We found ourselves in the car on the way to Oklahoma this Friday. We had quickly prepared for a trip by collecting supplies for the tornado survivors, finding a place to take the donations we gathered from family and friends, and arranged to be out of town for a day.
In addition to supplies requested by the organizations providing support in the area, we brought along some “fun” things for children, too.
Stickers, games, stamps, and lollipops were some of the things that we packed to take along and distribute. Others we handed straight to children cleaning their destroyed homes as we saw them.
One of the great fun we had was leaving some at a park for kids to find! A great act of kindness to leave in the park. We picked a park that was surrounded by homes that were destroyed by the recent tornadoes. The boys thought that those kids would be the ones that would need extra fun. At the park, our boys love running around finding the “just right” place so that a kid will be surprised (and able to find it)!
Not one single “fun” item we left will rebuild the lives negatively affected by the storms. Not one of those items will bring back the things that they lost, the fear that they are experiencing, or even the lost pets that they haven’t found. But, acts of kindness do make a difference, and we saw these “fun” items bring smiles and a giggle or two.
And, for our boys, it is important to share these items as a reminder to be grateful for the loss that they have not experienced. It is important for them to experience the large tasks of serving others by moving debris . . . and it is important for them to learn that the smaller, simpler acts of kindness and serve that we give are important as well.
