I have been traveling the past few months so have not
been home much. Now that I am back home
and settling in, I am feeling my creative urge again, which I love. I have started thinking of PROJECTS. “Projects” are what I call the work that I do
– it is interactive art really – outside our home. I didn’t realize how much I missed doing my
projects, how hungry my soul was for creating, until I got back home. Now my mind is whirling with projects begun earlier
begging to be finished and shared and new ideas buzzing in my head.
I have had a couple days in a row of TIME OFF. I am finally caught up on sleep and more
easily able to focus creatively. So this
evening I put a project into play.
It is called “Take What You Need”. I made a tear-off sign, the kind you used to
find in grocery stores with apartments to rent or French tutors to hire (before
Google took over for the paper versions and made it simple to find
anything). Instead of details or a phone
number on the tear off sections, I listed things that people might need. Things we ALL need, but someone might find
themselves in short supply of. Here are
the things I listed:
·
Invisible hug
·
Boost of self
confidence
·
Smile
·
Twinkle in your
eye
·
Pinch of courage
·
Spring in your
step
·
Love
·
Breath of fresh
air
·
Bit of a rest
·
Giggle
·
Friendship
·
Someone to
confide in
·
Time
·
Good luck
·
Wisdom
·
Gratitude
·
Self love
·
Courage
·
Confidence
 |
| My sign hung up and waiting for passersby willing to stop and take it in |
 |
| My assistant helping me hang the sign |
 |
| Me, super excited right after it was hung. |
About two minutes after we hung it the first people walked by. It was two women – I am not sure if they were
friends, sisters, or a mother and daughter.
THEY STOPPED TO READ IT! I couldn’t
believe it! I was thrilled that they
were engaging with my project. David was
sitting on the porch with me (they could not see us) and we could hear them
say, “Awwww, look” which made me smile.
Then something happened. One of the women put her arm around the back
of the other woman and gave her a reassuring pat on the back. The women both reached up and took a slip of
paper from the sign – first the one who received the reassurance, then the
other. They stood there a moment, and
then walked away slowly with the one having her arm around the other.
 |
| In the middle of the sidewalk, with traffic rushing by, she found a tiny bit of something she needed |
I almost cried. It was so beautiful to witness. Even before I went down to the sign to see
which words they had chosen, I knew that one of them really did NEED something,
and happened upon the sign at just the right time to get it.
The woman in need had
chosen COURAGE. I do not know if she
needs courage to face an illness, to find a job, to leave a relationship… All I know is that today, through a tiny slip
of paper, I managed to deliver a teeny bit of courage to a stranger. I saw her put it in her purse as they walked
on. I like to believe that she will pull
that slip out again and remember that she has the courage to get through
whatever she is facing.
The project is just
starting but already has been so rewarding for me. It has reminded me that we are all in need,
every last one of us. Some of us need
laughter, some are a bit shy in the confidence department, some of us crave a
bit of rest. And we all have the ability
to pass along those things to people we meet; we can compliment them on their
talent to boost their confidence, babysit an hour or two to provide nap time,
tell a joke to bring about laughter, and hand out hugs like there is no
tomorrow.
My project is providing “concrete”
bits of things, slips of paper, to the people who stop and read the sign. But I am thankful to have been reminded to
hand out abstract “things” to those around me, too.
Because, in the end, we
all need something.
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