The Kind Project - May Kindness

Yesterday I posted about my new idea to help teach my daughter about being kind to others, the Kind Project! 

I have been so excited to tell you about our first victim!

My cousin's beautiful four year old daughter was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Although this diagnosis is not a death sentence, it is a life sentence and the life of this little girl and her family has forever been changed.

A few weeks ago my cousins had a "Hope ceremony" for her! I thought it was such a meaningful way for the family to celebrate the hope they have for their daughter and her bright (but changed) future. She wrote a letter to her diabetes and they buried it and planted a Hope tree over it. They made a little portion of their yard into a Hope Garden.

It's times like these that I really miss my family back in NM and I hate missing out on stuff like this. I started thinking about a meaningful way that we could contribute and the "Birdhouse of Hope" idea was born.

My 2 year old daughter and I went to Michaels. She picked out one of their pre-made birdhouses, 2 paint colors and some wooden and sparkly embellishments. We waited for a nice sunny day and painted the house and put the embellishments on it.

My daughter working on the birdhouse

Our finished house! Pink and Purple with flowers, butterflies, hearts and LOVE!!

As we were working on the house, I explained to Emma why we were making the birdhouse. I said that her cousin was sick and that she was going to be sick for the rest of her life. That we were making the birdhouse for her hope garden. I asked her how she thought she would feel if she was sick and she said sad. I explained to her that cousin feels sad a lot and that maybe our birdhouse would help cheer her up. I asked Emma what she thought and she said, "Mommy, I think it needs more butterflies!" (the butterflies were sparkly embellishments she picked out for the house) 

We both felt so good making this and knowing that it wasn't just a bird house, but a symbol of love and hope and that it would mean so much to my cousin and his family. 

Last night my cousin received the birdhouse and I can't even begin to explain in words how happy my heart feels knowing that we have lifted his family up even for just a short time. 

Tomorrow I will share more from their reactions and also some more thoughts about this project from my 2 year old. 

Until then, I remain....

Clueless but with a huge happy smiling heart! 

The Nice Project!

I have to say, all of the news lately about kids being bullied so much that it drives them to suicide really really bothers me! So very sad!!

I have two kids and I hope they are so many things but one of the most important in my eyes is that I hope they are kind! I am trying to teach my oldest about kindness and being kind to others and I hope I make an impact on her. I hope that when she starts school, she is the one extending a hand to others instead of pushing them around. I hope that I am a role model to both of my children and they see in me someone who is kind!

I have been thinking a lot about ways that I can teach my daughter about kindness in a meaningful way and the nice project was born. Each month we are going to pick one person who we think needs some lifting up and we are going to do something extra nice for them!

My hope is that the project not only teaches my daughter abbot kindness but that it influences others to act in the same manner.

We will be documenting our journey here so please be sure to check back!

Until then, I remain,
Clueless, but also Kind