Touched by Kindness - read responses
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Have you found a Kindness Charm or have you put one in a special place? Has SedonaKind touched you in some way?
SedonaKind encourages acts of kindness locally and around the world and our Kindness Charms have been spread around the world. The heartfelt responses have inspired us to expand our effort. If you have found one of our Charms, passed on one of our Charms, or have been touched or inspired by SedonaKind in some way please share your story with us by filling out the from below. You can even upload a photo if you wish. Below the form read the stories of those touched by Kindness.
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A "Sedona Kind' of Surprise
There is super hero strength in KINDNESS. An authentic smile or a wise grin can expand goodness in unexpected ways…. surprising ways!
Just imagine for a moment, that you are hiking along one of Sedona’s myriad trails. Perhaps the red canyon wall towers above as you step over rocks and tree roots. Cicadas are singing. Your boots are dusty red and your mouth is dry. Ravens fly overhead and the azure sky deepens with the growing afternoon shadows. You are heading back to your vehicle after a satisfying trek and your water bottle is empty. A glint of something catches your eye on a low hanging alligator juniper branch just ahead. As you draw closer, a tiny splash of color refracts against the green background. What could it be? You reach into the branch and remove a delicate keychain made of various colored crystal beads attached to a charm that says “Women of Sedona” on one side and “Take Me Home & Spread Kindness” on the flip side. Are you serious? Not only has someone left a surprise for me out on the trail, but poured enough love into hand-making it, brimming with Kindness that I can share it with others? The glimmer of the crystals reflect the warmth coming from he hearts of those who made the charm. What a brilliant idea! You receive the charm and the kindness with gratitude, which warms your last few steps back to your car. Indeed, your heart has been expanded. The beads dance on your keychain as you drive back to your hotel, As you wash up for dinner, the notion of Sedona Kindness takes seed in your thoughts …through dinner and even into your dreams, where you ask yourself how to spread kindness when you return home from your holiday. Now THAT’S strength in small packaging! Sedona Kind is a group of gloriously enthusiastic souls who put twinkle in project they tackle. It started with ladies who enjoyed making keychain charms and then dangling them from bushes or trees. This form of ‘gifting’ is spreading kindness across the world. You can visit their website or SedonaKind Sedona FB page to learn more about their various endeavors! Linda Berthelsen Jan's Jewelry Kindness
This is Jan, my "former" real estate partner in Salem Oregon. She gave me a huge pile of jewelry from her Mother and Grandmother. When she said how difficult it was for her to give up their jewelry, I mentioned that we have made charms to hang in honor of someone when we travel. It worked out perfectly, as Jan was heading to the Oregon coast where her Grandmother loved to go; and my daughter is taking two back to Maui where her Mother liked to travel. Jan was very grateful that I made the charms specifically for her using their jewelry.
Sandy Traveling Charms
So, here is another chapter in the wonderful journey of one of SedonaKind’s beautiful charms. You may remember that I left charms in the Greek islands and received a lovely email from Adamantia and Poly who hoped to travel and pass it on. I had ended my email response to them with the message that I hoped that their travel wish would be granted soon and, in the meantime, regarding the charm, “keep it safe as a talisman and just smile and pass on kindness every day.”
How delighted I was to receive an email this January with photos and see that their travel wish HAD been granted! There they were in Scotland and their smiles told the tale as well as the email which was full of joy. The charm was left in the last destination so now the journey will continue on from Loch Ness. Kari Lee Just when you need it
It Appears At Your Door Funny how things happen,I was having a bad day.... Feeling frustrated and unappreciated .
And I opened my front door to go to the garage and do some errands, and what do I find?. A darling ceramic heart with a note attached from Brenda Cosse. Needless to say.. I started to cry with gratitude. This was right before Valentines Day, and I looked @ the wind blowing my heart banner from the tree for the holiday, and I was @ peace and smiling. Thank you. Sincerely, Rayna Easter Kindness
Dear SedonaKind
Your visit to the Center with the gift of Easter goodies inspired me to purchase Easter candy and make cards. Using the items you donated, I made many lovely baskets that I personally delivered to clients’ homes the day before Easter. The baskets and the impromptu visits were so well received. It was great fun playing Easter Bunny and I thank you for your donations which made for a day to remember, not only for myself, but also for many of our sweet Meals on Wheels clients. One lady, well into her 90s, looked at the basket being held out to her at her open door, and with the wide eyes and big smile of a young girl, she said, “An Easter Basket! This is the first Easter Basket I have ever received!” As you can well imagine, I walked back to the car with tears in my eyes. Kind regards, Donna Newcomb Meals On Wheels Coordinator Sedona Community Center Gifts of Love and Kindness
I took a few charms to Seattle for a visit with my grandchildren. I thought you would appreciate this story. The woman, Susan, in the photo is homeless and was selling the newspaper they write to make a little money. You may notice the lead article in paper was about Susan and her art work. She happens to make the felt hearts she gave to each of my grandchildren when we were chatting with her outside the local market. After a bit of shopping, my 10 year old granddaughter said she would like to give Susan her charm to thank her for how she spreads kindness and love with her felt hearts. Susan was deeply appreciative and very happy. A bit hard to see the charm but Susan is holding it.
Emily KamillaMy husband and I traveled to Sedona from New York for our first vacation since the birth of our daughter 19 months ago. I found my kindness charm outside the Secret Garden Cafe in Tlaquepaque. After news of the awful terrorist attacks in Paris,and the alarmist warnings of an imminent attack on New York, the charm was a gentle reminder that there is goodness and purity in our world. May it always prevail.
Devils Bridge SedonaHello Women of Sedona!
I found your kindness charm on Friday, June 27th, on the way up to Devil's Bridge. I read the charm and wasn't sure whether I was supposed to take it or not, and decided to go forward. After about 100ft, I turned around and grabbed it knowing it was meant for me! I gave it to my 8 year old daughter, and she loved it (almost felt it was magical)! She's even thinking of leaving it on our trip to Wisconsin for someone to find. Never hurts to spread the kindness Thanks for making my day of hiking even brighter! Monica (Chicago, IL) British ColumbiaThere is now a charm up on whistler mountain in British Columbia!!
To Ireland....From the Bitter End
Hi,
Whilst on holidays at the Bitter End we met and became friendly with Vince, his wife Lucille, their son Michael and extended family. Unbeknownst to us initially Vince et al found one of your kindness Charms hanging from a Tree at the Bitter End and, having thought about it, they passed it on to my wife and I so we could bring it back to Ireland. We are now back in Ireland, County Wexford (where the Kennedy dynasty originated in Ireland is one well-known American link) and we will hang the charm at a suitable location in Ireland from which it can pass on the message of kindness. NOTE:- If the importance of kindness is underestimated then consider reading George Saunders 8 minute address to Syracuse graduation students last year, i.e. 2013, or view his speech on YouTube. Kind regards to all, Paul Sarah and Rose Ebrill Wexford, Ireland 
Marathon CharmsHello, my name is Ana and I just wanted to tell you how very excited I was to find your charm! I found it on the path in Sedona where they were having the marathon yesterday, February 2. What is ironic is when I saw it it reminded me of Ben's Bells in Tucson, needless to say I was very excited to find out that you lovely ladies were doing the same things as them. I am a Tucson native, currently a student at NAU, and the Ben's Bell project has been very close to my heart. I have seen them do so many acts of kindness and you can see it transforming our city for the better. Keep up the great work ladies!
Also, at NAU I am a part of a sorority called Omega Phi Alpha, we are a service sorority and do about 12+ community service projects a semester. We were actually volunteering at the marathon when I found your charm. If you ladies ever need help in making charms, or helping in an event feel we would love to help your organization. OUr email address is nauomegaphialpha@gmail.com<mailto:nauomegaphialpha@gmail.com> Thank you for your acts of kindness, Ana Gallardo What goes around Comes around
Morning,
We have been in Sedona for several days on family business and I have been blessed to find your charm in my family members kitchen drawer . I have looked at it several times without picking it as to not disturb her items but finally gave it- I just had to. One thing led to another and here I am. Our family member is Shirley Carroll who you may or may not know. Shirley and her late husband Bob have been involved with the art community most of the 20 plus years that they lived here. Following Bobs illness and passing, Shirley has struggled with her own health issues. I hesitate to take this charm of hers as someone must have given it to her as a get well kindness gesture. Is there a way that I could get one? Would you believe that I spent all day Saturday looking for one? The universe did not want me to find one that day. I also would like to take this gesture back to my area and bringing people's faces looking towards the sky rather than looking down. Would to have your permission to do so? I could see this in a way to honor loved ones who are sick or who have passed. I feel very strongly about this. My story is that I have been medically retired for 4 years . I have epilepsy and a memory disorder that does not allow me to work in my former profession, a health educator/ social worker. I also was the area coordinator for the Random Acts of Kindness . I feel very strongly about this and practice what I preach daily . My husband is a retired school superintendent . He is also medically retired with Parkinson's Disease slowing him down some days. We have been looking for something to do and this has inspired us to make the world a better place in honor of those we know and love. We leave early Tuesday morning. Can you point me in the right direction as to where the universe just might allow me to find one? Thank you for your time. Thank you for making the difference in the world and doing it in such a beautiful way. I do hope that you will allow me the honor of making the central valley of California - Visalia in particular - a better place. JoAnn Snell 
Out of the mouths of babesHattie my granddaughter is so excited to go hang them in trees. She is putting one in the yard at her pre-school, her favorite park and in a tree at home so her mom can find it. We are going to put the others in Bend and Redmond. She thinks everyone will be kind after she does this. If only we could think like 5 year olds. Thanks so much it has been an uplifting activity in the middle of a ugh! winter.
Colleen Budde Sunrise TrailYesterday, my very dear friend Brian took a walk on the Sun Rise trail in Sedona with his dog Chica. We were wondering where he was and I was becoming impatient. Holidays are difficult for me since my beloved husband Steve died quite unexpectedly from pancreatic cancer four years ago. I miss him terribly, so much so that it takes my breath away. Brian epitomizes what a best friend is all about. He took time out of a busy schedule to fly cross country to help me care for my dying husband, help my son and I get started on a life without what we hold most dear. Every Christmas, he has invited us into his home for the holidays. This year, my Christmas wish was to go to Sedona. We drove from Page, AZ to this wonderful feel good town. And topping it all off was Brian bringing me this beautiful gift --an amulet dedicated to paying it forward. I have yet to find lasting happiness, but I have espoused a plan to give happiness to others until the day that it becomes real to me. Your charm has made me happy and will be a constant reminder to bring the light, even when you are living in darkness...
Have a blessed and peaceful holiday season! Amelia Bruno |
Texas Miracle
Where did you find or place the Kindness Charm
in the mail with a cool rock!!!! (i have not re-placed the charm yet, i'm going to love on it a bit longer Tell us your story STUFF THAT MAKES IT EASY TO BELIEVE IN MIRACLES.... I lost ten family members in the Sutherland Springs Texas Church shooting and other family members were wounded physically and emotionally on that day...we lost over half our family in the blink of an eye...SedonaKind send me a beautiful care package but the Universe was already conspiring to make it even more of a miracle..here is the story...eternally and ecstatically GRATEFUL!!!!!! i really don't want to cry any more. i'm thinking: "ok...cry a bit but seriously, is that the best way, the only way, to have emotions move through you?" i mean when you cry you look ugly, you get a headache, burning eyes, aching jaw, you feel AWFUL the next day...and how do you EVER cry enough to move a massive amount of emotions through one's soul?...and IS crying the ONLY way to move this emotional energy? i'm thinking, "this IS literally energy.... emotional energy"...there has to be more than one way to process it and move it out of your body...i mean, the whole idea is to go from feeling rotten to JOY...joy is our intended stage of being!!!...there has to be a way to turn emotions that don't feel good into LOVE! so i began to think of things that would help and maybe not feel as awful as a crying hangover.....i thought of making music, of dancing, i thought of singing, i thought of meditating and praying...i thought of gentle nostalgic weeps that come from writing about what i am feeling...i'm doing all of these and they all help. but then i got a "nudge" to go see a screening of a new film called Heal and someone in the film was throwing rocks into the woods to help move their emotion out of their body and YAY, i found my idea!!!!...tho for me, i shall go to the ocean (i know where the rocky beaches are) i kind of don't want to bonk any woodland creatures on the head either...so i shall toss rocks into the water...i will give each rock a feeling that needs to transmute, i will toss it into the water and imagine the energetic charge from that emotion bursting free in the splash! the next morning, when i awoke, my friend Robin Lucke Grunzweig texted to check on me and i told her my new emotion processing idea. she remarked that she had been thinking about getting a bunch of rocks and painting them, then leaving them in random places for people to find which would give strangers a happy surprise. (imagine lots of really creative places to leave a happy rock for someone to discover, FUN!!!) oh wow, another good idea!!! i always keep heart shaped crystals and minerals in my purse to give away to random strangers but they get expensive at 5 dollars a pop so i thought...YES, i shall get rocks at the garden center, and paint them with hearts, the painting will also move my emotional energy... and i will also employ Robin's idea to leave some in random places for people to find as well as keep them in my purse to share with people i meet thereby promoting heart finding and all the juicy wonders which follow as a part of heart finding (i.e. #LOVEWINS!!!) thru #findinghearts now, here is where the really exciting miracle happens (tho really all of this is miracles on the happening path) i get ready for my day as usual, and as i am walking out the door there is a package on my doorstep...from an unknown giver...as i open it..here is what i found...PAINTED ROCKS!!! WHAT????!!!! on one side beautiful painted flowers much like what Robin was envisioning and on the other side, three hearts...a YES from the UNIVERSE!!!!! instant manifestation...the moment we shared that joy-filled idea, the moment we felt the joy of it as if it was already happening, the Universe shows up with a nod confirming that we are seen and heard and even encouraged...most of all we are LOVED...and that LOVE speaks to opened hearts...to those who follow the nudges.. what forces worked together to coordinate that synchronicity? can you even entertain one tiny speck of doubt that there is an unseen loving Hand that LOVES us so much it would arrange something like this?!!! OH WOW!!! live on little painted heart rocks! Bless us as we help LOVE thrive on our planet the way it was meant to BE, so we can all be free. JoCheryl Holcombe Alma de Sedona - Charmed
My son and I visited Sedona last week and stayed at the Alma de Sedona Inn and found one of the charms. This just made our experience so much more profound that I wanted to help in this effort.
I placed my first charm in Wimberley, Texas another place in the Texas Hill Country that has similar energy to Sedona. This was brought home to us during the major flood two years ago Memorial Day and how the town is rebuilding. I have enclosed a picture of how the town celebrated their coming back during Memorial Day weekend. Spreading love and kindness around the world. Cassandra Taylor Boxes of Love
Dear Patti,
Thank you so much for the lovely gift which arrived yesterday - I did check out the website to read more about the Boxes of Love and the Kindness Charms. What a wonderful way to spread kindness and love throughout the community! I will treasure this gift. Hope you are enjoying Sedona and the weather there. Today it's a glorious sunny afternoon in West Hartford with temps almost reaching 60 degrees. Thinking of you and family, Love, Anne Pink Jeep Magic
On May 15th my 8 year old grand daughter, Isabella went on the Pink jeep your with my daughter. On her walk up a trail she found this beautiful charm. Today we did the research, it is such a lovely piece of love and friendship to pass on to someone else. She decided to wait until our family trip to Orlando, FL in October to find the right person to share happiness with. Her feelings are hopeful that a family member of close friend of one of the loved ones lost in the tragedy will find it. She wants to bring a little happiness to a sad heart. She is s very loving young lady. I will be with her, we will find a special place.
Anna I will be in Orlando, FL in October and I will find a special place to leave it for someone else. I hope the next person who finds it will pass it on also. Isabella Mother's Day Kindness
A quick note to let you know how touched our Meals on Wheels ladies were with Mother’s Day cards you so lovingly crafted.
I received many comments from the drivers that the clients delighted in being remembered with the beautiful handmade cards. Many thanks for your time and your thoughtfulness. Kind regards, Donna Newcomb Meals On Wheels Coordinator Candiss Charmed at
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Red Rock Kindness
Kindness on the trail
I live in Delaware but have been drawn to Sedona for years.When my daughter ,Vicki,passed away almost 2 years ago,the first thing I wanted to do was go to Sedona.Somehow the Majesty of the red rocks,endless vistas,and blue skies made me feel closer to God and my beloved daughter.I have gone three times since...the last being this past September28-Oct. 3rd. I had a vortex tour scheduled for Tues.Oct.1st. I had prayed that morning to God and Vicki to please give me a tangible sign that she is still with me.Later that afternoon,our Pink Jeep pulled up to the Boynton Canyon Vortex,and the 5 of us,including our guide got out to feel the energy.We walked up a small hill,and as the others veered to the right,I walked straight ahead,bedazzled by blue crystals shining in the Arizona sun.I had worn all blue that day because it was Vicki's favorite color.My treasure was gracefully draped over a rock,and I approached slowly,thinking somebody had left a piece of jewelry or was charging special crystals there.I couldn't believe it when I read the tag to TAKE ME HOME.I immediately picked it up and knew this was my gift from beyond...from my baby.The others on the tour came over and I told my story.We all cried together.Just the day before I was looking at the weathered key chain my daughter had given me years ago,and resolved never to replace it.I still will never replace it,but now I have a heavenly keychain that is an eternal treasure that I'll cherish forever.Thank you Sedona Kind...This mother's broken heart just got a piece replaced ♥️
Debbie McNelly We missed a trail marker coming back from Cockscomb and hiked further than I’d hoped. I was tired and a little grumpy, double checking the trail markers, when I found the Sedona Kind charm hanging just above the trail marker. Thank you for reminding me that there’s beauty and kindness all around, even in the places I didn’t want to be. I’m a bereaved parent so this means everything in my grief journey: there is still beauty and loving kindness, even here.
At The Abbey on the Isle of Iona in Scotland
Kindness GiftDear Jawn and SedonaKind,
It was magical meeting you at the pool, Jawn. Your SedonaKindness group idea deeply touched and inspired me. When we returned home, we were overjoyed to find your kind gift. The beautifully , perfectly boxed and wrapped charm, the message card, and descriptive brochure and your wonderful website represent an amazing 7 year project. What terrific teamwork! Your kind gestures are sincerely appreciated. I would love to be on your email list to receive your monthly newsletter. Loving thanks, John Metras and Kathy La Berge. Tivoli Gardens ItalyHello,
A friend left my charm in Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark, on a bench.. This charm was made of my mothers jewelry after she passed away. Her father, Andrew Wernegreen, was from Copenhagen, and traveled to America in the early 1900's. She always wanted to go visit Copenhagen, but was never able to go. She is there now in her charm, and I know she would be so pleased. I would love to hear from you if you picked up the charm. Lots of love, Carol Meditation of Kindness
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