Thank you all so very much for remembering Gwendolyn and spreading kindness in the world. Your #GoodForGwendolyn actions were so beautiful and overflowing with so much of Gwendolyn’s spirit. And it meant the world to us! Your kindness helped brighten a difficult time for our family and imagining your good actions unfold (even seeing several grateful recipients posts too) reminds us of the impact our sweet butterfly continues to have. Thank you for loving her with us.
Your kind actions also did and continue to do something else… and not just for us. Kindness heals the spirit. There is so much sorrow, desperation, violence, and hateful rhetoric these days that the world can feel overwhelmingly sad. But that isn’t all we see, that has never been our experience. When faced with devastation and circumstances in which nothing can really be done to “fix it,” we have felt uplifted by the kindness in the world. We have experienced thoughtfulness and generosity. Even when trepidatious with how to go about it, we have been greeted with inclusivity instead of division or rejection. And we have felt less alone when recipients of kindness and also when paying it forward. Our life with Gwendolyn showed us how good we all are when we share in our common human experience. When we let our walls down, look beyond our own busy lives, and choose to think of others. So thank you for spreading more good in the world in honor of our little girl who always saw the goodness in others.
We really loved seeing all the different kind things people chose to do. Your kindness has given us ideas of new and wonderful ways to keep that #GoodForGwendolyn flowing through the world. We hope you are as inspired as we are about what people did and take part in adding some of these to your kind actions in the future. Some of the #GoodForGwendolyn kind actions were:
- Donating to charity in Gwendolyn’s memory
- Hosting a lemonade stand to raise money for the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation
- Visiting your local fire and police departments to thank them for their service and leaving baked goods
- Donating canned food to a local food bank
- Passing out bubbles and stickers at parks
- Buying a coffee for the stranger behind you in line
- Leaving tickets at the movie theater box office for the next customer
- Making cookies for your postal worker
- Building a neighborhood free book exchange
- Leaving butterfly treats for coworkers to enjoy
- Dropping fresh flower bouquets off at a retirement home
- Leaving gift cards on people’s car windows
- Leaving bags of goodies at a disability center
- Taking treats to your local Ronald McDonald House and/or hospital
- Making appreciation gifts for those you love
- Cleaning up the beach
- Donating stuffed animals to your local fire department to be used to comfort kids who are affected by a fire or an emergency
- Making motivational cards for critically ill children
- Dropping off a box of books, games, and blocks at your local Department of Children and Family Services office where children in foster care have visitations that are sometimes stressful situations
- Buying princess dolls, toys and books and setting up a table to give them away to children who pass by
- Buying brand new bedding for children going through a hard time
- Passing out roses and offering hugs to strangers on the street
- Leaving plants or treats on the doorstep of neighbors and friends
- Giving away butterflies with kind messages
- Giving NEVER GIVE UP. t-shirts and SMA information to every child in your child’s preschool class
Through you, because you didn’t just read our post and move on and actually did something selfless for others, a ripple effect began. The recipients of your kindness had a positive experience and then put more good actions out in the world. Involving your children in your kindness reminds them to be more considerate and better citizens. And for many, acting out these thoughtful things lifted your own spirits and we hope renewed your faith in humanity. And that is all simply beautiful.
THANK YOU!!! Thank you for always rising to the occasion when we ask of you. Thank you for being so thoughtful throughout Gwendolyn’s wonderful life. Thank you for learning with us and growing with us. Thank you for your love and support over this last really painful year. Thank you for being the #GoodForGwendolyn!
Just look at the power of all this GOOD:
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