In the beginning.....

I am blessed, tremendously grateful for it. I grew up the only child of amazing parents. My mom stayed home and my dad worked hard for us. We were never wealthy but we always had what we needed.

My mom passed away almost 13 years ago and I lost my dad at the end of February. This has left me a little adrift in the world searching for a purpose. I'm starting to volunteer for different organizations I believe in but wanted to do something on my own. I figured out I wanted to share my gratitude for being so blessed.

So I decided to start today. I went to Target (my happy place) and bought gift cards. I bought 10, $5 gift cards and a package of notecards. In the notecard I will write a simple message, like, have an awesome day and I will enclose a gift card. I will ask them to pay forward the kindness they've received, however they can. Will everyone do it? Some will, some won't. But I am hopeful that if a small kindness from a stranger touches them, they will be inspired to pass it on.

I also need to come up with some other ideas. It won't always be gift cards. I'd appreciate any suggestions!

So as I go along, I'm going to write about my experiences, the people I meet and share kindness with. I'm excited to begin!

Thanks in advance for embarking on this journey with me. Not sure what to expect, but that's the beauty of it.