Operation Special Delivery 

Cupids went flying around the world this February as usual delivering Valentine love and greetings. SedonaKind has its own unique brand of “Cupid-ism,” and we call it Operation Special Delivery. It started with our own dear Constance, who conceived of creating special handmade cards of gratitude, and secretly delivering them to unsung heroes in our community.  She inspired all of us, and last year we made and delivered 200 missives of love. The responses made our hearts sing, and so the question was, what to do this year? Enter amazing Sandy, with the idea of “Boxes of Love.”  These are beautifully wrapped and decorated small gift boxes, each one of a kind. The secret? All that’s inside is…. Love. A poem is attached to each box, telling each person not to unwrap the box, but to know each time they look at it, that they are thought of and loved.

​Sandy Brandvold has written the history for you. It's a beautiful example of how when you send love out into the world, you never know how it will grow, and where it will end up.

Boxes Of Love

The poem originated on a box given to my Mother-in-Law, in Oregon, when my Father-in-Law died (at 56).  Alice kept it on her dresser until she died at 70...so, it obviously meant something to her.  I never did learn which friend gave it to her as it was done anonymously.  When I helped the family pack up her things, I asked if I could have the Box of Love.  Twenty years later, I rekindled the power of those words and the gesture of love, by giving them to girlfriends I had made in Sedona.  The idea of recreating them for Operation Special Delivery came from those friends!!!  I'm so pleased that the love will be spread again.  Just think, if the new recipients keep them, and their children see them...someday it may go round again with a whole new generation!

​Sandy Brandvold

Box Of Love​
This is a very special gift    
that you can never view.
The reason it’s so special is    
it’s just from us to you.   

Whenever you are lonely,
or feel a little blue,
You only have to hold this gift
and know we think of you.

You should never unwrap it.
Please leave the ribbon tied.
Hold the box close to your heart,
It’s filled with LOVE inside!

So the wrapping paper, ribbons and embellishments flew, as about 12 SK-ers met to wrap and create 200 boxes of love. At the 2016 Nov. meeting, all our members had agreed that there were certain groups of people in our community who we wanted to give these special Valentines to. And so the second week of February, we had the joy of delivering these gifts to the volunteers of the Verde Valley Caregivers, to the nurses and patients at the Cancer Center at our Medical Center, to the caregivers and every patient at the Valley View Care Center (the amazing hospice facility in Cottonwood), and to the caregivers and patients at the new Accord Hospice group here in Sedona. That old cliché “there wasn’t a dry eye in the house” was simply the truth, and the joy we spread came back to all of us tenfold. Every one of you in SedonaKind was a cupid this year, because we all inspire each other to recognize the need for being loved, thanked and remembered. And when we can do that for our own community, well, it just doesn’t get any better than that!