Tuesday, August 9, 2016

RuffleButt joy in a Haitian orphanage

The fact that we are able to use this business to share blessings with others is not one I take for granted. It was a goal from the very beginning. I honestly struggle with how much of our "pay it forward" initiatives to share with you, our readers, as I never want goodness to come in the selfish form of "what's in it for me" or from a place of boastfulness. Although, with that said, I have also learned that sharing the joy of giving with others is inspirational in more ways than one. It truly does just that, shares joy...and then I'm totally selfish for not sharing!

Ok, beyond my personal issue here, I am so happy to share a recent RuffleButts moment. One of our team members by the name of Tristan Lazor visited Haiti on a mission trip this past year. Tristan is a gentle but wise soul who inspires me daily by the foundation of her faith and commitment to others. So when a sweet letter from a Haitian orphan randomly appeared in my mailbox one day, I knew just who to enlist for help with this project! Tristan pulled together the perfect RuffleButt's gift and sent it on its way down to the country that is close to her heart.

We do this type of stuff fairly often around here, but once it's sent on it's way, we don't hear much about it. This time was different. We received the sweetest email from the organization and saw a link they posted to their own blog sharing the story. While we already had the simple joy of giving, their thank you made the experience beyond rewarding. Seeing a blind Haitian orphan jumping with joy in our ruffled creation..it just doesn't get much better than that!

So, I'm sharing our joy with you today. Watch the video, then count your blessings. It's also a great teachable-moment tool for your kiddos. My daughter talks about Angeline and this video almost weekly. It's pretty amazing that such a simple thing could bring someone else such a big smile, especially when our kiddos take these good fortunes for granted. When I started RuffleButts, my initial motto was "spreading ruffles and sharing smiles". While we don't use that so much today (while totally genuine, it sounds a little cheesy), it is still very much ingrained in who we are. And what a beautiful smile she has!

Three Angels Blog -- read here