warm comfy bed.
Friday, January 13, 2012, Happiness is:
Being connected to others.
A glass of ice cold almond milk.
A bowl of popcorn.
A hot shower.
Saturday, January 14, 2012, Happiness is:
Thomas declaring today a “Stay Home Day”.
Being on the receiving end of Thomas and Lillian’s comments and questions . . . most times ;-).
Trips in the car with Lillian and Thomas.
Camilla’s Gratitude List: Week of January 1, 2012
January 1, 2012, Sunday, I am grateful for:
My friend Cathy Johansen and her son for inviting Thomas over today. We are testing how it goes with Cathy’s son being a “big brother” to Thomas.
Alone time with Lillian.
January 2, 2012, Tuesday, I am grateful for:
A surprise day all to myself.
Kat McLain for inviting Lillian to spend the day with her.
The transaction at Costco that cost me $5 less than what I was expecting.
The kind and enthusiastic cashier at Trader Joe’s.
Time spent chatting with my friend Glenna Smith over yummy tea.
Kona Gold for such an awesome and comfy space to have tea and a chat with friends.
Kindness.
January 3, 2012 Tuesday, I am grateful for:
Date days with Thomas.
The awesome therapists at Advanced Pediatric Therapies.
Our car.
Patience.
January 4, 2012, Wednesday, I am grateful for:
Shelter.
Food.
January 5, 2012, Thursday, I am grateful for:
Walks with Thomas and Lillian.
The Sun.
Lillian’s depth of beauty.
Kindness and joy expressed by Thomas.
A wonderful evening with beautiful friends {Cheri Hill, Clare Dreyer, Rachel Flower, Kimberly Phipps-Nichol, Kymberlee Simantel, Glenna Smith, Linda McLean} celebrating Rachel’s birthday.
January 6, 2012, Friday, I am grateful for:
Kat McLain for telling me to tear up the check I had written to her for Thomas visiting her two days this week . . . and telling me to write it for one day and to give it to her when I could.
Date days with Lillian.
Dr. Rick Winkelman, the optometrist who gave me samples to last me until I can come in for my annual check up in February.
The cashier at Walmart who told me not to worry about it when she accidentally input that I had given her $36 for my $34 dollar bill instead of $31. I was going to put the rest on my debit card; but couldn’t because she incorrectly put in the $36 instead of $31. I even offered my business card so they could contact me so I could pay the difference and they said no.
Hugs from Thomas.
Hearing Thomas and Lillian laugh.
Our house.
January 7, 2012, Saturday, I am grateful for:
Days with no appointments, no school buses and just plain nothing to do.
Walks with my kids.
Parks.
Nature.
Movie night with my kids.
Being asked by Thomas and Lillian to tickle them before bed and the fun and laughter that follows.
Quiet.