Holiday lights are glowing across neighborhoods and cities across the world. Parties, celebrations, friends and family gather as another year ends. On a damp, cool, morning the doorbell rang unexpectedly in the middle of the day. My husband was off work, so he beat me to the front door although I was close behind him. When we opened the door, there stood our neighbor with a long cardboard box. We knew exactly what it was. This is the story of the kindness tree.
When we First Saw the Tree
A couple of weeks prior to our neighbor bringing this long cardboard box, we were out for a walk. This time of the year where we live, the days are short, often blanketed by fog in the early morning with light mist during the day. I told my husband to look at the tree on our neighbor’s front porch as we walked by their home. I loved the simplicity and welcoming feeling it gave to their front porch. We chatted about it and decided perhaps one would look good on our front porch for the holiday season.
The day we were out for a walk, our neighbor happened to be standing on his front porch. We waved and said, “Hey, we love that tree! Where did you guys get it?” He said, “Oh thanks but I have no idea. I’ll have to ask my wife.”
The Search for Our Tree
We waved goodbye. That weekend, we began looking online and in stores for the tree. We couldn’t find anything quite like it. We finished putting up our lights for the Christmas holiday but there was the corner of our porch that was a bit bare. Perhaps it seemed so because we envisioned having a tree there.
I want to share something with you so this story ties all together. This is the fourth year of serving the breast cancer community through the Foundation I started. It is DiepCFoundation that provides resources to empower women and men to make an informed choice about options for breast reconstruction after a being faced with mastectomy.
My neighbor and his wife knew about my nonprofit Foundation work. In October, she approached me one day when I was out walking the neighborhood again. She told me of a friend who was newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The friend lived a long distance from my neighbor. She told me how she had flown to go visit her to see how she could help. She felt helpless and didn’t know what she could do for her friend. Because I had breast cancer twice, she reached out to me for help and answers for her friend.
I stepped into her home for a brief visit. We shared our contact information. Many women aren’t ready to speak to a complete stranger when they are newly diagnosed. I explained this to her but let her know if and when her friend was ready, I’d be more than willing to do what I could. After chatting for a bit, we hugged. She thanked me for dropping in.
The Kindness Tree Arrives at our Door
The day her husband brought the box to the front door, my husband and I knew the same tree that was on their front porch was in this long slender cardboard box. My husband smiled, took the box, and shook our neighbor’s hand. Then, in a moment of complete astonishment, he looked straight at me and said, “Thank you for all you do.”
I stood there in utter shock. It was a kindness tree from our neighbors. Knowing we were looking for a tree, they gave us one from their heart. With gratitude, they generously brought this beautiful tree to express thanks for helping their friend with breast cancer.
I will admit, I was taken back. My throat tightened a bit. I looked at him and asked, “How is she doing?” He reported that things were going well, and they were feeling hopeful. I wrapped my arms around him and told him how much this means to me.
The Kindness Tree Fills the Corner of our Porch
My husband and I brought the tree in and opened it immediately. The tree was tall and slender, easy to assemble. It twinkles softly with hundreds of tiny lights. We both looked at it in amazement. My husband remarked at how pretty it looked in our family room.
I turned to him and said, “It does. But this is going in the corner of the front porch this year.” This is the story of the Kindness Tree that brightens our front porch and fills the corner with love and generosity. As I finish this blog, sitting in my office, I look outside on the front porch. There stands the kindness tree, softly glowing. My heart is full.