New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve

From Pat Tabb:

Hello, Jamie,

I was so glad to hear from you this year about Theo's Stocking and I made plans to deliver bread and a small check for food to a dear lady we know who is unable to get out.  Today was the first opportunity to pack up my four grandchildren and to include them in the visit.  It was also an opportunity to make them more aware of reaching out to others, especially those in need.  We are delighted to honor Theo in this outreach.

God bless you, your wife, and your little girl.

From Jordyn Bradford:

Hi Professor F! 

Hope you're enjoying your break! This year over the holiday my family and I participated in Samaritan's Purse: Operation Christmas Child. We recently received an email saying that our packages would be delivered to children in Zimbabwe. Our Christmas packages contained school supplies, toys, comb&brush, toothbrush&toothpaste, a mirror, soap, a loofa/bath sponge, a pack of pocket tissues, and socks. We also included a letter from my little sister who are 7 and 10, asking if the children receiving the package would like to be pen pals.We are very excited to see if they will respond back to us! Here's the link to the organization's site if you would like to find out more about what they do. http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ Have a great new year! 

From Carolyn White:

I donated to Tipitina'sFoundation.

Happy Festivus to all!

Love , Carolyn

From Matt Clingempeel:

 Over Thanksgiving break, this teenager was running next to me on the treadmill. I guess he’s some big runner with the local high school team. He was running like crazy, over ten miles an hour. He did this for over ten minutes, slinging sweat everywhere. I’m serious, sweat was flying through the air hitting my treadmill and his was soaked. He stopped the machine and got off. I waited the last few minutes of  my run for his to come back and clean off the machine. He never did. So when I cleaned off my machine, I cleaned his off as well. That was me being nice. Then I found him working out and told him to never leave a machine like that again. He started to walk over and to the treadmills and I told him I had done it already, in a scolding manner. That was me being a parent and not as nice. For your son, if it’s not too late, just focus on the nice part about me cleaning up the leakings of another’s body.

December 26, 2013

From Steven Funes:

Mr. F,
I am extremely happy to hear from you! Merry Christmas to you and your family, I hope all is well on your end. My life has been truly blessed and God is amazing. I graduate in May 2014, continuing my careers in the military and law enforcement.
            Today my church, Life Church, went to Monroe Park around 8:30 this morning for a homeless outreach. I read a poem I wrote, "Eternal Sweetness," passed out fresh stew and hot chocolate, and handed out numerous gifts and goodie bags to all the homeless present. The gentleman in charge of our outreach program witnessed to the crowd with his testimony and Bible scripture. We also prayed with them, played music, and enjoyed each other's company. One really cool and selfless thing that my mother did today at the outreach was give her very nice leather jacket with fur to a young, pregnant homeless woman. Truly made that woman's day as she said in a shivering voice, "This is much warmer, thank you!"
            Sir, I am so grateful that I have met you and had the opportunity to have you as my professor. You certainly are an inspiration to me to continue to be selfless and a servant to our world. May God continue to watch after Theo, as he dances and worships God in Heaven.
            Very respectfully,
            Steven Funes

From Anonymous:

Merry Christmas! This Christmas Eve, I took in a distant friend to come celebrate the night with my family because his parents recently divorced and both spontaneously decided to go out of town. 

        For another act of kindness, I hugged my father on Christmas Eve. We have not spoken to each other in months.

Christmas Day 2013

From Stephanie Ferguson:



For Theo, I donated 3 bags of cleaning supplies and treats to my local Humane Society. Love and Hugs, Fergie.
 



From Pam Powell and Annie Zoll:

Annie and I served free breakfast to the homeless at Kountry Kitchen, a downtown Indy soul food restaurant that provides breakfast and a gift to the homeless. Over 2000 meals were served! Cynthia and her staff are wonderful. When we arrived at the restaurant and discovered that the restaurant was short on men’s hats to distribute, Annie took us on a whirlwind trip to the only store open and bought them out of men’s hats to donate to the cause. With Theo in our hearts, we committed random acts of kindness along the way and hopefully spread love and smiles to as many as possible. I love you, Jamie, Lula and Theo with all my heart.

From Carol Schall:

For Theo’s Christmas Stocking, and for my mom: A girl on Em’s basketball team will heal with less pain because Emily and I gave her the good ice machine--it is electric and pumps ice water through a cuff that attaches to the knee. It is great for someone who has had knee surgery and makes recovery so much better.  Also, I emailed a friend of Em’s to find out how his coming out to his family went, and to let him know that we are here for him. Finally, working to make the world a better place through our law suit! Merry Christmas Theo! We remember you often, especially during our acts of kindness at this time of year.

            Note: Carol and her wife Mary Townley are suing the Commonwealth of Virginia in the federal court system claiming that Virginia’s amendment against marriage equality violates their rights granted under the U.S. Constitution. They are joined in the case by Tim Bostic and Tony London. Carol, Mary, Tim and Tony have the support of the American Foundation for Equal Rights--as well as the support of the Helbert-Fueglein family and so many others who love them and support them and believe that all people should have the right to marry they person they love.

From Michaux Dempster:

There’s a feral cat that lives close to the Five Guys we go to every Sunday, and a lady that comes to feed her every day. We offered to take a share in this work, and exchanged information with the lady so that we could relieve her of this sometimes.

From Eugene Gudym:

Hello Professor Fueglein,

            First off, I would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, and soon a Happy New Year.
            It has been a couple of years since I was enrolled in your course yet have contemplated doing this since the very first time I heard about Theo and the blog you have created. Besides the daily unmentioned kind acts and expected male chivalry, I would like to play my family an original song in honor of Thelonius Luther Helbert Fueglein. I hope you take no offence to this because you truly do not know my skill of piano. I could be an amateur making a mockery, but I am not; I have played for a majority of my life and will play it for my family after dinner tomorrow in honor and in memory (already have it recorded). I hope Thelonius enjoys my song up there and I’m sure he’s proud of you for receiving so much positive affection from people who didn’t even get a chance to meet him. 

            Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

                        Sincerely,

                                    Eugene Gudym

From Kevin Tran:

In honor of Theo this Christmas I committed an act of kindness. My neighbor who is a single struggling mother raising two kids was worried she couldn’t provide some holiday cheer for her kids. My sister and I took some time out to present these children with some eggnog, snicker-doodles, and crafted gingerbread houses with them. 

December 24, 2013

December 24, 2013

From Anonymous:

We didn’t do any as inspiring as so many who contributed to Theo’s Stocking this year but we do give to Saint Jude’s and the Red Cross each year (or throughout the year) and also donate new toys through a drive sponsored at our health club.

            The other day, though, I did have the opportunity to perform a small act of kindness when I noticed a man ahead of me driving erratically. The sun was such that I suspected he might be having difficulty seeing (this street in our neighborhood presents the sun shining directly into your eyes on the horizon in the morning this time of year) and it looked like he was about to drive off the road into a ravine. I honked repeatedly and he pulled over just before going off the road. I pulled up alongside him and asked him if he was having difficulty seeing. He said that was the case and I asked him if he’d allow me to pull ahead of him to guide him since I knew the street (I told him that just a few days before I’d found myself driving in middle of the road before realizing). He agreed and I got to start my day by doing something nice for someone I didn’t know.

            I think of you (and Theo) often.

From Christiane Morecock:

I just returned home from two shifts packaging meals for Meals on Wheels. The FeedMore Richmond. Not necessarily random though.

            Random act of kindness: My boyfriend just yesterday found a one hundred dollar bill in Seven Eleven. The only other person in the store was the man right in front of him in line. He asked the man in front of him if it was his and the clerk, both responded with a no. And even though he has been looking for a job for two months (and that's money that could have gone towards a flight for him to come to see me in Ecuador!!!) he gave it to man sitting on the floor outside of the store in the cold with only a sweatshirt.

            I'm hesitant to call him homeless only because I don't know for sure. Don't want to make that assumption, could be an insult to assume! But I would think he was homeless. I was waiting in the car and didn't know what happened. I thought it was a single he gave to the man. It was a very nice thing to watch, although boyfriend almost immediately regretted it when he saw how low his gas tank had become.

            Merry Christmas Mr. F! Have a wonderful New Year!

From Jada Toote':

Hello Professor F.,

            Merry Christmas Eve! I frequently hold doors open for strangers especially if they're struggling, I pick up items dropped by individuals in a hurry, and  I allow pregnant women to sit down on the bus before me if there aren't  lot of available seats. Basically I tend to unthinkingly do random acts of kindness, so I didn't know what exactly to write about. Then I gave Ms. Brenda, the cleaning lady in my building (who I talk to often), a Christmas card, candy cane, and wished her a merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I could tell my gift had brightened her day. Ms. Brenda even said she would put my card on her calendar. I'm not sure if she has a lot of family or who she spends the holidays with however I'm happy I was able to cheer her up.

From Lydia Armstrong:

The other day, I pulled out of a gas station downtown and came to a red light at the intersection. I had my window down because it was nice out. As I pulled up, a panhandler on the corner nodded at me and said, "Merry Christmas." I waved and said merry Christmas back. He took a step forward and said, "You know, I've been out here since6:30 this morning and have said merry Christmas to everyone who came by, and you are the first person to actually say it back. Thank you." I didn't have any money, but he didn't ask for any and genuinely seemed more concerned with the fact that I acknowledged he exists. Since then, I've made it a point to nod or wave or say hello or merry Christmas to people on the street that usually get ignored.

            Merry Christmas.

From Leah Moore:

My act of kindness this year actually started right before Thanksgiving. A few days before the holiday my father passed. While I am dealing with my own grief I am also trying to be there for his girlfriend.  Because she was living there, I think she is taking this the hardest.  So right now, the simple act being a friend and confidant the gift I can offer her.

I hope you and your wife have a Merry Christmas. Happy 2014.

                   Best,

                        Leah Moore

December 23, 2013

December 23, 2013

From Paige Horn:

Professor F,

In all honesty, I’m really not sure how to feel about all this new information about your son you’ve just given me- mostly because if you hadn’t said anything, I would never have guessed otherwise. And it just brought back a question I often think about around this time of year: how many people do I know who hide these kinds of tragedies behind their smiles? And how many people will they interact with that will never know about them? See, I have this friend, Clark, whose older sister died two years ago, on December 8th. I’m not sure I ever asked what the cause was. One day in class he told me that she’d been hospitalized, and the next day when I asked how she was, he just paused and said, “She... didn’t make it.” At first I thought he was kidding, and let out some atrocious half-laugh, but then I saw the tears welling up in his eyes. Suddenly there was no point in asking anything else. I didn’t know what else to do other than hold him in silence; trying to cheer him up would’ve been disrespectful. After all, nothing I’d ever experienced could’ve allowed me to understand his pain.

Now, at 18, he has officially become older than his older sister ever will be. Many times I think about the people he’ll meet in the future, and how most will probably never even know he had a sister. For some reason that thought is quite discomforting to me, and so I have promised myself that I must never forget. And this is exactly what your story about Theo reminded me of. So thank you, because I’m sure it’s hard to share these kinds of things, especially with students.

The thing is, though, I never even met Clark’s sister. As such, I was not invited to her funeral. I know her name- Katherine- and that’s it. I don’t even know what she looks like. She is an enigma to me, and because of that it is sometimes hard for me to imagine that she ever really existed. Her absence isn’t felt in my life because her presence never was. But that absence is very real to Clark, whom I love very much. So as a way to keep her in my memory, I have taken a personal vow to do something for him each year on the anniversary of her death. Last year I baked him doughnuts and showed up at his house announced. This year, unfortunately, I was at school and therefore only able to send him a letter reminding him that I love him. Maybe they’re small gestures, but I guess the way I’m choosing to honor her life is by supporting his.

Perhaps this doesn’t really count, since these acts aren’t really random, but your stories just paralleled in such a way that I felt the need to share.

Much love and a Merry Christmas,

Paige

From Gwendolyn Brooks:

This past year, I’ve been saving my change, as well as trying to write notes of gratitude each day since January 15, 2013, in honor of Theo. On exactly January 15, 2014 I will be making a donation to the MISS Foundation, in his name, which is the foundation that Karla suggested because they have been so helpful to her and other mothers whose children have died. This is my gift to Theo’s stocking, but it is also a gift to myself. I apologize, but this is a little long. This year has been a financially difficult year for my family, so it will not be as large of a donation as I want, but I hope that it, along with the other donations that they receive, will help this foundation continue their mission to support the mothers and families whose children have passed. So, my gift in Theo’s stocking will take a bit longer than Dec 25th, but I’ve thought about Theo, and Karla, and my other friends and relatives who have children who have died throughout this year that I’ve been saving my change.

Also, for the first time, I’ve opened up a bit and been able to think about my oldest child. I never got to see, or hold my oldest child, who died in the womb before my four living children were born. I’ve always felt a bit guilty, a bit selfish, for having sadness over this child since I went on to give birth to four mostly healthy children that have now lived to adulthood. I named this baby Ariel, but I never felt free to mourn Ariel until I read Karla’s blog and her posts, so, this donation, this gift to put into Theo’s stocking is not just a gift to Theo’s memory, not just a way of hugging Karla and thanking her for sharing her journey with me and others and helping all of us find our own way to grieve - it is my way of placing a gift in Ariel’s stocking, because somehow saving this change, and writing these little notes of daily/weekly thank you notes has made me feel a little less guilty at feeling sadness over Ariel. It’s a gift to myself and Theo’s memory. I hope everyone will do something good in Theo’s memory, something kind, something positive, because it’s not just a way to honor his memory, acts of kindness and love return to us, and in the end, these gifts we give others are as much gifts to ourselves as they are to those we give them.

From Melissa King Russo:

This morning while having my coffee I saw the latest post... Then today as I was at Walmart a lil lady was getting ready to purchase her groceries and I had the sales associate add her groceries to my purchase. It was not all that much. But after I did it I was walking out of the store and Theo came to mind. I hope that during this Christmas season God continues to bless you and your family and continues to give you strength.

From Alicia Williams Masson:

Stuck in Kandahar, Afghanistan trying to get home. For Theo---just bought coffee for 5 other stranded soldiers. Showed them Theo’s photo and shared his story.

From Sid Sturgill Renfro:

I have 3 children coming here today for Christmas with my Family. I have their stockings stuffed just the same as I do our own kiddies because sadly, they will not be receiving any presents in their own homes on Christmas. I put from “Theo” on their gifts because your loss is a reminder to us that children will always need our help. We mourn our Lil Dean and pray for your Family as well. MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Renfro’s!!

From Michelle Salyer:

Our family purchased bedding items for a family in need. This family had been homeless until this past weekend. We are very thankful they are able to have a place to call home, and we feel very fortunate and blessed to have been able to help.

From Anonymous:

For Theo:
My daughter works in retail.  Christmas in retail can be, what’s the word I’m looking for?  “Interesting” works, I think.   Lots of frazzled parents, lots of excited children.  One little boy, about seven or so, really, really wanted a plastic dinosaur.  A pink dinosaur, one that lit up.  He found the perfect pink dinosaur in a bin that had a whole lot of tangled up toys.  His mother said he could have it if there was a price tag on it.  That particular bin gets a workout, so tags usually go missing.  No tag.  It was the only one like it.  My daughter left her register, rummaged around, no luck.  He and his mom followed my daughter back to the register, where he slowly handed it back.  My daughter knew she could find the price somewhere later, when there wasn’t a long line.  She handed it back to him.  “You know what?” she said.  “Merry Christmas!”  He couldn’t believe it, held it up to his chest with both hands, walked out with a dinosaur lighting up his shirt.   She found out the price later, bought it after the fact. It made her remember being seven years old and in love with a toy. She teared up a little when she told me.

So, that was for Theo.

And my husband and I made a donation along with other folks at our little local Farmer’s Market to go to the Pediatric Ward at VCU/MCV. Toys and crayons and warm fuzzy socks, lotions, wild and crazy bandaids, that kind of thing. That was for Theo.

Our thoughts and best wishes are with you and your loving family.  Thank you for this.

From Anonymous:

I had Mr. F for Focused Inquiry my freshman year at VCU in 2008. Every year, without fail, I get an email that reminds me to do something nice for others to honor Theo. Every year, after getting the email, I try to do a little something here and there for others. It’s nothing big but I think about the sweet boy, who still touches the lives of others. Even though I never met Theo, hearing Mr. F tell Theo’s story is a memory I think about a lot during this time of the year.

This year, I did something to honor him that was really hard for me. My father and I don’t have a steady relationship. We spoke a couple days before Christmas and I found out that he had been living in a home without electricity for two weeks. He has been struggling to pay for hotels to stay in and food to eat. A local pastor took him in for a couple days. We haven’t seen each other in nearly a year and I may not have answered the phone to him if I weren’t thinking of an email from Mr. F that reminded me to do something in memory of Theo. Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, I’m taking my father out to lunch. This isn’t a random act of kindness, but it’s a step in letting my father back into my life and forgiving. I think having lunch with him will be something that my father will really enjoy and appreciate. We don’t always get along and sometimes it’s hard to spend time with him. But in thinking about Theo, I was reminded that life is too short to hold onto my anger, resentment, and fear.

Mr. F, I hope you always send your holiday reminder from Theo. Even if people don’t respond with a story, know that Theo’s story still impacts people that you may not remember and those you may never meet.

From Jules Mitchell:

I paid a family member's water bill, so they could buy presents for their children. I am so very grateful that I am able to participate each year. I love remembering Theo and doing acts of kindness in his memory.

December 22, 2013

December 22, 2013

From Stan Kustesky:

I was going over to our local mall on Tuesday and I saw two really young guys on the sidewalk.  One was sitting there with a black puppy and the other facing traffic with a sign that read: “Traveling.  We are 3.  Ugly.”  They weren’t hitchhiking; rather looking for gas money. There was really nothing ugly or guileful about them, but I went on toward the highway entrance.  Then it hit me:  there’s nothing I really need at that mall except birthday wrapping paper, so I continued past the entrance and went around a large block to return to the kids and the dog.  I guess when you go over a certain age, anyone under 50 is a “kid.”  All I had was a $50 bill which the bank had given me and I didn’t realize it until I opened my wallet.  Then I said, to myself, naturally, “So what?”  I remember that age when $ was at a premium and I just wanted to get where I was going.  So I gave it to them.  From what I could see in my rear-view mirror, they were thrilled beyond words.  I knew I had done the right thing.  And now I will stuff the stocking with it.  

Merry Christmas, Fueglein Family.

--Stan

From Alex Kreher:

Hello Jamie, Karla and Lula,

I hope you are all well and Karla, it was great seeing you a few weeks ago.

I have been thinking of Theo a lot lately and yesterday I decided to bake a big pile of Crepes filled with banana pieces and Nutella and walk down my block to give fresh, hot crepes to random people and businesses along the way. Some people were hesitant at first but then I told them I am doing it in memory of Theo and told his story.

Big hugs to all of you and a merry Christmas!

Best

Alex and Zoe.

From Doreen Haase:

Dear Karla and Jamie,
I’ve been an Au pair in 2008/2009. That was the time I met Alex and Zoe. I saw Alex’s video post on Facebook. I watched it and it was so sad... But in the other way... So beautiful! How you handle the situation and also the big pain!

A really good friend of mine died of cancer in beginning of March this year. We spoke on the phone on Tuesday afternoon. I had to work this day. The next morning I drove to the hospital. I had this self-made soft animal with me. For him. That he is not alone. When I arrived there I tried to find him. After 30 minutes of searching, they told me he’d died this morning. That was a slap in my face. I never could give him the last big hug I ever wanted. Never say him again that I love him. That he always be in my heart till the end of days. So I hadn’t the chance to say good bye.

At the funeral I gave his mom the soft animal, because that she is not alone. I miss him every single day! He is every day in my heart and my memories! And so he is not dead. He’s just in the other side, where I cannot see him at the moment.

I try to act kind as often as possible. Yesterday I helped a mom out of the door with her baby stroller. This is not much! But it made her day better.

Keep your son always in your heart... Your memories... So he will never be forgotten and always loved. The world needs more humans like you! That give strength, warmth and hope to the others!

I wish you a merry Christmas! Happy holidays!
Kind regards, Doreen from Germany

From Anonymous:

Mr.F,
I was actually thinking about emailing you again, but I was hesitant because I kinda did the same thing as I did last year. I had one swipe left over and i remembered Theo’s stocking so I went to Shafer and swiped a full pizza and a liter of soda. The lady was nice enough to let me get the pizza because the pizza cost 2 swipes and I only had 1. So after I got the pizza and soda, I walked straight to Monroe Park and gave it to a group of homeless people. They happily accepted it. It wasn’t a lot, but the feeling of committing a random act of kindness was rewarding in itself. Happy Holidays to you and your family Mr.F.

From Katie Allen:

I donated goods to my church’s (Redemption Hill) Thanksgiving drive and I donated so my friend could go on a December mission trip. 

From Anonymous:

Hey, Mr. F!

I found a $50 bill on the ground and gave it to a homeless person with a dog. I figured he needed it more than I did. Thank you for sending this to everyone again. It’s such a great way to honor your son, Theo. 

Happy Holidays! 

From Cara Vu:

Mr. F,

To one of the best instructors I have had at VCU, I hope you and your family are doing well. For my act of kindness, I will from January 4th-11th, 2014, travel to Honduras with an organization called Students Helping Honduras to help build schools for children who are not as fortunate as we are to attend schools in a safe, sturdy building.

In addition, my mechanic has been having financial issues lately. His shop is a very small garage, but he always takes care of his customers’ cars and takes the time to check a little more than asked for to ensure the car is in tip-top shape without charging extra despite his already cheap prices. I went to see him to fix a few things recently when he told me of his financial  woes so I decided to tip him an extra $30 for the holidays in addition to doing such a beautiful job fixing up my car. (If anyone needs a fix up on their vehicle, call (804) 254-3838 and ask for Hamid Madani! :))

Happy holidays everyone, and do good not just for the holidays or for Theo, but also to help make this world a better place.

From Haley Welch:

Mr F,

So far I have held a door open for an elderly couple at Denny’s and let people walk across the street instead of me driving super fast and being a jerk. My boyfriend donated any change he had in his pocket for paralyzed, wounded, and homeless war veterans. And a friend of ours had a plane ticket arranged for my boyfriend to come home for Christmas because he originally couldn’t.

From Tyra:

I was thinking about random acts of kindness and what I could do to dedicate it to Theo. I was thinking and thinking, but then life got in the way and I started doing other things. Then this past week my mom asked did I want to come to church to cook for the homeless and I said yeah! So I went to church and helped prepare meals for the homeless for the following day. I then realized that the best acts of kindness sort of happen when you don’t realize it, or it’s just an instinct that makes you do it without out thought. I don’t feel that I have done many random acts of kindness, but then again I have a bad memory. This one is memorable though not only because it was for a good cause, and made me feel good inside, but because it was in memory of a little boy who I am sure would’ve done the same and much more. I know your son is looking down on this movement that you’re doing and smiling. Thank you for opening this opportunity to us it definitely has made me want to do more to make an impact while I am still here.

From John Kim:

During finals my roommates and I found a cat shivering in the winter cold. We found her near our front door and once we opened it, it just ran in to escape the cold. We let it stay for a while since we couldn't let such an innocent animal be cold and hungry outside. We fed it, groomed it and let it sleep on my bed. Although we put up ads on Craigslist and Facebook looking for an owner, we received no response as of yet. We decided instead of giving it to a shelter where we cannot know her fate for certain, we decided to instead give it to a mutual friend's mother. We felt that was the best decision we can do because at least we know the cat will be in a loving new home.

From Michael Barnes:

Hey Mr. F.
I have an act that I did a few months ago that I thought of Theo when I committed it. I’m a part time delivery driver while I’m in school, and on one of my deliveries, the woman was short a few dollars for her order so I offered to just pay the difference so she and her family could have their food and enjoy their night. I remembered the stocking for your son from freshman year and thought I would share it with you now. Hope to see you around campus soon!

From Laura Gariepy:

Jamie and family,

Your email about Theo’s stocking moved me very deeply. I so enjoyed reading a bit about Theo on your blog this morning.  My daughter was also in the mohawk camp when she was a couple of months old.  ;)  I hope I can send you several more emails over the next couple of days about other random acts of kindness I commit, and that the one I’m sharing with you now is just the first of several.

This morning, my husband Dan and I made a small donation to the MISS Foundation in Theo’s honor after learning about it on your blog. What an incredible mission. I hope this group brought (and continues to bring) you tremendous comfort, and we’re honored to be able to support the cause.

The way you commemorate Theo’s memory through his stocking is beautiful. Thank you for encouraging us all to do something wonderful to keep his spirit alive!

Wishing you the very happiest of holidays!

From Kathryn Thompson:

Hi Jamie,

I gave a man a few dollars the other night to help him buy gas to get home. I pray your family has a blessed holiday!

From Theresa Kennedy:

Jamie -- 

I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find something and I’ve wanted to send you guys something for years but have never run into a great opportunity.  And then yesterday, in the parking lot of Costco, a very *small* opportunity presented itself. 

A woman was pushing a huge cart full of stuff out to her car when a box fell off of the bottom of the cart.  She stopped and I reached down, grabbed the box, put it back on the cart, and then tried to stabilize some of the stuff that was on the cart for her so it wouldn’t fall again. And then I thought of Theo.  

So, something very small -- no big deal -- but I did it in honor of Theo.  

Thanks for the opportunity!  Merry Christmas!