I have recorded my 800th mitzvah this week

Hooray, I have hit a new milestone. Mitzvah #800. I am 4/5 of the way to my goal. I can’t believe that December 1st will be two years since my father died. What a learning process it has been. When my father first died there was just sadness and darkness. I know for me, time did help me heal and life continues to move on. I feel that my father’s presence is with me often and I think about it at unusual times. I remember many people telling me their own stories of their loved one’s right after he had died and now I am the one who has stories to tell. I am grateful for the learning that has come from this loss and hope I can help another with what I have learned.

800) Last Thursday, I shared my idea of the mitten tree with my networking group. Immediately we raised $250 towards gift certificates for this group. It was awesome. We already have almost half of the gifts we needed to get for the group. One idea and many people can make a huge impact. Together we can achieve more.

801) A friend emailed me that she was doing a 10 mile race for a charity in the town we grew up in. I made a pledge for her race.

802) Let a neighbor know that he had left his car lights on in the driveway.

803) Volunteered in my daughter’s classroom.

804) Gabrielle and her friend donated money to the Oregon Humane Society.

805) Lent a stranger my calculator when she needed one.

806) Complimented an older gentleman on a lovely cap he was wearing.

807) Picked up some trash on my walk.

Today, I witnessed a couple of mitzvahs at a children’s play place. A nervous grandmother ran to help a child get down the stairs before he fell. A girl brought a cell phone back to the front desk when she found it in the climbing maze.

I also received a mitzvah this week. I attended a local book festival last weekend. While I was walking around, I met one of the vendors. She wrote a book called Send a Sign. After talking for several minutes, she gave me a copy of her book. It was such a wonderful gesture and I have already started reading and enjoying it.

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