In the Kindness of Others

Today was a busy day, meetings, hospital appointments, and our World Works Against Dementia Event for Dementia Alliance International. I was so honoured to be part of the WRAD event. Ok truly I wasn’t a big part of it, I hosted it, and even then it was not without flaws and I do not and admittedly so have any talents like the people we saw today. I am always in awe of those who can sing, dance, or do a variety of other skills. It was so wonderful to have collaborations between a songwriter in Scotland, James McKillop and a musician in Canada, Kevin Bader, who collaborated on a song James had written and Kevin set the lyrics and performed the song. It touched many hearts. If only we could see this kind of collaboration between organizations my oh my what could be done. We also saw families perform, grandchildren perform, members of support groups, and day programs, and lovely tributes written and performed by another of our members, truly an International event, from Singapore to Scotland to New Zealand and Canada. I enjoy helping to make those events possible, to see the joy and smiles it brings to all who take part. It does take a lot of time and energy to reach out to people to get their involvement but every single moment is worth it when you see the you it brings others. This event was one of the ways that kindness and a willingness of others helps to make things better for people both with and without Dementia made such a huge difference.

The other thing that happened today, brought me to tears, actually more than once. I have over the course of time since my diagnosis, been touched many times by the kindness of people, sometimes by family and friends others times by complete strangers, who have come to my aid when I have needed it. There is not a day that I don’t think about all the ways I have been touched by the kindness of others. Today was another day of being completely overtaken by emotions as another act of kindness was bestowed on me.

Meet Sally, Sally is coming home on Friday, she is my new electric bike, this has come through the complete kindness of others or an organization, I am not even sure which, it has been in the works for quite some time apparently, but they wish to remain anonymous. A lot of tears today over this. With all my health challenges over the last year it will allow me more freedom, it will allow me to get the exercise my body so badly needs for blood flow, but cannot get in most of the traditional ways, if I over exert my system, it can’t manage, this allows me the exercise with pedal assist so the benefits with no strain on my system. I cannot even begin to put into words what I am feeling, beyond grateful, beyond thankful, beyond, beyond, beyond, it just defies words. Again the kindness we give and we receive are truly the things that do so much and yet words fail to express what those acts of kindness truly do.

I am emotional today, I have witnessed so much kindness today, not only for myself but I have witnessed what they kindness of others has done for others today through our WRAD event. I feel exhausted from crying tears of happiness. Emotionally tired, but tired in a good way, something that feels so good instead of the tiredness I so often feel, and as i am writing this I have a knock at my door, someone in the building dropping off lemon meringue tarts for me, yet another act of kindness. For all that we see wrong in the world, days like today remind us about all that is right and that if we all do whatever we can big or small, it can make such a difference.

So Thank you to all those who have touched my life in so many ways, over the years, you and your kind acts are what keep me on the road to trying to make a difference in others lives, and none of your acts of kindness are forgotten, I may forget a lot of things, I may forget the actual thing, but I will never forget the feeling that was bestowed on my by your kindness, in which ever way you showed it.