Hey there Friend!

I’ve got a buzzword for you…at least it seems to be a buzzword in my opinion, and I am wondering if you agree?

According to the definition provided by Oxford Dictionaries, the term “buzzword” is defined as a noun and is “a word or phrase, often an item or jargon, that is fashionable at a particular time or in a particular context.”

I don’t know about you, but I have noticed the word “kindness” has become very popular over the past year or so. I see it and hear it several times a day. It is on social media and in character scripts of shows and cartoons on television. It is in speeches and presentations. I have seen it on numerous bulletin boards in classrooms and school hallways. I have even seen it on T-shirts, posters, and home décor items. With all that, would you consider it to be a buzzword?

If not, that’s okay. We all see and hear things differently. It’s just an observation I have made.

With the new school year off and running, I can’t help but wonder how many students have heard the lessons and lectures about the importance of showing (and receiving with grace), kindness. Do they see and hear that word so much that it is like the fillers “uh” or “um”?

Or have they embraced it and now and helping peers feel seen, noticed, and understood?

I’m really hoping it is the latter.

Speaking of kindness and being seen. Are you interested in helping U.S. Military Veterans and their families get help and services they need? If so, continue reading to find out what I’m doing this month!

If you are not interested, that’s fine! No hard feelings here. Just go out and be kind!

During the month of September, I am hosting a month-long FUNd-raiser to support and show kindness to those who benefit from the services of one of my Pop’s most beloved organizations, The Wounded Warrior Project.

“Pop”, as I called him, served his country out of love and respect during four tours of Vietnam in the U.S. Navy. He was 18 when he enlisted. His body was not seriously injured during those tours, but inwardly, his mind and heart were forever impacted as a result.

I believe with every fiber of my being that his own brokenness is why he was so passionate about volunteering with organizations such as The Wounded Warrior Project. He understood on a personal level many of the experiences and emotions our service men and women face. Me personally, I cannot even begin to imagine, but I did see how it affected him. He battled his demons for the rest of his life but was still kind to people. He still helped people. His smile warmed a room and his sense of humor made people laugh out loud, and sometimes, blush. He usually made people feel seen and at ease. A saint he was not, and he could be downright infuriating, but he was a good man. He cared about people, and he was a great Pop.

September 28, 2022 will be four years ago that Pop hoisted his anchor and left for his final voyage home. He sailed into Victory and Perfect Peace. “Fair Winds and Following Seas,” Pop.

So, it is this month, the month of September that I want to do something kind for countless numbers of men and women I will likely never meet on this side of Heaven, but to whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude for their service. I would appreciate your order to help support an organization that does so much for our veterans and one that my Pop dearly loved.

Simply place an order between September 1st at 12:00 a.m. MT to September 30th at 11:59 p.m. MT to help support the The Wounded Warrior Project.

20% of every single order on my Independent Designer Chalk Site will be donated to The Wounded Warrior Project. The payment will be made to the organization on Monday, October 3rd.

I will share the amount on my Facebook Page.

Thank you for reading this very long, and for me, emotional, email. I really do just want to “sprinkle kindness like confetti”! If you are interested in hosting your own FUNd-raiser, let me know. I would be happy to send you information or chat with you.

Until next time, go get some paint, dirt, chocolate, or gravy on your apron and

Have FUN being KIND!

-Love, Kelley
Laly’s Apron

Fundraising for The Wounded Warrior Project