Sometimes it is easy to get so focused on the bad things that happen in our world that we lose sight of the good things and good people all around us. This has been one of those weeks for us. With the theft of our signs from our stand, both my wife and I were pretty disappointed in the world and the people in it. We couldn’t get past the heartless individual that felt so entitled that they would take signs that not only made it possible for us to sell our produce, but also held deep personal significance for both of us. We felt stuck in the muck of entitled humanity, and were having a hard time seeing out of the fog of frustration and anger. Over the course of the day following the discovery of the theft, individuals arose to remind us that, yes, evil does exist in this world, but so do good people, who have good hearts and care about people that they barely know.
So many people left messages on our farm Facebook page encouraging us and letting us know how much they appreciate the work that we put in to the stand. We heard from friends and from people we honestly have never met in person. We heard from mothers who appreciate that we enable them to provide high quality fruits and veggies for their families without breaking the bank. We heard from older folks who appreciate the chance to swing in quickly to get produce without having to travel a long ways or spend a lot on their limited income. We heard from so many people that they feel blessed by our stand. Knowing that there are good people out there who appreciate and are blessed by what we do has helped to lift our spirits.
One individual went above and beyond to show with words and with actions the kindness that exists. First, they wrote a very nice note to my wife thanking her for what we do, and expressing their disbelief that people would do such a thing. They closed the note by saying that they had left a present for us on our front door. My wife and I are full time nurses in addition to farming, and last night was one of the nights that we found ourselves both working at the same time. Thus it was several hours before I got out of work and made my way home to see what had been left. Upon arriving at home I found a bag hanging from our doorknob. Inside I found that this individual had purchased replacement signs for us. Two of them were identical to the ones that were stolen that we had used in our wedding. Additionally there were two other very cute signs that will be perfect for the stand. We cannot thank this person enough! Their kindness was a much needed beam of light in what had been a dark and difficult day.
We are going to continue with our produce stand. There are so many amazing people that are blessed by it. We have chosen to continue to bless those around us, rather than being defeated by the selfish actions of one heartless individual. Thank you to everyone that has reached out and the many people that support our stand each and every day.
