Nothing says I love you like....
I had some downtime this week - a rare thing for us here at Good2GoCo but something we really try to carve out on a regular basis. We work very hard during the week and each of us as a family strive to rest and recharge our batteries Friday evening and all day Saturday. During this month of February, because Valentine's Day is celebrated this month - I was really thinking about love. Yep - love. But not in the sappy gushy Valentines love sort of way. I mean real, honest to goodness love - the kind that the recipient really knows that you would lay down your own needs, desires and comfort to really take care of them. That kind of love.
I have a very close friend who is struggling with some pretty significant health issues. She is a healthy little thing who generally goes through life without concern, taking care of business and everyone around her. This has come as quite a shock to her. I can only imagine how hard this is for her - I too have been very healthy with very few bumps in the road as pertain to my health. I just assume that I will always be this way and have only recently become much more aware that good health is not just a given. But I digress.....I have been considering how I can really take care of her - the way she would like to be cared for. To love her in this difficult time.
As I navigate life’s road, I have come to an age and stage in my life where I realize that how I love those around me really matters. In my time of quiet reflections, I have begun to delve into what that looks like - from a practical standpoint. Here is what I know. I can be the most giving person on planet earth - but if not done with love, it is worthless. So what does it mean to do it with love? Here’s what I think it means. It means when you have a sick friend, you sleep on their couch and feed them yummy food and tell them funny stories even if you would rather be at home in your own comfy bed watching Netflix with your husband. It is demonstrated by someone lighting all the candles in your house and setting up a little camp stove when the power is down in a bad winter storm so that you can enjoy your usual morning cup of coffee. It’s the starting of someone’s car on a cold winter morning. It’s the feeding the farm animals early in the morning for a neighbour who needs a break and time away. In all of this - there is no expectation of someone returning the favour. No keeping score. It means that when you least expect it, someone may really benefit from your help even when it is a little inconvenient. Our love for for others is our grateful response to the love God demonstrated to us (from the bible - 1 John 4:19).
Some of the best examples of true love come out of accounts from folks who have lived through very difficult times. I have read of small kindnesses in wartime and in the aftermath of natural disasters - where individual had so little to give materially - their giving was mostly of themselves. I look at the future and see difficult days ahead - and I often wonder how we Westerners will be at serving one another when our own comfort is challenged. Challenging times typically either brings out the worst or the best in people - at least that is what I have noticed. I have made myself look more closely at my own motivations.
I titled this blog: Nothings says I love you like.... We had a little fun with this slogan around our Valentines campaign - inserting things like “a Tormek Diamond Wheel” or “a Hultafors Axe” or “pouches of garden seeds” - not the usual flowers and candy! Obviously we were trying to add a little humour to this season. I really enjoy sharing some of what we are up to and my own thoughts and challenges - especially in light of all that we are presently facing with the pandemic. I look forward to new challenges and opportunities in 2021, in spite of the difficulties. I can hardly wait to see what lies ahead.
May God bless you and your families,
Jacquie
Co-Founder/COO