I am going to compete against my good friend Kerry for the most inspiring story of the month contest here – because I have better use for those Ad Revenues the winner will receive (well in my opinion its better use ha-ha)

Since I haven’t done much myself that is inspiring I can share with you a short story about a kid who inspires me.

I live on a pretty old modest street that is lined with 80 year old maple trees, and houses many families, primarily retirees who have lived there since the beginning of their marriages etc. It’s a nice street, stable, and warm, has a cozy inviting feel to it when you talk a walk through or even drive.

There is a lady that lives on the corner, in a nice big century home, all alone. She would bake us cookies and cupcakes all the time when I was a kid, and always had something cold for us to drink on hot days, and something warm on cold days. She is like the neighborhood Grandmother of sorts, and everyone loves her.

 Two years ago a little guy named Dusty came to live with her. Dusty is her great grandson, and he is 9 years old. He was sent to live with his Granny because he has such bad allergies he just couldn’t be in school, and couldn’t even go out in the daytime because he is even allergic to sunlight if you can imagine that. So Granny started spending her time home schooling him, and finding things to keep him busy during the day when he was awake but unable to get outside. They did things like bake, plant seedlings in trays in the house, paint walls, do home repairs that she knew how to do but didn’t have the stability of hand maneuver to do. She would instruct and Dusty would carry out the deed – was a pretty good set up and he is a really smart kid.

One day Granny was packing the car with large garbage bags that looked rather heavy for her. I stopped whatever it was that I was doing, put my boots on, and ran across to her house to see if I could be of assistance to her. She explained to me that they had 10 bags full of Afghans (wool type crocheted blankets) that Dusty had made with spare wool from the ladies auxiliary at the church and from the seniors residence. While he couldn’t go out in the daytime, later that night they planned to drive downtown and hand these blankets out to homeless people they saw lying in the streets!!!!

I couldn’t believe my ears – whose idea was this I asked.

Granny told me that she had taught Dusty how to crochet, and he crochet a lot – especially at night when he was allowed to sit out on the front porch and get some fresh air after the sun had long gone to bed. He had idle hands, it was too late for him to make noise and disturb the neighbors, and so he would sit and enjoy the air on his face while I crocheted Afghans. He got so good at it he didn’t need to see, could do it blindfolded if he wanted to – and got faster at it. By the time they really took notice of his works – he had 8 Afghans stacked up in the back porch that he had completed. He told his Granny that he would like to give them to people who sleep in the cold on the first snow fall.

And that is what they were doing that day – she was packing up the car – and Dusty had made a total of 42 Afghans throughout the year. They were heading downtown when the sun went down that night to hand them out to people. Granny had a box full of brown paper bagged lunches to offer as well, and some flasks she said were donated to her from the dollar store – and she was going to fill half of them with hot coffee before their departure and the other half of them with hot soup.

Now if a 9 year old kid – who has a pretty crappy existence – can be so selfless and so thoughtful of others – why the heck shouldn’t we all be? He sure inspired me to all I can for anyone in need – from here on out.

Congrats to Dusty for being a one of a kind kid.