In times of trouble
May we shine our light and love
Please be safe my friends <3
It’s hard to grasp the enormity of the impact this Covid 19 has created throughout the world. The damage is far reaching, and I suspect, will last for quite some time.
I can’t help but think that something huge had to happen to combat the ugliness and divisiveness that could be felt everywhere. If there can be one silver lining from this disaster, I hope that people come together and treat each other well.
I have seen an incredible instance of this in my own life over the past few days. I casually mentioned to a neighbor in an email that I had purchased napkins on Amazon because I couldn’t find toilet paper…ANYWHERE!
Later that day, he showed up at my door with a bag. It had 2 rolls and a box of Kleenex. I thanked him and thought how sweet he was.
An hour later I went out and there was a bag hanging on my doorknob. It had 2 rolls and two airplane bottles of Fireball. I knew who had left that bag; a fellow committee member (and friend) who had given me Fireball shots in the past. Again, I was so thankful.
Later that day there was a knock on my door. A man I only know by sight and I woman I had never seen before handed me a bag with two rolls. I just couldn’t believe it!
When I went to take the garbage out later that night there was a bag on the door with a roll in it. By this time all I could do was laugh at what my neighbors had done.
Jump ahead to the next day and there was a bag hanging on the door with a roll, and later that day a repeat toilet paper fairy showed up with 2 more rolls. I tried to tell him that I was good, and to please keep it for himself, but he wouldn’t hear of it – and again, this is a man I barely know.
I am blown away by the generosity, compassion, and sense of community these good people had towards me. I also know that I fall hard on opposite sides of the political line with a few of them. But in times of crisis (Covid 19 – not the scarcity of toilet paper – I would have survived ;)) my fellow beings came together and unselfishly gave away a hard to find, much coveted staple – many of them to someone they don’t even know!
It stokes my heart. It brings a giant smile to my face during a time when there isn’t a whole lot to smile about. 🙂
I send you all wishes of health, well-being, and safety during this unchartered time. I hope you all are able to do some things you WANT to do while you self-isolate.
And I hope you all are on both sides – the giving and the receiving – of the generosity, compassion, and sense of community!
Blessitude!
Lorrie (The Hermit! I am getting so much done in my home – hope you are too! And hope you get real clear about what is important to you <3 Stay safe, be well!
03/22/2020
Thanks for sharing your story Lorrie. It is so heartwarming to know that your neighbors are coming together to support each other. I’ve heard of this kind of thing happening but haven’t witnessed it. I’m working inside a Wal-Mart and seeing the best and worst in people come out due to the stress.
I hope you’re right that this challenge helps people remember what’s important and come together to make it a better place for all. Hugs and blessings.
Oh, Brad…first let me say THANK YOU! I am so grateful for every person who is risking their own safety so that the rest of us can still get the basic necessities of life! And I am certain that you must be seeing a mixture of both the good, the bad, and the downright ugly!
I feel so fortunate to have had this experience because it truly helped me drop some of my own barriers.
I know the longer this goes on the more fear will set in and we might very well see the results of that. But I truly wish that the scales tip in favor of kindness…and compassion.
Please stay safe…and do everything you can to keep yourself well, Brad.
<3
You’re most welcome Lorrie. After I faced some fears about working in the stores filled with people and cleaning, I’ve shifted to letting this be a service, and doing the best I can to trust I will be safe. And yes, taking precautions too. Hugs and blessings. 💝
Just do everything you can do to be safe, Brad. And stay in touch if you can. I pray that we are not hit as hard as it seems we may be.
Sweet Blessings!
Thanks Lorrie.
💜
Oh Lorrie! What a fabulous story. My heart is dancing just reading it.
so much gratitude and love for you my friend.
Thank you for being a light of love, peace and calm. <3
Hi Louise! Awww…thank you so much for your kind words…and moreso for your kind heart! It is a wonderful story…believe me it was quite extraordinary to live it!
I have not heard much about Canada…but I hope you are well and that you stay that way!!
The one thing I am experiencing is TIME. I am living each moment and so involved with projects…it’s strange because I usually get lost in time while I am creating, but now I am very aware of time and I still get lost in creating 😉
Hope you are feeling your inspiration!!
Stay well, Louise <3
Be safe, Lorrie! 💗💗💗
I was just visiting your site, Ka! Yes…I am being very prudent. I am loving being home…loving my home! I have been doing many things that I have wanted to do in the home but just haven’t been able to.
I don’t hear any news about your home…I hope that you are hunkering down and enjoying your family. Please stay safe, Ka. I know it isn’t good to come from a place of fear…but I think we have to respect what this virus can do.
Miss you…hope you are well. I’m going back to snoop around your blog 😉
<3 <3
Love this! Great neighbors <3.
Right? Hope you are doing well, Kristen. Stay safe during these uncertain times. <3
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story about kindness, even to almost strangers, Lorrie 😀
This gives me hope to see.
Please take good care of yourself <3
You too, Irene! Thanks for adding here…yes it was quite magnificent to see this kind of care…especially from strangers. On a different note, my “napkins” arrived today and I can hardly lift the box it is so heavy. I will be ready to share with those in need 🙂
Stay well, dear Irene.
p.s. have I told you how much I love my earrings??? 😉
<3
It makes me happy to hear, that you love your earrings that much, Lorrie 😀
We do all need to show kindness as good as possible.
That’s just down right wonderful! 🙂
I know…Right? I am on my way out the door to drop off homemade chocolate chip cookies to all the TP Fairies (And Amazon delivered the napkins today…the box weighs like 40 pounds!!
Stay well!
awww that’s so sweet 🙂
Napkins for life hahaha!
I’m glad no one video taped me…I was trying to leave the box outside in the hallway to dispose of later (because I had to hear the virus can live on cardboard for 24 hours 😨) and take the inner box in to my home…but it was so darn heavy I could hardly get it out of the other box!
Be well
Oh Lorrie, i so enjoyed reading your post today as it was heartwarming to know your neighbors care for you and were so very thoughtful and givimg! So inspirational. You are so deserving of such kindness!
Hello dear friend💜 Thank you!!! It warmed my heart…and it made us laugh too!
I appreciate your kind words…and your loving soul!
Stay well!!
💜
Aw bless those neighbors! Glad you are keeping well Lorrie, lots of love to you! <3
Hi Julie!! It was quite heartwarming…and i.am so full of Blessitude 😉
Yes…self isolating…trying my very best to stay away from people (sad really.)
Hope you, too, are practicing social distance and that all in your world is as good as it can be. Sending love and light! 💜
Such an inspiring post, Lorrie! Sending my best wishes to you.
Hi Carol 😁 Thanks…it was really amazing to witness the sense of community…it made my heart smile.
I hope you are well…and STAY well. New times to navigate. Sweet Blessings 💜
What an inspirational post….brought a big smile to my face!! I agree on your comment on how something needed to happen with all of the divisiveness in the world…..humanity will survive and hopefully stronger and kinder from this!
Yes, Kirt!! Your lips to God’s ears!
It is unfortunate that this crisis continues to show the differences. But I pray every single day that we will come out the other end of this with more love, kindness, compassion, and peace.
Sweet Blessings to you, Kirt, and to your family. Stay well!!
💜
This brought a smile to my face. <3
Dear Lorrie, it is so nice to hear these heartwarming stories amongst this time of chaos. I think how we respond globally may be a defining point for our generation – and I am touched by the stories of compassion, care, cooperation and gratitude – that’s who you are, that’s all we all can be. Maybe when this is all over, the world might just be a gentler place. I hope you are staying safe, well and sane. Virtually distant hugs, Harlon
It looks like you have nice neighbours.
I cannot complain about mine, but, no, we do not do this here in Ajax, Canada. However, they help out with some yard work and so when they see that I struggle.
It is advised now everybody stays at least 2 meters away,so, nobody comes over unless it is a delivery man or mailman.
I haven’t seen in person anybody except my husband for a very long time, I think since March 3rd.
I’ve been always living mostly in art, writing or backyard garden, and that is fine.
You most likely have lived there for a while. I’m not surprised they support such nice lady as you! Stay safe, Lorrie!
Hi Inese! Thank you my beautiful friend <3
Yes…I have been doing the same…I keep busy with various projects…go for a long walk every other day…and spend a lot of time thinking about things…more so than usual!
I know people like us…who have to "create" things will be fine throughout this exile, but it is the people who don't have that desire running through their souls that are having a really hard time. I will post after I write this to you about that subject.
I am happy you are well…and I hope you stay that way. Keep yourself immersed in creative endeavors and I believe all will be fine.
Stay safe…be well…Many happy Sweet Blessings <3
Thanks so much for the link😃 I still think about that day and a giant smile crosses my face.
Sweet Blessings…I hope the people in your life are kind hearted!
A florist in Arkansas had created and had been selling a toilet paper bouquet and it was a hit! Initially made as a joke, it was taken seriously by customers.Nice and practical gift indeed.
I love it! The little coincidences that turn into something meaningful 😊
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a footprint here. Wish you light and love!
Thanks and same to you!😷🧻🧻
Knock knock, who’s there? Are you? Hello my soul sisTar. I hadn’t seen heads or tails of you lately as I began to come onto WP again here and there so I decided to take a look and see what or if I missed anything. I was browsing through many of your posts, but this one jumped out at me, and not because of the toilet paper lol (I’ll get to that in a minute). It was you in the picture. That’s what you looked like when we were first met. You’re equally as beautiful inside and out with longer darker hair or short blonde hair, but there was something so familiar and almost ancient and deep in seeing you look that way. It brought me back to our original life sharing of you walking on the beach and there being balloons and so many other stories we shared when we first connected. It was a different you, a different me and a different time, much has changed in both of our lives and so much on our planet. It was good to see you in that picture Lorrie, it brought me back to another time, to the time we met. 💗 And, for that time I’m incredibly grateful, because without that time, there wouldn’t have been anytime after, or today, and there has been both. So that’s what caught my eye.
As for the toilet paper. That’s hilarious, genuinely and truly hilarious and I’m sure you were feeling jolly and chuckling through the many “bags” as well. It’s wonderful that you not only received, but that there exists such compassion and kindness (((hugs))) – it’s something our world, our planet, our species needs an abundance of right now. It has for generations, but “the time has come” for everyone to wake up from their dream state. I’ve been in self quarantine for going on 5 months. Mind boggling at times, bored, lonely – did a lot of things around the house for the first few months – connected big time to the collective and all sorts of things were coming up in my world unexpectedly… like buying a Native American flute, African djembe drum, buffalo drum, many singing bowels, egg shakers, percussion sticks, maracas and the list goes on and on, including about 2 years worth of a collection that’s grown into a near 100 crystals and stones. Mind you, I don’t know how to play those instruments, have completely forgotten the name of half the crystals I bought, I only know that when buying them they were all for wonderful reasons and energy and I was fairing very well for the first 3-3 1/2 months. After that the boredom and loneliness, you live alone too, so I’m guessing you understand, began to set in. That’s the space I’m in right now. Upside sleep schedule – sleeping days, up at night, sometimes both – it began as a decision to try and break the long boring lonely days, I’ve always felt more at peace and soothed under the dark night sky – an internal being of light who prefers to be surrounded by the evening – a bit of a conundrum. Ambient lighting and the stillness of the night has always been something I aligned with even before I knew what aligning meant lol.
You my love haven’t posted in a month so I’m wondering if you’re well – health wise, emotionally? I’m intentionally news ignorant, as well as intentionally political ignorant, but I’ve had my eye on your part of our State through al of this (so if you felt a fly on the wall, it was me). There’s so much more I’d like to say, I could write to you for hours – about your post and about all things, but this has gotten pretty long. Please touch base with me on WP or email me, even if just for a second to let me know how you are. I’ve been concerned and misplaced your email address, so I’m hoping you haven’t misplaced mine!
I genuinely and truly love you Lorrie, you’re in my thoughts, prayers and heart.
Thinking of you dearly. Your old pal Kimba xoxo <3
Kimba!!! 🙂 🙂
So wonderful to see you here! And I thoroughly enjoyed reading you words and feeling your energy once again! You have crossed my mind a million times. I have just been very busy in life and that has kept me away from my blog. I miss it when I am gone but sometimes you have to do what you have to do!
Yes, times are hard and I know how lonely you must feel. This imposed exile is strange in that it has brought up a lot of good things…and with the good comes the bad I suppose.
I am doing really well…considering. I have had many challenges and many changes but I am moving through it all with a grateful heart.
My hair! Ha! Yes…that would be one of the changes. I used to change it all the time but you are right…I did have long dark hair and then SHORT blond hair…now it is on its way to long again…but it is a mixture of light and dark…kind of like life!
I think the key to making it through this time of being alone is that it is a great time to really explore…OURSELVES! And while that will bring up things we like and possibly things we don’t like, it will also move us on our journey of self love!
I am also grateful for our connection and remember it like it was yesterday. Please stay safe…and well…and don’t judge yourself too harshly. Allow yourself to move through this time with permission to feel…act…do…whatever it is that you need to so that you are able to come out the other side with grace and with knowledge.
Sending much love from the “epicenter” of the state 😉 Be well <3 <3