In 2014 my family took an 18-day trip to 20 states (in the shape of a heart across America). During this trip, we did 1,000 acts of kindness. And then, I wrote an ebook about it. Which you can find here.
I know it’s been a while since I last blogged. Life has been hectic and weird and I have ADHD and PTSD which can cause some weird lags in the system (aka my brain), especially when life is weird and overwhelming lol.
I turned 40 this past Saturday, and I’m still not sure how that happened. Lol.
I still feel like a teenager in most ways, but time has definitely touched me in others.
This past year, with my mom passing away, seems to have really aged me. It’s been hard to get back up again and figure out life.
I’ve been struggling with that a lot lately. Where am I supposed to be? How do I continue to lead the life I felt I am called to live and stay where I feel I need to be responsible. How do I take care of myself and take care of the ones I love? It is challenging. And I constantly feel like I’m doing everything wrong.
I’ve been in grief before, with the passing of my son, but in that grief I got up and ran. In this grief, I feel like I am standing still, longing to move forward in some big way, but not really knowing how.
And so, coming back to this particular blog post this morning was really inspiring. I had just gotten in 2 separate accidents in 2 days and the next day the weather was scary. It was still snowy and icy on the roads that morning. I couldn’t drive. I had to ask my husband for help.
I was scared.
I was scared to move forward, knowing that another wreck was a possibility. I was scared of the cold. I was scared of being scared and failing. I was scared that my boldness would affect everyone I loved. I was scared that I was wrong about the path I was on…
But I moved forward anyway. And the sun came out for us that day. I got to drive down Route 66, which was a big dream of mine, and we ate at the cutest little diner. I still remember how good the meatloaf was.
We would run into more problems on the trip. I would have to call my parents for help again.
It was never really smooth sailing…
But the journey was always worth it… and If I could do it again, I would hop in the car with my kids, and our kindness, and take off in a heartbeat.
Maybe I needed to see this blog post today and remind myself, that even if it’s scary and hard, moving forward is okay. It will probably cause some pain and some headaches, but in the end, it’s the right thing to do.
Much like driving across the country to places I’ve never been, I don’t know what’s ahead. I don’t even know how to get there because there is no Mapquest (or gps). I just know I have to keep moving.
Here is the blog entry I wrote on day Nine of our trip:
Yesterday, our day started off like the past couple of days in the blistering cold, with snowfall and nasty driving conditions…
And, admittedly, I was a little nervous about the rest of our trip.
After 2 consecutive days of getting in some sort of wreck, I wasn’t in the best mood for travel…until I saw this <sign that said, “God keeps his promises.”>
I don’t know if it was the “God keeps his promises” written on the sign, the phone call that followed the sighting of the sign, or the giant cow that made me smile.
See, when I was growing up there was a Bonanza Steak House in my hometown. I didn’t have a lot of memories of the restaurant, other than getting free ice cream, but I had no idea they still existed. So, of course I had to call my dad and tell him about it.
After speaking to my dad, I felt better. I felt good knowing that even though I just cost us all a lot of money in insurance deductibles and tow truck fees, my parents were still proud of me.
So after letting the kids play in another McDonald’s indoor playground, we set out to Missouri.
We stopped at a gas station somewhere along the way, where I bought 14 scratch off tickets and taped them the gas pumps.
Now, I was feeling like I was getting back in the game.
But what really made me feel great is when the sun came up and we drove into St. Louis Missouri and saw the Gateway Arch.
It was just a cool moment. It’s just one of those great American Icons, and I was finally getting to see it.
I really wished I could have driven to the riverbank, but the road was closed.
So, I got the best picture I could from where we were, and then continued on..
Missouri is a big state, and we did a lot of driving…but we did see some pretty cool things along the way.
After finally getting to our hotel late at night, I felt bad for only doing 14 acts today. So, I decided to do more.
I decided to get on kickstarter and help other people’s dreams come true.
Kickstarter, for those of you who aren’t familiar with it, is a website where you can help financially support people’s “creative projects.”
However, I think its much more than just a financial support.
When I had a Kickstarter for this project, every time I got the notification that someone supported what I was doing, it was such a great feeling. I wanted to share that with others.
Here is a list of the 10 Kickstarters I “backed” last night.
Free Ballroom Dancing for Beginners:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1245140969/ballroom-dance-for-beginners-of-all-ages
Wicked Cool Tools:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/74162715/wicked-cool-tools
Sweet Story Makes the Lavender Tea House Sweet Again:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/165493887/sweetstory-makes-the-lavender-tea-house-sweet-agai
MOSSLESS Issue Three: The United States (2003-2013):
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1055996590/mossless-issue-three-the-united-states-2003-2013
Save the Fairlee Drive-Inn:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/180189302/save-the-fairlee-drive-in
World Online Orchestra:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/905074956/world-online-orchestra
My Grandad and Grandmom: A Family Vacation in Florida:
Ototo: Make Music from Anything:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/905018498/ototo-make-music-from-anything
Stealing Smiles for your Enjoyment II:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tododelsur/stealing-smiles-for-your-enjoyment-ii
Turn Left at the Blinking Light:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/120511148/turn-left-at-the-blinking-light
Whenever you can, support people’s dreams. Without dreamers, our lives would be pretty boring.
Thanks so much for reading!
Kelly Airhart
And P.S. Thank you Missouri for your beautiful sunshine again this morning. It is much appreciated 🙂
