The story of the Nine Nanas had me crying.
They’re a group of women in Tennessee who secretly helped neighbors for more than 30 years.
They’d gather at 4am to bake pound cakes, pay bills for families in need, and leave anonymous care packages with notes that said, “Somebody loves you.”
Eventually, they began selling their pound cakes online to fund the giving, and to date, they’ve raised over $1 million.
What struck me is how natural their service was, and how easily people joined in. Their contribution was effortlessly contagious.
They didn’t set out to create a business or even a non-profit. This was just a group of women loving on people the way they knew how.
Kindness and service isn’t just the way things should be; it’s the way things are, really. When we’re truly being ourselves.
I also notice how much FUN they seemed to be having with this little secret. I can just imagine these ladies, whispering and giggling, playing the role of unseen angels in people’s lives.
And I thought, “I want to do that.”
And then I noticed: I already do.
Life gives us ways to serve through the things we already love.
These things feel natural, and you’d probably do them anyway. The fact that they also help people is the sprinkles on life’s sundae.
I really believe that when you do what you love — when you enjoy tea in your garden or an afternoon on the porch, when you are being the love and peace that you are doing nothing at all — it changes the world. That’s the biggest gift and contribution anyone could ever give.
When you fill your cup up with joy, it overflows into the world. You won’t be able to help but give it away.
I can’t find the exact quote, but spiritual teacher Sydney Banks said something like, “Let yourself fill up with love and good feelings. And when you’re overflowing, give it back to yourself.”
I love that.
When we’re enjoying ourselves, there’s so much overflow we don’t even have to consider the contribution. It’s automatic.
And it also suggests…
There may be far less separation between caring for yourself and caring for others than we’ve been taught.
Yours in love and play,
Steph 🐲❤️🔥
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