...to stop and listen

One of the friends I've made since I've started school was having a really rough time with his family during the last two weeks of the semester. Everyone around him was so stressed out and busy with school and finals with no time to stop and listen, and he just
felt really alone at college and like he had no one to talk to. I just sat down with him for a long time and listened to what he had to say. It felt good to be there for someone when they thought they had no one to talk to because that's what I'd want someone to do for me. Happy Holidays!
---Christina Diep

In honor of Theo and Julie's Dad~

Karla -
I wasn't sure what I was going to do this year, but I kept waiting for something to present itself. I went to a yoga class that I teach on Tuesday and one of my students had a card for me. It had kind words and a $10 bill in it. I told the student I couldn't accept that money, but she insisted. On the drive home, it hit me, I will take the $10 and put some money with it, and send it to the Central Va Foodbank. While writing the check, I thought of Theo and my Dad; two of the most extraordinary people that I have ever met. I put a return address label with a dragonfly on it.
Happy Holidays to you, Jamie and Lula. I love keeping up with you on Facebook.

Love to you and a Blessed New Year!

Julie

The Newest Kindness--From my beautiful friends Pam and JB

Jamie, Karla, Lula-
JB & I live in a somewhat transitional neighborhood- the typical scenario of urban revitalization. Most of our neighbors are wonderful, but there is the one house across the street.... rental, single mom, 5 kids (as far as we can tell). The kids are often a nightmare- throwing rocks, loud music, fighting, teasing their dog- and we have yelled at them so many times over the past couple of years. They are left unsupervised to play in basically the street, and their boredom leads to trouble.
The last time that I yelled at them (they were trying to throw batteries over our house), I had a guilty feeling. I started thinking about how we have witnessed their mother scream and curse at them, and imagining what a lonely, empty life they likely lead. JB commented that the anger and frustration is visible in the eyes of the oldest boy.

We have decided to fill a box with books, toys, journals, etc. and leave it on their front porch on Christmas day. We will probably tag it "From Santa" and definitely give it a dragonfly stamp. Maybe it will be a little beacon of light in what looks to be a miserable home situation.
WE LOVE YOU and will be thinking of you through the holidays.

Hug you shouldahs,

Pam n JB