26 Acts of Kindness - Day 20

Today's Act of Kindness honored Avielle Richman, age 6. Avielle, or Avie as she was called, was a mighty girl. Her parents said she was born a spitfire and never changed, and she had a smile that could get her out of anything. Avie wasn't your typical 6-year old girl. Her favorite color was red, her favorite book was Harry Potter, she loved to hear stories and tell stories. She took kung fu, she loved music and super heroes, and after seeing the movie Brave she decided to start horseback riding and archery. 

Avie loved to wear her pink cowboy boots when she went riding and would giggle away as she trotted on her pony. She was just about to lose her first tooth and was very excited by the prospect of it. She said her dream car was a minivan, and she wanted an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas so she could make cookies for her mom. 

Avie was an only child. I feel especially bad for her parents, not that having other children would lessen the pain of losing one, but at least if you have another child you have to keep going for them. They lost their one and only - their "little hummingbird" and I can't imagine their grief. 

Avie was born and lived most of her life in San Diego. Her parents still called her their "California Girl" and they found it next to impossible to get her to wear shoes when they moved to Connecticut last year, since she was so used to running barefoot on the beach. You can see the California Girl in her on the photo taken on her 6th birthday - the sunglasses pulling her hair back and the bare feet, even in Connecticut in October.

So today to honor Avie the family decided to pay homage to the mighty girl she was. My daughter and I went shopping, trying to find something that would fit the spunky Avie. We found a neat Wonder Woman tee shirt that said "Girls Rule" (indeed!) and we also picked up a Brave storybook about Merida and her horse, and a Brave CD with music and a story on it.

I decided that I wanted to give this gift to a girl who could use the spitfire aura that little Avie projected - someone who could use some fight in them. The family took the bag of goodies (along with a $5 Target gift card I was handed upon checking out and decided to pass along to someone else who needed it more) down to the Women and Children's Shelter in Portland - a place where mothers and children can go to escape domestic violence.

We tried to walk in the door, but it was locked. I started to panic thinking we'd have to find somewhere else to take our gift, but just as we were about to walk away a woman came to the door. We told her we were there doing a Random Act of Kindness, my son handed her the bag as I explained to her that we would like her to pass the gift onto a mother who had a daughter between the ages of 5 and 8. She smiled and said she was sure they could find someone to give it to. She thanked us for our kindness, and I thanked her for all that she does for the community.

I hope that Avie's passion for life and her fierce personality help another young girl and a mother in need. As Wonder Woman would say, "Change their minds and change the world!" You go, Avie!

"Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair but manifestations of strength and resolution." - Kahlil Gibran