When I’m sad, I find doing an act of kindness for someone gives me a considerable amount of joy. By writing a letter, baking and delivering cookies or just calling a distant relative initiates happy thoughts. It chases those “poor me” thoughts out of my head. Spreading kindness is always a win for both the receiver and the giver.
Then, there are those really rough, terrible days when you need to know someone cares, you need a friend to hold your hand and a sister to give you a hug. Peggy Onwiler, founder of Sister Hugs, has taken this message to the next level and is this month’s Kindness Warrior Award winner. Many people contribute to the success of Sister Hugs, including Peggy’s friend, Marilyn, who has been with her every step of the way, and Mary who puts most of the inspirational posts on Facebook.
Sister Hugs’ mission is “To brighten a day, to spread a hug. We cannot fix, but we can improve a little bit.” They live their mission by delivering “Love Bombs.” The concept is when someone opens their gift; they are literally “bombed” with love. How fun to put such a positive twist on a negative. Sister Hugs first “Love Bomb” was delivered on July 5, 2012. Sister Hugs has since delivered over 700 Love Bombs all across the country. If you know someone that is going through a difficult time, someone that needs to know that others care, you can nominate them for a Love Bomb. No judgement just kindness.
Sister Hugs is a community of almost 10,000 on Facebook. They further connect people by fundraising for Sister Hugs. There is no better way to connect people than with the mission to spread kindness. It is a village effort with contribution from so many.
If you are in the Lincoln, Nebraska area why not plan to attend Sister Hugs “Spring Fling?” The “Spring Fling” is a first step to taking Sister Hugs to a new level. Peggy states: “Our spring fling is going to be held on April 14 and is a fundraiser for our next phase, “Nana’s Place”. This has been a long-time dream to have a physical address for Sister Hugs. and to create a comfort zone for people to go, to share, to spead time with others. When we think about the Norman Rockwell “Grandma’s House”, we think about cooking together, gardening together, hanging out together, grandma rocking the baby while mom gets some breathing time…all things that can get lost in today’s busy world. We want a place where people can go for a hug and a cup of coffee. Love will be plentiful, judgement left at the door. Our world needs us to act on this today.”
The amazing fact about kindness is that it is a win-win for both the giver and the receiver. As Peggy states, “Everyone who has ever delivered a Love Bomb or been connected to a project always talks about the fact that they end up receiving way more than they give. We refer to that as the boomerang effect. Everyone connected talks about what it does for their heart and how much they want to do it again.”
The boomerang effect is what chases your sadness away when you do something kind. Why not deliver your own Kindness Bomb to today? Perhaps, if you are too busy, Sister Hugs can pick up the baton and relay your kindness for you.
Thank you, Sister Hugs, for your passion and ability to mobilize a community to spread kindness to those that need a hug, to connect others together for great causes, and your positive Facebook messages. A Kindness Warrior is someone who uses love to change the world and someone who champions kindness in all they do. You are a true Kindness Warrior, an inspiration to us all! Thank you, Peggy, for your vision, your passion, and being a true kindness champion.
To find out more about Sister Hugs, follow their Facebook Page by clicking here.
Staying in Touch: Barbara Hirsh can be reached at info@LiveKinder.com I love hearing your kindness stories. Please sign-up for almost weekly kindness message at www.LiveKinder.com or follow LiveKinder on Facebook!
