Wise Men Who Seek

Just as the Wise Men of old, who brought their finest gifts for the baby Jesus; there are those who also seek to give to others during the Christmas season. I sometimes wonder if Santa Claus and other similar characters are version of the Wise Men who came from the East thousands of years ago to visit the baby Jesus.

Each year, I will hear of Sub for Santa projects. Malls have been known to do a Angel Tree, where patrons take a paper ornament off the tree and buy item listed for a child in need. Marines have the Toys for Tots drive, where people will bring in unwrapped toys of their choice. The Holladay Library asks for donations of winter hats, scarves, gloves and mittens to decorate the tree in the lobby. KSL has their Quarters for Christmas fund raiser where they buy shoes for children in need. The food banks across the nation begin their annual food drives in November with donations being either cash or food items. Neighbors seem to be more charitable during the holiday season, maybe because of the opportunities to give. Members of my ward were asked to Share The Gift, by serving others. And some, just naturally are willing to give of their time to help another in need. Sometimes the act of kindness is just being aware of someone in need, whether it is a friend, a neighbor or stranger. Wise Men today still seek Jesus by giving of themselves because they care for others.

Lighting Up The Night

Last weekend, I flew to Seattle to walk “Light The Night” with my sisters and my nieces. I had done a similar walk years ago in Sugarhouse Park with my work. At that time, I walked for two brothers who had Leukemia. I carried a red balloon in their memory. A few years after I walked in Sugarhouse Park, my Aunt Maevonne got Lymphoma. I looked up other walks in Colorado, but I never walked any in any of the event. I didn’t even bother to register.

When Mom was diagnosed with Lymphoma last year, I looked up the site again. But with stress of losing her, I forgot until after she died. I was at a local fast food restaurant when I saw a flyer for “Light The Night” in Sugarhouse Park. I thought of doing, but then I realized it was too emotional for me to do. So I concentrated on dealing with her estate and set a goal of walking in 2013.

As autumn approached, I realized my goal of doing the walk. But I wasn'tSalt Lake since it isn't an event one does alone. So I checked out other states, even Colorado, before deciding on the Seattle area. I knew I could count on my sisters to support me. So I registered and made reservations with Southwest, who has weekend getaway fares. My sister, Laura formed TeamBoice and soon my sister, Mary signed up. Then Tracina and her family joined in the fund raising efforts.sure if I wanted to do the walk in.

The day of the event was rainy, but then what can you expect of Seattle. Bill, Laura’s husband, drove us there. He checked out the free food while we picked up our t-shirts and lighted balloons. Bill highly recommended the clam chowder, which was very good. Mary got sick, so I picked up her t-shirt and balloon. I thought one of her granddaughters could carry the balloon. Eventually, Tracina and her daughters got to the park. I gave the Bella and MoMo each a balloon, one for each of their grandmas. (Their dad’s mom also has Lymphoma.) It was then that Tracina told us the walk had been canceled. It wasn't the rain, but the wind. We looked over and a large group of walkers were heading out on the trail. Even though the event was canceled, no one discouraged anyone from walking around Green Lake. We walked a short distance and saw some down trees, but none in the path that went around the lake. After we got back, we saw a large group come back. We could see the glow of the lights from the blinking necklaces and some of the lightened balloons. It made me realize that hope can be the light in the midst of darkness. Someday, there will be a cure for cancer.

Before Tracina and her daughters boarded the bus (back to their car), I gave her my balloons (They gave away balloons free after the walk was canceled.) to give her daughter, Vanessa. She had to work and she is quite close to her grandmas. Laura, Bill and I left to see Isaac and his family before we headed home.

Although the walk was canceled, I was glad I flew to Seattle to walk with my sisters. Mom liked it when I walked for the two brothers, one who was her bishop for a short time. She would have liked that we walked for her and her sister, Maevonne. And she would have loved that the Bella and MoMo walked for their paternal grandma too.

Cupid's Heart Attacks

A few years ago, Jay and I were watching TV in the evening. Jay heard someone outside the door. He opened the door, but no one was there. But I did see some familiar looking valentines on the door. Cupid aka Crystal, Whitney and/or Brittany had decorated Crystal’s grandma’s bedroom wall with homemade valentines. Grandma had no clue who did, even though she saw them wander in and out of her room as the posted the heart attacks (valentines) on the wall. I knew it was the three amigos because I recognized Mom’s car. Crystal and her friends weren’t old enough to drive then, so Mom was recruited in the heart attacks on my door. And I was at the house while they gave Grandma heart attacks.

When I asked Crystal, she flat out denied it; claiming she had no clue who did or what heart attacks (or cupids as I called the heart attacks then). I guess she forgot that I had witnessed her cupid her Grandma’s bedroom wall.

A few months later, those heart attacks saved my life. I was down on myself because of problems at work. I felt as if I didn’t have the ability to get along with co-workers and I was having a tough time thinking well of myself. I happen to notice one of the heart on my bedroom door and then another. One of the Cupids had wrote “U always think of others”, “the most amazing kind person”, “U brighten lives around you” and others. Looking at those heart attacks made me realize that I mattered to someone. A young woman still in her teens, who thought a lot of me. Crystal helped me pick up myself from ground and lifted me up in my time of need. Crystal and the Cupid team saved my life.

It is true that you never know what a kind word will do or when it is needed. Marjorie Pay Hinckley once quoted “There is no such thing as a small act of kindness.”

Thank you, Crystal, Whitney, Brittany and Jewel.

Return to Honor

On Friday when I was helping out at the Race for the Cure, I stopped by the Merchandise Booth, since I knew I would want to do some shopping.  I noticed the “Co-survivor pin” and I thought of my niece, Tracina. If anyone deserves that pin, it is her.  When my sister, her mom, Mary got breast cancer almost seven years, Tracina was there for her. Tracina just had her second daughter, Isabella at the end of March. My niece, along with other family members, was there at the hospital when Mary had her surgery to remove the cancerous tumor. Tracina helped take care of her parents and her siblings that October.  Quite a few pictures were taken during the time, but the one that says it the most (for me) is the one where Tracina is washing her mother’s hair. Because of the surgery, my sister could not lift her arms. What a wonderful way to honor her mother; to return the kind acts of service rendered in her behalf as she grew up.

Volunteering at the Race for the Cure

Today, I volunteered again for the Race for the Cure in downtown Salt Lake.  This year it moved to

Library Square

because it outgrew the Gateway, where it had been the last year. As I ate breakfast at McDonald’s in the City Creek Center, I thought about what got me started in as a race volunteer.  My first experience as a race volunteer was the Salt Lake Classic in Liberty Park. I was employed at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah and decided to get involved after hearing a ward member tell me what a good time she had when her family helped out a race that Blue Cross sponsored. Her dad worked in marketing at the time. Volunteering led to helping out at the Olympics in 2002 and eventually the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I started volunteering at the RFTC after I started working for the University of Utah. By then the Salt Lake Classic was a thing of the past and I was looking for some service to do. Cheering on the marathon runners during the Salt Lake Marathon just wasn’t enough.

When I volunteered for the Salt Lake Classic, I usually worked in the refreshment area or the finish line, but when I walked the race, I either helped out with registration or pre-race activities. One year I helped out with post activity race. I stopped volunteering for the Classic when Blue Cross decided to help with the RFTC. But I never signed up for Team Regence (Blue Cross became Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah in the late nineties.) because volunteering met working during the race. My volunteering for the race involved raising funds for the Race for the Cure. When I started volunteering my time to RFTC, I worked in Team Packet pickup and the next week in registration. Then I became a regular in t-shirt pick up.

For the first time volunteering, I had to have a background check. Not because the venue had changed, but because I worked in Donations. There were only two of us working under a sign that read “Registration” and we both had to wear hot pink plastic paper bracelets, signifying we were okay to handle money. Our tent wasn’t set up due the rental company being late in delivering the tents, table and such. We never got our chairs, but I still had good time.

When I got done, I did the usual shopping for RFTC merchandise. I enjoy giving little things to my nieces who are related to survivors. Most of my nieces have participated in a Race for the Cure, even Bella, who rode in her stroller the whole 3.1 miles as very young toddler.

Leave it to Mike Stewart

Thirty something years ago, my Dad suddenly passed away. John and I drove up from Utah. Mary and Doug flew in from Seattle with their six month old sold, Mike. Since Mike was a baby, he got to fly for free, but not five year old, Tracina. She stayed behind with family in Portland or friends in Olympia, Washington. Since Mary and her family flew in on the night of Dad’s viewing, I got to drive to Twin Falls, Idaho to pick them up, which was thirty miles from Burley. When we got to Payne Mortuary, Mary sat Mike down and immediately he starts moving and smiling at everyone. Our neighbor and former bishop, Lowell Maughan and his wife, Mary smiled back as did any other visitors who were still there. Laura said on the way from the viewing that no one had smiled before Baby Mike arrived. Using his own innocent charm, he changed the somber mood into a more cheerful countenance.
After the funeral in Paul, Idaho, we drove to Manassa Colorado for another funeral and to bury my Dad where he was born and raised. On the way, we stopped at one of my Tracy cousins to spend the night. The next morning at breakfast, someone gave Baby Mike a dill pickle. To everyone’s surprise, Mike sucked on that pickle like it was one of his bottles. Again, Mike was bringing cheer into a dreary event.
Later that night, we pulled in Uncle Kelland and Aunt Wilma’s house outside, LaJara, Colorado. While I was in bathroom getting dressed after my shower, I could hear the piano playing. Then it got louder. I walked out into the living room to see my nephew sitting on my Mom’s lap at the piano. Mike was banging away at keys like only a six month old could. And he was grinning from ear to ear and his audience was smiling. Little Mike knew when to entertain. I doubt that Mike knew that he was performing acts of service. Thirty two years later, I am glad that he flew free. Thank you, Mike Stewart, for bringing cheer to our family when we needed it the most.

Rake & Bag – Another Day of Service

Our ward finally did their day of service as President Erying of the First Presidency asked us to do in April 2011 General Conference. Brother Hamilton, a counselor in the bishopric said, “We were waiting for the leaves to fall.” Our ward leadership decided that the senior citizens of the ward would be served. After many years of serving; it was payback time. There were 2 two hour shifts that ward members could sign up for. Jay signed up for the 10am session and I tagged along. We walked to the house we were assigned. Jay, another man and I helped put Sister Neilson’s lights up. When the people who raking & bagging leaves at a previous house came, we started raking and bagging leaves on her lawn and the house east of hers. When we finished there, our group did her neighbors to the west. Their names weren’t on the list, but they were most grateful to us. They have bad backs and were not able to rake the leaves. Before we were done raking and bagging leaves, Sister Neilson made breadsticks for those who helped. They were The Bomb. Even the youngest boy there ate an armful. I guess his eyes were bigger than his stomach. He reminded me of a much younger Jay, who would always dish up more food than he could eat. I was glad that some parents brought their sons with them. They got teach the value of service thru example. Even though the little boy played in the leaves, he also helped out and experienced an act of kindness and learned the value of work. There is always a reward, even if it isn’t Holladay’s best breadsticks.

Draper Days-Celebrating Utah

I did another day of service. Actually it was less than 4 hours at the Draper Days Breakfast, but after my 4 hours of service at the Race for the Cure, I can say I did a day of service. I have accepted President Erying's challenge.

My brother, John picked up Jay and me about 6am to help out with the annual Draper Days on July 16th. While we were driving out, I realized that July is a busy time for Utahns to celebrate. Provo has a huge celebration, complete with a concert and firework show and one of the biggest parades in the state the weekend of 4th of July. (Murray, Sugarhouse and Holladay also fireworks.) Last weekend, Taylorsville celebrated their annual Taylorsville Days. Next weekend, Salt Lake City will party with the biggest parade in the state and fireworks somewhere. That celebration probably started this past week with the Days of 47 royalty and Youth parade yesterday. Cottonwood Heights will also celebrate their Butlerville Days the same weekend as Salt Lake City.

For some time, the Draper Lions have sponsored a breakfast before the Draper Days parade. The Lions are a service organization. John was a member of Holladay Lions and when he moved to Sandy, he became involved with the Draper Lions. John requirted Jay and me a few years ago. This year was our third or fourth year to help John out. On the way to the park, John told us that the South Valley Kiwanis (another service organization) were helping out for the first time at the breakfast. A few were there when we arrived and helped us set up. Some more showed up just before the rush (which happens annually after the 5k race). Most left soon after we closed up shop, except for one guy named Millet (French name pronounced Mel-lay) who stuck around for clean up. He was performing with a group at noon, either at the Draper Park or somewhere close by.

When the Draper Days parade turned the corner to go around the park, I noticed an entry that a monkey that looked a lot like Curious George. A few months ago, I purchased a "Curious George" book in Spanish (I'm making a less than serious attempt to learn Spanish.), so when I saw this monkey, I knew I had to get a picture, so when I saw it on the street before the street that I was closest to, I left the tent with my cellphone that has the camera. After I took his picture, the monkey shook my hand. I am thinking that this monkey was part of a local automotive business that had an entry in the parade. Quite a few local business will have entries in the parade, including dance studios.

The Draper Days parade is not one of the biggest parades in Utah, maybe one of the bigger one in the Salt Lake Valley. Days of 47 and the Freedom Festival parade in Provo are much bigger. But the Jazz bear still showed up. Just before this picture he squirting parade watchers with confetti from a can. When he passed by the spot where I was standing, he threw out styrofoam hats. The children seemed to love both. In some ways, the Draper Days parade is a preview of the Days of 47 Parade which is held on weekend of the 24th. Some of the floats that appear in this parade will be in the Days of 47 parade.

When we done serving, Karen mentioned that she could hear the pipers. One of the men in my ward has learned to play the bagpipes recently and is part of one of the two bagpipe bands in the valley. So I left tent and waited patiently for them to go around the park. I waited by the port-a-potties. When I saw them turn the corner, I opened my cellphone. When they got closer, I got the camera really for picture taking. Just as the pipers got in view, someone walked by or out of a port-a-potty, causing me to get the tail end of the band. I know don't if Brother Buchanan and his son were apart of the group or not. I forgot to ask his wife and I don't recognize any pipers in this picture.

Last year I notice this statute. The couple portrayed looks like they are ticked off about something. The male pioneer is holding a gun and she has her arm is reaching out for handout. I walked by this statute last year, thinking that ornery people settled Draper; they trusted no one and never got the handout they wanted. When I arrived at the park this year, I realized why this pioneer couple looked so ticked off. The birds visited them and left them some handouts no human ever wants.

Race for the Cure, a 1/2 Day of Service

A month ago, President Henry B. Eyring of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ First Presidency, gave members a challenge to perform a day of service. When I read about the challenge in the next day’s Sunday Salt Lake Tribune, I knew that my day of service would be helping out at the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. I had already signed up to participate the day before the race, helping out in Individual Packet Pick-up.

I took the day off from work as a vacation day. Being a Friday, it was tempting to just stay home and enjoy a rare sunny and warm day. Finally, it felt like May. But I had given my word, so I got on the bus. Within the hour, I got off Trax downtown. I went to McDonald’s first. I decided to have lunch before I went to “work”. My niece, Mo has a birthday at the end of June and I wanted to give her a gift card from McDonald’s. (See my post “Pennies & Spare Change – March 26, 2011). I still had time before I had to check in, so I walked The Gateway and got my exercise in for the day. It was still tempting to just keep walking and even shop; it was such a nice sunny day.

Just before 12:30, I headed for the Union Pacific depot at the Gateway to check in. After I received my assignment of giving pre-registered participants their t-shirts and bibs, I met some employees from Goldman Sachs who had been there since 8 or 9am. I was told that Goldman Sachs encourages their employees to do a day of community service. The employees have a list to choose from and these four or more employees chose the Race for the Cure. One of the employees stayed after I left, he was waiting for his wife. When I heard what Goldman Sachs was doing, I was impressed. I wish more employers were like this.

Before I left, I had to check out the booths. I was a bit disappointed that I could not find any Breast Cancer Awareness bookmarks. I like to stick the bookmarks in the books I check out at the library. Who knows, the next reader might benefit from the information on the bookmark. But I did manage to buy some Komen merchandise before I left. So who will get the hot pink boa I bought? I can see someone wearing it while participating in a 3 Day walk or another race.

Day of Service Challenge

A month ago, I posted on Facebook something about the Day of Service challenge. I also emailed some of my friends and family, some who are not on Facebook and/or members of the LDS church. I started off with the post I put on Facebook and included a portion of my aunt email.

Susan Jackson I read in the Salt Lake Trib that President Eyring challenged LDS members to perform a day of serice in honor of 75th anniversary of Welfare service. So I am curious as to what people are planning for thier day of service.

Elizabeth Crocker Eves After listening to his talk yesterday, I was thinking about what we could do as a family...I haven't come up with anything yet that will work for the boys. BUT, our ward Relief Society is going to dedicate our monthly meeting to service -- we'll provide three service/humanitarian opportunities in one evening activity. I'm really looking forward to it, as we're not a very service-oriented ward!

John Edwin Jackson Will be interesting, this day of service. Is good that you are already considering what you might do.

Susan Jackson And John, I am already considering what you can do on Saturday. Actually, I have had this one planned for months. Thanks for taking me to the dentist all these times.

John Edwin Jackson Cool. Will be good to go over there.

Aunt Gladys wrote (4/3/11) Everyday of Maevonne's life is a service project for someone to her capabilities. Maevonne remarked once that she wished she could be like her mother and I thought that I couldn't think of anyone of the children who was more like Mama than Maevonne.

On April 16th, the day of the Salt Lake Marathon, Jay and I helped with spring cleaning at the condo. Even though it wasn't a full day, but most of our morning waking hours, I decided it counted. When we were returning tools to the storage unit, Marianne, a board member told us that the work we and others did, saved the condo association thousands of dollars. She told that the company who does the landscaping charges by the hour. By volunteering our time, we were looking out for the welfare of the condo and the homeowners, because it kept the HOA fees more manageable for the year.

Pennies & Spare Change

I was having a late breakfast at McDonald’s in downtown Salt Lake City on Monday. Since I had no reading material, I read the paper placemat that lined the tray while I ate. (Actually, it was a picture of a Jazz basketball player that caught attention. Apparently, he volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House in Salt Lake City.) I was seeing the letters RMHC in the little snippets of information on the placemat. I understood the first three, but I wasn’t sure about the letter C. I thought maybe Center. Looking under my Bacon, Egg Cheese Biscuit I found that C was for Charities. I also learned that each Happy Meal that is ordered, a penny goes to Ronald McDonald House Charities. I am thinking selfish McDonald’s could up it to at least a nickel or a dime. There are a lot of sick children out there and economy isn't exactly doing very well, beside those Happy Meals aren’t that cheap. The placemat also told me that there are donation containers at the counter. So I looked at the counter, but I couldn’t see any thing that looked like a donation container so I left the food court without donating my spare change. But I decided that Mo, my niece who has a birthday this summer would get a McDonald’s gift card with a dime or a dollar attached. Then she can donate a it to RMHC and help a child’s family out while the child is in the hospital.
Reading about the donating at the counter reminded me of the pennies that I and my Primary classmates would drop in a round container each Wednesday afternoon. I don’t think I donated every week and I don’t think every Primary child did. But something was collected every week in the Paul 2nd Ward, even when most of us went to the local mom and pop grocery store nearby. The Primary President wasn’t too happy about that. Those children in the Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake wouldn’t get the care they needed without those pennies. Even though I bought penny candy at the store, I made sure I had enough pennies for my birthday. On our birthdays we were expected to donate our age in pennies to the Primary Children’s Hospital. The container even looked like the hospital that was located in Avenues of Salt Lake City.
A few hours after I got home, I looked up Ronald McDonald House. I wanted to know if there are donation containers in every McDonald’s. There is and it looks like it is shaped like a tissue box. Next time, I will know what to look for and from now on, it will be cash only at McDonald’s so that change can go to the donation box. And each fall, I will donate to Primary Children’s Hospital “Pennies by the Inch”. (Over the years the Birthday Pennies morphed into the now annual “Pennies by the Inch”, where one donates by height instead of age.)

Who knew that Primary birthday pennies would set the path to donating spare change at McDonald’s?