RAOK: After Tragedy Spread JOY!

Yesterday's events when 20 people were killed at a school in Connecticut, and 22 children were stabbed in China, well they really hit me.  I can absorb and feel all of the pain for those families.  I know personally HOW they will feel for the rest of their lives, I am just 5 years ahead of them. 

It affected me as it did many other people.  I just can't comprehend why anyone would ever feel it was a good choice to take their own life, let alone anyone else's life, and unimaginably multiple persons' lives.  I cannot wrap my head around why or how someone gets to THAT point.

Thinking about these events really eats at me and brings me down.  Reading them in my Facebook news feed just destroyed my day, as sadness seems to spread like wildfire, and far easier than happiness does.  (this following one of the most amazing experiences of my life in the wee hours that very same morning)

So today a friend suggested we all do nice things for others to bring Joy back today and to heal some of the pain every one of us is feeling.  So I decided to start the day with RAOK.

Our family got dressed and went out.  The first thing we did was to tell our server at Denny's that we planned on paying for someone else's order.  Her manager and her carefully and respectfully chose a family with a new baby, and we picked up their tab.  Leaving a MISS RAOK card behind, so they knew about our daughter, and why we specifically chose today as a day to do this.  We felt the blessings and Joy as we left the restaurant.

Well time was running out.  Because you know, we are moving, and I am HUGE procrastinator, so we decided to just randomly choose to pay for people's drinks/food at Maverick.  One by one, as we felt it, we jumped in front of people and paid their tab.  Some noticed right away and were grateful.  Others were shocked, still trying to pay for their own things, confused, and then they quizzically thanked us.

The last person was buying Cheetos.  I couldn't help but think, if Amberlee was with us, I would be sharing those with her this weekend, as they are my favorite.  So I jumped in front and paid for this sweet girls Cheetos.

As we entered our home, I felt the rush, and I felt the adrenaline of having done so many fun acts of kindness for others.  But most of all I feel JOY.  The pain of yesterday is sufficed for a moment.  If only it were so easy to help those families that lost their babies and family members, unimaginably, yesterday.  I am certain they woke up this morning wondering if it was a dream, and wondering if waking up on this busy holiday day, everything might have stopped and paused for them to try to grip their reality.  But the world doesn't stop. 

We may have all paused and we may have a constant prayer in our heart for all of those families.  I hope they know that their babies are hugging them, even if they cannot see them.  I hope they can find their way back to JOY and one day, share in the joy and blessings that will come from the worst day of their lives.  I know that will be a long time from now, but it is my prayer that they find their way to happiness, on their own time.

Prayers,
Beth