Pay it Forward

Introducing you to someone who works very hard to make it easy for us to help people.

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Yesterday Alex wrote about our trip for my 50^th birthday. It was lovely and 50 doesn’t seem so old when you’re staying in a hotel built in the thirteenth century! While it wasn’t physically relaxing (because vacations with Alex rarely are), it was a mental break that I truly needed. The two weeks prior to the trip were crazy stressful.

I was consumed with some business issues that are mostly resolved but required me to unexpectedly spend a lot of time dealing working it out. I spent well over eight hours in four days trying to get a prescription for a medication my daughter needed. Once I accomplished that, it took an entire day to find a pharmacy that had it in stock. I was frustrated, anxious, worried, and angry with the entire situation and process. Alex was traveling so I had to take care of it alone which is an entirely different layer of feelings. Oh, and, “Mama, it’s Pi Day today. Can you bring pizza pies for my math class?” I should have said no, but I didn’t because I don’t often get asked to do things like that these days and I wanted to say yes.

But at the end of those two weeks when I was awake early one morning I reflected on the tumult, I couldn’t help but be grateful for all the blessings I have that enabled me to work through all those issues.

Not everyone has the time to put everything on hold to handle emergency issues.

Not everyone has the time to spend hours on the phone working through the labyrinth of insurance and healthcare systems not to mention that we also have excellent insurance coverage because my husband is a military retiree.

Not everyone has a reliable partner to share the workload (and stress).

Not everyone has the bandwidth to devote so many non-work hours to anything beyond survival whether it be emotional, physical, financial, or all the above.

I know gratitude is a noun, but it’s even better when you make it a verb so, with that, I want to introduce you to a woman who does the most beautiful work.

She is Simone Gordan also known as the Black Fairy Godmother. Please click the link and read her story because it’s better than any summary I could write. And this video of segment Kelly  Clarkson did about Simone. I also encourage you to scroll through her Instagram page and read the messages she receives and the help she is able to provide. As you will see, most people asking for help are in dire straits and they don’t know where else to turn to get help now. It’s rare these days to be able to give a little money and know you are making an immediate difference but it’s possible because Simone does the hard work of making those connections.

The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that you can donate to with this link. I also encourage you to follow them on Instagram and Facebook because maybe some day you will be scrolling and see an opportunity to give someone a helping hand.

I will never stop the political activism work I do, but if we secure democracy and reproductive freedoms and we don’t also take the time to show kindness and love to our fellow Americans, we will fall right back into the pattern that got us here in the first place.

Here is a link to donate securely and receive a tax receipt.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.