This week we’ve been giving away Project Life to someone each day. Just because you’re all doing your best to cultivate a good life and record it. I love that.
Congratulations to our 4th winner this week, incredibly deserving of a happy dance today — Michelle! Don’t know your last name or where you live, but shoot me an email at projectlife@beckyhiggins.com and let me know which edition you’d like, Michelle. This is what she wrote:
In 2000 when my husband had an accident in our home, was in a coma for 3 months, and died 7 months later … so many people, some of whom I knew, and many who I did not know at all, came forward to lend a helping hand to my daughter, then 7 years old. The kindnesses shown to us were so varied. Some gave of their time — a meal, helped us financially, picked my daughter up at school when I was at the hospital, took turns sitting with my husband at the hospital if I couldn’t be there, held his hand, talked to him while he slept for 3 months, left little gift bags of goodies for my little girl at our front door just to brighten her day…
I knew then that should we survive our difficulties, financially and emotionally, that I would never live one day of my life without returing the kindness … to someone … friend, family, or even a stranger.
And so … for more than 10 years now … I have incorporated into each day of my life an act of kindness, giving of myself, my time, a kind deed, a listening ear, a pot of chicken soup if someone is ill, Christmas gifts left on a porch for a family that had a rough financial time, a phone call to someone who is truly alone, sad, troubled, buying lunch for the homeless man who lived on the bus stop bench in our town … etc. etc. … the list goes on and on.
For me there is no better feeling than giving of myself, regardless of how wonderful – or less than perfect – my own day may be. I smile when I look back on more than 10 years of daily acts of kindness, and am so glad that I made this promise to myself … to reach out to someone each day … and to cultivate my own good life. And also for providing my daugter an example – by my actions – of what it truly means to give of yourself, no matter how big or small the kindness may be.
I know that my husband smiles down us us from his place in heaven as he watches us live our lives each day … with appreciation for our own blessings as well as a conscious choice to reach out to one person each day. If i do the math quickly, even I am amazed to know that 10 years = 3650 days, which is equal to the number of times I have sent a little bit of kindness in the direction of another person.
To me … THIS is what living a good life is all about.
Tags: project life winner
Michelle is definitely a winner!
Congratulations Michelle, you diserve this special PL gift and so much more. You are such a great example of living a great life, giving to others.
Wow, that is inspiring. An example that I want to follow!!
Michelle is definitely an example of a person who cultivates a good life, pays it forward, and deserves all of lifes’ blessings. Congrats Michelle!
Wow, we should all take a page out of Michelle’s book. Congratulations, Michelle! You deserve it!
What a lovely and amazing way to turn tragedy into triumph. Good for you, Michelle!
Congrats Michelle…you are so deserving of this!
Wow Michelle sounds like an amazing woman! Her outlook on life brought me to tears (something that doesn’t happen often), she deserves this!!
You are an inspiration Michelle… what a touching story. Thank you for sharing your experience and your words of wisdom. I needed it today.
Wonderful. Great person to give one to Becky!!!!
Truly amazing Michelle! An inspiration to me for sure & very deserving of Project Life! Congrats!!
It’s fun to see good things going to good people! Yeah for Michelle!
Your story is inspiring. If we all did this, our world would be a much better place.
Michelle, what an amazing story. It is truly amazing you have kept true to yourself and followed through on your promise. Be proud of yourself, I am and I am sure many out there reading your story are as well! Congratulations on winning a PL from Becky! I have to say I have been blessed with this story and want to follow more in your footsteps. If everyone followed your example, little by little our world would be a great place! Let’s all start NOW!
Wow, Michelle is teaching her daughter what life is truly about. Sometimes we don’t realize how blessed we are until something tragic happens and people just show up. God is definitely good and I am glad Michelle will be blessed with this album.
I am just a normal girl trying to be the best mom to my three girls! I hope Project Life will document my love for them and hold good memories of the year.
Wow, I can’t think of anyone more deserving! So glad you won Michelle!
Reading this was like reading a movie script. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all could be more like Michelle? What a wonderful example for your daughter. Good for you!
We must commend Michelle and congratulate her for being so strong. Let’s pay it forward. Let’s all try to do something for others everyday.
Wow! If Michelle isn’t deserving of Project Life, I don’t know who could possibly be. Michelle thank you for making our world a better place.
THAT is amazing.
What an amazing woman, with an unbelievable outlook on life and how to give back. We can all learn from her. Thanks for sharing her story and so happy that she is the recipient of Project Life. She will love using, I know I do!! Thanks for all you do Becky.
Awesome—really great winners this week! Congratulations to all who won. I’m sure they will love Project Life. Have a wonderful weekend!! Thanks Becky for always sharing so much.
Wow! Michelle, you are an inspiration. Your story moved me to tears and I am so sorry for your tragic loss, but your husband is definitely smiling down on you! I wish we could all be half as kind and giving as you. Thank you for sharing your story, which I’m sure has inspired so many other people to perform their own acts of kindness. And thank you Becky for sharing this.
Michelle, first of all congratulations on winning in more ways than one. They say you don’t measure life by the number of breaths you take, but by all of the moments that take your breathe away… as everyone read this I think you took all of our breathe away for a minute with your beautiful outlook on life.
You are a wonderful Mom to set that example for your daughter, and for all of the lives you have touched. You should up your number today alone to an additional +3650, because you have made a difference in so many of our lives just by sharing your story, and inspiring all of us as well. Best of luck to you!
-Kelli
Michelle is most defniitely a winner! Truly inspiring.
Michelle, somehow I’m sure that you’ve done more acts of kindness – I don’t see you calculating your one act each day. We know that one act of kindness ripples out, as some of those recipients act with kindness towards someone else.
I am thrilled when I find others who have found the good in the midst of awful situations. My husband and three children were in a very bad car accident, my daughter in a coma. I thank God that all recovered and are doing well, 12 years later. We too found enormous community support.
I lost some ‘friends’ along the way – people who insisted we had to sue the other driver for everything she had, that the insurance money was not enough. So many people believed that we should bankrupt this woman – a wife, a mother, a member of the community. There was no way we could even consider doing such a thing.
Thank you for being a positive force in the world. Thank you for choosing a path of goodness.
Congrats to you Michelle:) and thank you for inspiring me in many ways. Wow, very deserving. Truely inspirational. Thank you.
Wow, Michelle, you are an inspiration. My hat’s off to you. What a great example you are. I should only dare hope to be half the example that you have been over the last decade. Congratulations. I can’t imagine a husband with a bigger smile on his face than yours every day that you live!!
What an amazing story. I am humbled by this woman’s courage.
This one made me cry. There is none more deserving than Michelle.
I remember reading her comment. I’m so happy that she won.
Michelle, thank you for sharing your story with all of us. It really touches my heart more than you know.
Michelle,
You’re an inspiration! Congrats!
another WOW! What an amazing story…love it. Michelle is a winner in all things that matter. peace and blessings to her and her family!!
Michelle, your story brought tears to my eyes. You deserve to win this. Such an inspiration!
I also sit with eyes welling with tears. Michelle, you are an inspiration and a BLESSING – even TODAY, by sharing your story. Thank you
AMAZING!!! perfect choice Becky!!!
Sometimes in our daily lives of work, school, bills, stress… we forget about the goodness and meaning in our lives. Thank you Michelle for helping me to remember the purpose in my life and encouraging me to do more “acts of kindness” for others. Thank you for sharing your pain so that others may have life!
What a wonderful example to us all you are Michelle! I am going to try and do my best to give of myself each day. It doesn’t need to be large or expensive but from the heart. Those are the gifts that mean the most..thanks for the reminder to be more giving of myself.
congrats on winning!!
Megan
So wonderful for you to share your journey with us Michelle and what a wonderful example you are to all of us – your daughter is so blessed to have you to guide her
God bless
When I pray each day to become the woman GOD created me to be, this is the kindhearted , self sacrificing person I would hope to become. Having the ability to put others before herself after surviving through such sorrow is truly a blessing.
What a heartbreaking and uplifting story. I think we will all agree that Michelle is certainly deserving of this prize and more.
Wow – You gave encouraged me to be a better person.