A Simple Act of Kindness Can Create an Endless Ripple
The inspiration for Lily and More comes from a tiny dog named Lily. She is a reminder of goodness wrapped in a brown, 7-pound package.
It all started one Sunday morning when I found a small dog lying in the middle of the road. Without any second thoughts, I ran to her and as I approached, she rolled over onto her back. I immediately scooped her up into my arms to comfort her and brought her home. The following few hours were spent watching over her, but to no avail. The small pup was in very poor health, so, with the help of my husband, we spent the following weeks working to help her recover, both in body and spirit. Over time, she regained her health and, sporting her new pink collar, we named her Lily.
When we weren’t doting on Lily, helping her to heal, we were trying to find her home. Spending so much time together, this little angel stole my heart. Despite what she had been through, she gave nothing, but love and we bonded the entire time we were together. It was because of this bond that I struggled so much with what to do. My family and I already have 4 dogs, so taking care of another, and introducing her to the others seemed near impossible. There were so many unanswered questions: Why was this small dog in the middle of nowhere? Why is nobody looking for her? What am I going to do with another dog? Why me? Why now? This was the internal conflict that I struggled with.
In my struggle, it occurred to me that sometimes we may be just one part of someone’s journey on the way to their destination. It was with this epiphany that I knew what I had to do, and I set out to find Lily a home deserving of her. I did not want to let Lily go, but I knew in my heart it was the right choice for both of us.
Lily ultimately went to live with a new mom that loves her unconditionally. Several weeks after Lily went to her new home, I received a note from her new mom. She had reached out to thank me for taking such good care of Lily and allowing her to be her new mom. Lily has made her incredibly happy, filling a void in her life with happiness and love.
It is difficult for me to put it into words, but my time with Lily left an imprint on my heart. I didn’t take Lily in and nurse her back to health looking for something in return, nor did I give her a new home with a new mom in search of a reward. I did this all without thinking twice and with only the kindness of my heart.
The world today is so busy. All of us have 20 different things on our minds, but my experience with Lily taught me that sometimes we need to slow down, take a step back, and realize that the most important thing we can do is be kind. A simple act of kindness can create a ripple effect that makes a difference in the world.
Our mission is to create ripples of kindness that can hopefully grow into waves of change. Kindness can be spread in many different ways, whether it be words of affirmation, acts of assistance, or tokens of your affection. Lily and More Gift Shoppe is grown from the ripple of kindness created by my time with Lily. It is with this shoppe that I hope we can spread kindness to others and make the world a kinder place.
Be kind and spread love. Individually we can create ripples and together we can make waves.