• Being the Change

    Date in a Box: Simple Ideas

    date in a box

    A while back I was sharing that I have some friends going through hard things. I texted one of my friends specific options of how I could help: 1) dropping off a home cooked veggie chili meal on a weekend 2) having dinner delivered via GrubHub 3) stopping by to vacuum and wash dishes 4) a massage gift certificate 5) date in a box.

    She picked Date in a Box.

    Here’s how I pulled it together:

    I quickly realized that it wasn’t legal to mail wine without a license, so I decided to hand deliver it. That made box selection easier. I opted to use an extra Tupperware container … Read More

  • Being the Change

    How to Support Friends in Need

    how to support friends in need

    I currently have two different acquaintances grappling with misfortunate medical things and it has me thinking about how to support friends in need. I have these ideas about college care packages and how to help a grieving friend from a distance. But I feel like I need more ideas in my toolkit for these situations.

    I find that when I just offer: “Let me know what I can do to help.” Or even, “I’m willing to do things like XXX, XXX, XXX. Just let me know!” that people don’t frequently take me up on my offer. I would rather say, “Do you want me to do XXX, XXX, XXX, … Read More

  • Being the Change

    Birthday Cards as Eulogy Speeches

    birthday cards as eulogy speeches

    I’m honestly not sure how much longer my grandparents have to live. I feel so grateful that I’m 41 and have lived with them this whole time! They have had such a positive impact on who I am. So when I was writing my grandfather’s birthday card, it started me thinking about the concept of birthday cards as eulogy speeches. Why not write every single birthday card as if it were a eulogy speech?

    The idea would be that when you write a birthday card, you would celebrate all the things about that person’s life and the positive impact they are having on your life. But you tell them … Read More