Hello dear Elves!
It’s lots of fun to give anonymous gifts to strangers but I also LOVE to give gifts to people I know and love – especially when it is not for any “special” occasion but just because my heart feels filled-to-bursting and I want to make some attempt to convey my love and gratitude.
I’ve written a bit about Shelly Benfield the last two weeks for my WAYA blog posts: She is one of my midwifery colleagues and a dear friend.
She is am amazing, caring, kind and generous person and I could fill pages singing her praises. But I will focus on this: For the last several years she has gone on many different trips (using her own money and PTO) to volunteer with Midwives for Haiti – which provides health care to communities and trains women to be midwives.
She just happened to be in Haiti at the time of the earthquake – along with her husband and 5 children (whom she had brought with her for the first time!) – and they have all worked tirelessly (Shelly’s children even kept orphans entertained with games and activities) to help people as much as they can.
She is one of the most selfless people I know and I think she will be a little embarrassed or self-conscious about receiving a gift for herself and her family. If she reads this I want her to know that she will be doing me a service by accepting it. 
Words really can’t do justice to how greatly I admire and honor Shelly and her family for all the work and care and love and hope that they extended to the people of Haiti. They shine a bright light in this world wherever they go!
Words can’t do it, and neither can any token of my esteem, but I want to *do* something…so I want to send Shelly and her family to have “2 days and 1 night” all-inclusive stay at the Great Wolf Lodge (an indoor water park). I’ve let her know that if she and her family rather do something else, that’s great – but I really do want them to use the money to “treat” themselves to something. (I know they love skiing and camping, too.)
Again, I appreciate Shelly and her family SO much!!! And I am SO excited about my small token of esteem, I hope to be able to report on its being received soon!
January 26th, 2010 - 12:19 pm
Shelley and her family sound like amazing souls. I’m sure she will love your gift, what a well deserved and fun time out it will be for her and her family ♥
[Reply]
January 26th, 2010 - 12:25 pm
I agree with Elviolith — Shelley sounds amazing! I just love learning about people like her. And that is a fantastic gift, just perfect.
An amazing, generous gift for an amazing, giving person!
I’m newly besotted with Midwives for Haiti, too. It’s been hard since the earthquake, trying to decide the best organization to donate to. They strike me as pretty much a perfect place to direct funds. Hooray!
[Reply]
January 26th, 2010 - 8:02 pm
Hello (again) Elviolith and ABM! Thank you SO much for celebrating Shelly and her family with me!
And I’m so glad, ABM, that you followed the link to Midwives for Haiti and want to celebrate and support their work, too!!! Hooray, indeed!
[Reply]
January 27th, 2010 - 8:51 am
What an awesome gift, and what a beautiful soul she must be!!
[Reply]
January 27th, 2010 - 1:16 pm
Juno-
You are a delight and daily inspiration! Thank you for all that you do to make this world more beautiful and abundant!
[Reply]
January 31st, 2010 - 9:38 am
Aw, thanks everyone for your kind comments! Shelly just got her gift yesterday and graciously accepted it. (As I expected she was a little self-conscious about doing so!) I can’t wait to hear the news of how she and her family enjoy it!!!
[Reply]
February 6th, 2010 - 1:56 pm
I want to share a quick note: Shelly called me yesterday from the water park and said that she and her family are having such a BLAST!
She said she will write up a piece about it (we only talked briefly but she started the day by telling her kids to pack their bathing suits and pajamas but their destination was a secret – how fun is that?!) and send lots of pictures for us all to see. I can’t wait!!!
[Reply]
February 6th, 2010 - 10:25 pm
How thoughtful of you! I’m glad I read the story late enough that I could read the update as well; I hope we get to read the piece here.
[Reply]