Yellow Envelope Project: North Carolina

The process is so simple, but the impact is so profound.

Take ten minutes from your weekend and write a short note of gratitude thanking someone - honoring someone - for the difference they make in their corner of the world.

If you are the only one who participates by sending a note, the idea is still cool.  Imagine how you would feel opening up your mailbox and finding an anonymous letter of gratitude for something you had done.  It happened to me a few weeks ago and I'm still thinking and talking about it.

Now imagine you aren't the only one who sends a letter.  Imagine that I send one too, and Peggy, and Cheryl, and Heather, and Robin, and Brian, and Amy, and Dawn, and Katie, and Karlie, and twenty or thirty people we don't even know about.  Now the recipient knows the one letter wasn't a fluke.  Now she knows that her forty or fifty letters is organized attempt to tell her she shines.  Now she's telling her friends and her colleagues and calling home to brag to her parents.  Now she feels important because she knows her contribution matters.

Now she feels so good that she nominates someone for the Yellow Envelope Project.  And the cycle starts over again.

The process is so simple, but the impact is so profound.  Write a short note to this week's winning recipient.  Put it in a yellow envelope - or a white envelope decorated with yellow markers and stickers.  Put the words, "Yellow Envelope Project" in the return address and send it to the address listed below.  Simple.

I think you will agree, this week' recipient is exactly the kind of person for whom this Project was created.  Exactly.

"Robin is a true friend who dropped whatever she was doing if I called. She was the best neighbor, living just across the street for a few years. She volunteered at her son's school events and carnivals, helped out in the neighborhood and our community. When I told her I had breast cancer, she arranged her life around whatever I needed. My family came in from all parts of the country for a few days. But Robin? Well she was there to help me when I had surgery. She went to every chemo treatment with me and we sat and read tabloid magazines together to talk about all the other craziness going on in the world. Robin was at my house before I hung up the phone crying telling her my hair was falling out and I was devastated. She helped me cut it short until the rest of it fell out. She found the positive and the funny things to say and do. She would tell me stories about when she grew up and when she met her husband and when her son was born and she kept me occupied so I wouldn't worry too much about the fear or possibility of death lurking just around the corner. She was my angel here on earth during that time in my life . And she still is! Her selflessness and joy in seeing the positive and sharing that with those she helped truly makes her shine!"

If Robin gets one note from the person who nominated her, that would be great.  The note would probably make Robin feel appreciated by her former neighbor.

But add mine and yours and the countless other people who choose to participate in our weekly ritual and suddenly Robin feels honored and important.  Now she is affirmed that being a good neighbor is every bit as important as being good at her work or being a committed parent.  Now Robin knows she shines and she will go through life forever affirmed that shining matters; that shining counts.  Not only do people notice it, they appreciate, admire, and respect it enough to send her a note telling her so.

Ten minutes and a postage stamp.  I can't think of a greater return on investment.

Shining off until Monday...

Friends, Romans, and Shiners...

Lend me your Rays!

I even got our very own Peggy to join the project and I'm excited to see how her book turns out!

Brian- is it you that dabbles in some art? How about it? Anyone else?

A Bust

Here's my problem with cooking channels or most how-to videos that are on line.  They are not created with idiots like me in mind.

I need steps.  One, two, three.  Simple steps.

The problem is, when you label something "Easy" and do a demonstration making it look like my six year old son ought to be able to follow along, then you set me up to believe Chocolate Cups are in my future.

When I can't create what you have pictured and my kitchen is mess with double boilers, utensils, popped balloons, and chocolate drizzled everywhere then (a) I feel like a complete idiot - the opposite of shine, and (b) I am mad at your for oversimplifying your idea.

Either way, I have no chocolate cups and your idea comes out looking like a flop.  You don't win.

In three days National Ice Cream Month is over for another year.  Last night I intended to serve my family ice cream dessert in handmade chocolate cups.  Cups I believed any idiot could whip up in minutes.

Judge for yourself.  Here's the how-to video I watched:

No where.  No where along the line did I expect this...

We made do.  Vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and strawberries served in ceramic bowls.  The boys were no worse for the wear, but me?  I'm feeling cynical.

Now.  Having said that.  If you try to make the Miller's Blueberry Cobbler, I featured on Monday, and it isn't just as easy as I describe then you get your money back, in full.  Guaranteed.

Join me for a rant in the Community Forum labeled, Today's Post.  Tell me about the biggest disaster you've ever had while tackling someone else's misguided, over-simplified, Martha-Stewart-wanna-be-instructions.

Shining off until tomorrow...