The Kindness of Spirit

[Guest guest]

The Kindness of SpiritBy: TinsmanHere's my secret: his death still keeps me awake two years after he left this world. Whenever this happens, I focus on the sound of my beating heart when I can't sleep. I imagine my heart growing bigger, much bigger than my body. I close my eyes and imagine wrapping myself around the memory of him. I place my hand on my chest and feel the pulse of life within. Each beat becomes a symphony that peels away the grief and lulls me to sleep with dreams where I control the outcome. We are all a part of the same symphony of life. We start off in this world with a single note of sound to alert others we are here. It is what we do with this voice, with this presence, that defines who we are and how we will connect with others.My son's death was not the end of my life. To my surprise, it was quite the opposite. It was the beginning of when I learned that angels are everywhere, even in me. My spirit has been humbled by the kind acts of others who sought out to help – family, co-workers, friends and yes, even strangers. For they were the ones who helped guide us forward with small steps of kindness: a firm squeeze comforting my shaking hands, warm meals that appeared for months on my doorstep, much needed silence on the phone when words were at a loss, donations made to charities in our son's name. Dear reader, there were many countless acts of kindness that I could share with you but instead I will share what happened to me.Since his passing I began to hear my own heart beat, no pound!, with the sound of life – not death. My fingertips tingle with new found energy. My breath is steady and strong. My energy renewed by the mission of my soul to connect with others, including you. My gift is not random but it is kindness.Time is not what helped heal me when our son died. It was the kindness of others, and knowing that my family and I were truly not alone. Knowing others cared for us and still does. That life was worth getting out of bed for. That while we cannot control what happens to us, we can control how we react to it. That we can give back so that others will know they are cared for too. And this is how I began to find myself through giving to others.Sometimes the kindness is so small that you wouldn't even know I had been there. Garbage and litter begins to disappear at a local park. Your garbage cans are returned to their proper place on garbage day. Your mailbox has been cleaned. A donated library book carries the words, "This was one of my favorite books, I hope it becomes yours." Flowers appear on your windshield. A thank you note is slipped under your door. Graffiti is painted over on a well-traveled underpass. A smile is returned in a grocery store. Wildflowers become beautiful bouquets at a nursing home. Your coffee was paid for in the drive through. Old clothing becomes new for a family in need. Store carts are returned. Your entire day may have unfolded and you were never aware of the gifts of kindness that surround you.Here's my secret: his death still keeps me awake two years after he left this world and in his place there is a heart that beats so loud that my symphony has becomes yours.andra Tinsman, Owner & President. realized she could use her marketing skills to make a difference in peoples' lives by promoting acts of kindness, she founded Angel Quest. She built the company in the evenings while working a full time job and being a mother of two preschool-age children. Angel Quest remains her life's work and the rewarding career she always dreamed of having. www.angelquest.com--*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"Breathe deep, walk slow, hold tight to those you love, for the sun issetting and it will be over so fast." -- Ken PierpontMuch love to you,Please visit me at:http://livingonlove.ning.comhttp://myspace.com/rarebreezehttp://myspace.com/asundayinjune