Just when you think that it’s the right time to lean back and take a little personal “me” time, things tend to go off the rails. I’ve lived in the Midwest for most of my life, with brief stints in Maine, Washington, and Arizona worked in. So I am pretty used to the severe weather that we are prone to like snow, hail, hot as all get out, and even tornados. It is that last little word on the list that brought me out of my relaxation bubble.
While I do love to #GetKind, my kindness is not born of itself, and it does not happen alone. I am pretty lucky to work with someone that thinks of charity and giving the same way that I do … It is simply part of everyday life and always the right thing to do. When that workmate sent out an email calling for individual donations to provide relief for the people that lost everything in the Fairdale, IL, tornado … well, I couldn't help but become a bulldog.
After a little prompting from my boss to, “just go knock on everyone’s cubicle and get them to donate,” I proceeded to do just that. [Side note: I love the fact that my boss was so supportive of an individual project when it wasn't representative of the company, and was done on company time.] In just under 30 minutes we raised approximately $371. Considering it was a Friday afternoon and half our office was working from another location, that’s a pretty decent sum. Armed with a list of items provided by the Cortland Fire Department, I absconded to the dollar store.
In the time that I was waiting to meet my workmate (often referred to as my work husband) at Costco, I purchased 20 coloring books, boxes of crayons, and small stuffed animals for donation to children (and for the sanity of parents that had bigger things on their plate). At Costco we loaded up two carts with water, diapers, baby wipes, canned protein, and a few other items. We then proceeded to load them into our respective vehicles in the pouring rain (why not, Murphy’s Law, right?).
An almost two hour jaunt to Cortland in rush hour traffic, and the goods were unloaded at the Cortland Fire Department. The all-volunteer department was amazed at the amount of resources and donations that were pouring in from all around the area. They were all set on water and clothes, so were uber thankful for the diapers, wipes, and pet food (can’t forget our furry friends!). My work husband and I hung around the fire department for a bit talking to the weary firemen and looking at some photos of the devastation.
Sometimes I find myself thinking what can the little bit that I’m contributing really do … how can my little effort make a true impact in such a large issue … but it’s not about me, my workmate, or even you. It’s about the collective effort that while they may be small little gestures, add up to something amazing. With that thought in my mind we departed Cortland and made our way to a wonderful little dive bar in Maple Park, IL, and had an amazing burger couple with a cold Stella. Early Grateful Dead on the jukebox, grease running down my fingers, and a smile on my face.
Followed by a long drive alone through the winding back roads, cloaked in darkness, and listening to some traditional Tuareg music on the local NPR station, I felt utterly connected.
