Random Acts of Kindness

This Friday, November 11th 2011, should be Benjamin's third birthday. I cannot believe it has been three years since I held my beautiful baby boy for the first and last time. Three years. So much has changed in the last three years, but one thing has stayed constant; my love for him. Not a day goes by that I do not think about him. A while ago I was chatting with a friend and somehow the topic turned to Benjamin. My friend commented that every time I talk about him I subconsciously start playing with my necklace. Since her comment I have noticed that I do, in fact, do that. My necklace has become such an important part of me. Jackson and Lexi know that it is special to me and that it, somehow, is special to Benjamin. They both play with it a lot. It makes me happy that, even though they don't realize it, every time they touch my necklace they are connecting with Benjamin.

Anyways, that was off topic! Once again this year I am asking everyone to do a random act of kindness on Benjamin's birthday, in his honour. It can be a small act or a large act. An act toward someone you know or someone you don't know. It can be a monetary gesture or free kind gesture. I don't care what you do, as long as you somehow make another person's life a little easier or happier for even just a second. As long as you make someone smile in Benjamin's honour it will make this difficult day a little easier for my little family. The fact that we cannot see Benjamin's sweet little face break out into a giant smile as he celebrates his special day is hard for us. Not being able to watch him blow out the candles on his cake, a cake that he requested and I spent hours slaving over to make it perfect for him. Not being able to hear him squeal with delight over the present that we had agonized over before finally deciding on. Not being able to watch him run around the room hopped up on the excitement of being the center of attention for an entire day. Not being able to give him a giant squishy hug and kiss as his last night as a two year old and on the morning of his first day as a three year old. All these things make this day heartbreaking. But we are able to spend the day with moments of happiness as we get emails, texts or messages from friends and family who have done acts of kindness to others on Benjamin's birthday.

So all I ask is that you do an act of kindness to others this Friday. Then let me know what it was. I am keeping a list each year. This is the first year that I will share the list with Jackson. He 'gets it' this year. He understands who Benjamin was, what he means to all of us, that he has died and that we celebrate his birthday in his honour since we love and miss him. He understands that we are asking people to do things for other people to make them smile. That we are doing it for his baby brother.