Admittedly, I have had an incredibly selfish month. The past 36 days, to be more exact. But I have done this consciously, and cautiously. For the first time in my 23 years, I made the clear choice to allow myself to focus on me, and I began the most incredibly journey of #100happydays www.100happydays.com

Now, I need no reminder of the fact that this movement is the exact opposite of that, focused on giving and connecting and inspiring others to be just as outwardly thoughtful and considerate. But that is the funny thing that I have learned already through this past month: when you begin to learn how to truly love yourself, how to praise yourself, to focus on encouraging and building and strengthening your own soul, you inspire others to do the same. Caring for ourselves is something so over-looked these days, and finding true happiness within our own hearts, unto ourselves and without the influence or ignition of any other individual, it is the most rewarding, self-empowering, genuine, gratifying content that I have ever known. And others see that, and they feel that, and they SUPPORT that, and they truly want nothing more for you than to continue being happy, each and every day. It is such a wild (and unfortunately rare) occurrence these days, to find people who are so happy for you just being happy for yourself. It is magnificent. [Read more…]

I wanted to take the opportunity to share with Karri Hour, my Olympic connection and the true act of kindness bestowed upon me as I walked my way through the Cambridge Centre Mall to the Olympic Chalet where I am proudly and patriotically representing Cambridge Hyundai.

Just as I was rounding the corner, passing East Side Mario’s and in the opposite direction of the Bay, a gentleman complimented me on my Team Canada Jersey (the awesome Black, Red and Gold one!). We started talking a little about the Olympics and the successes our Olympians have had so far, when he said to me “You need a toque to go along with that jersey!”. And no sooner was he giving me the hat off of his head, telling me that he had more at home because his son was at the Olympics. I don’t know if anyone has tried to find themselves an official Olympic hat lately, but I can assure you that they are nearly impossible to get ahold of AND this man selflessly and without the slightest hesitation gave me his own.

This father and kind older man, proceeded to tell me about his son who is the Olympic speed skating coach, Derrick Campbell. I can’t help but feel in these moments how small our world truly is and just how kind people are two absolute strangers. It is precisely these moments where one’s faith can be restored in humanity…people are good!

Kylee Erwin

Well, this is a story that I wanted to pass on. I was on a flight the other day and I was sitting next to an elderly couple who were traveling to Philadelphia from Wichita along with their sister and brother in law. They were going to attend the funeral of the wife’s’ oldest sister. I passed on my condolences and we made small talk on the plane. I felt for this sister as she had said that the eldest sister that had passed was like the second mother to the family. The husband, had cut/rasped his arm on the seat and as he was taking a blood thinner, like Cumadin(don’t know the spelling) , it made his skin very thin and so every small bump was a potential big deal. So the Southwest (my fav.) Airline attendants were above and beyond with helping this older fellow out and there was also a doctor involved as the situation became more serious. After 45 minutes, the wound was controlled but the flight attendants and the doctor were the true do-gooders in this situation and my hat is off to them.

I didn’t get a chance to give them a wrist band but I did indeed get to share Karri-Hour with a fine gentleman that I met on my way back from Philadelphia. He has invented a technology that is going to help monitor the severity and G-force of collision hits to the head for all sports and that is definitely a very very worth technology that may save long term head injuries and even premature deaths from repeated body contact collisions that occur in contact sports. So my hat is off to you too Dale! I hope your company becomes extremely successful along this road to helping athletes out. Planes and Trains are a great vehicle (no pun on words intended) to share the message of Karri-Hour with absolute strangers.

Pete Oksanen

I was running late for a meeting this morning when I turned down a side street to park. A minivan was spinning it’s wheels, stuck in a rut and blocking the road. A couple of cars were trying to pass but there was no room. I was able to turn around and was about to drive away and look for another spot. Just then I thought of my daughter Parry who is doing 24 acts of kindness in memory of Karri. I pulled over, jumped out of the car and was able to help push the van back on to the road. As I walked away the wife of the driver thanked me profusely. If I was a thinker, like my wife Cheryl, I would have given her my Karri bracelet. I’ll try to remember for next time.

Blair Rickers

Tonight I am volunteering with my Kiwanis Club doing a 50/50 draw at the storm game to raise money for Kiwanis and I am dedicating my volunteering to Karri. I am going to let everyone know about Karri Hour and hopefully get more people involved with Karri Hour. I think of you, Tracy, Lexi and Karri often and will often buy a coffee for someone behind me at Tim Hortons and tell them it is from Karri Hour so hopefully they look up what this awesome Karri Hour is all about.

Love to you all.

Patty

Once in a while we get a very special Karri Hour submission. Please follow the work of 25 year old Lynsey Hodgson who is doing battle with a brain tumor and recently decided to celebrate her 25th birthday by undertaking 25 separate acts of Karri Hour. Please show your support for this courageous young lady by following her blog and, as I’m sure Lynsey would love, making your own Karri Hour commitments.

You can find Lynsey’s blog here.

I love to think I’m a good person.

I try to do these grand things that benefit others, but to be totally honest, I’m a broke student, on a limited budget, with limited
patience and understanding. I get frustrated by my day-to-day life; by the ever-increasing loans I have to pay off, by the degree I don’t truly love-or even enjoy- but that will pay the bills, by the rudeness of strangers, by the seemingly infinite greed of the society I immerse myself in. I get frustrated by the traffic of the luxurious cars that I know I will never be able to afford, by the clothes I will never own, by the beautiful places in the world that I will never see. I get frustrated when I see students that are just like me aside from one astronomical difference: they “come from money”.

For a long time, I have associated doing good deeds with monetary value. I have tried to do my part and “pay it forward”; buying diapers for a struggling mother, giving change for the bus, trying to do good when I can. But after a while, it starts to narrow down to money, and the reality of it is that often, I cannot afford it. For me, this was a huge struggle, and my “Karri Hour spirit” became dulled. [Read more…]

For anyone who was luck enough to have met Kar, I think we can agree that he plays a role in a our everyday life whether revered in the mind, felt in our hearts, or witnessed through random acts of kindness. I love that. I also love how he has pulled together so many long lost friends and puzzle pieces to the ‘good ol days’. At the golf tourney, many attendees shared the same appreciation in that it was a beautiful day, successful reunion, and overall overwhelming display of kindness. However, amongst all the familiar faces, the one person that really made it all possible was missing; Karri.

About a week ago I ran into a friend that didn’t know Karri, his family or our friend circle but had heard about the heartbreak and reached out, immediately liking the KarriHour page and pledging her commitment. I gave her a bracelet and a year later I am touched to notice she still wears it everyday. It reminds me that this movement continues to grow and give hope to more people than just his friends and family.

This is someone who could easily dwell during hard times, but instead holds her head high and perseveres bringing joy to others. She’s taken refuge in the movement and spread the love, proudly flaunting her bracelet all along. Her latest act was posting handmade signs around Guelph offering passerby’s to ‘Take What You Need’ and added tabs listing simple necessities such as courage, love, strength etc. for them to pull off.

As a friend, she’s the kind that texts you first, checks in and offers support regardless of whatever struggles she may be having, or how many times those friends and family have let her down; she never hesitates to put others first. Mack (Lil MG), your big beautiful smile and many kind acts are most appreciated. Thank you for staying true to your word and reminding us that Karri’s legacy continues to touch new lives everyday.

Sheena N.

Who can’t resist putting a smile on someone’s face. As you know Tim Horton’s have their smile face cookies again, so Thursday I purchased 14 of those smile cookies, individually wrapped and after ordering them pulled up to the window and asked the woman at the window to pass them out to the next 14 people behind me. As we know 14 was Karris baseball number so as I did last year at this time, we put a smile on 14 people’s faces. Karri had this infectious smile that would make everyone around him SMILE so its only fitting that we pass this great smile on and on and on. So lets continue to make our world a better place one Karri Hour at a time. And most of all keep smiling it looks good on you. 🙂

Your Friend Ron Collins

I miss Karri. I have never had a life impact me so significantly as Karri’s has.

Over the past 11 months, I have thought about Karri every day as I strive to draw meaning from his passing and embody his legacy in becoming a better person.

One of Pete’s original postings about Karri Hour encouraged us to find more time for people in our lives. Looking at the Karri Hour site and Karri’s own facebook profile, the amount of friends he has who obviously care so deeply for him is simply overwhelming. The outpouring of support has certainly shown me how loved and appreciated Karri was as a friend. In this spirit, I have dedicated the past 11 months to being a better friend – taking the time to make people in my life feel special and important and going out of my way to be supportive and present when someone else is having a bad day. Karri has made me want to be a better person, someone who does nice things for people just to make them happy, and who will drop everything to be there for someone.

For me, Karri Hour has been a hundred simple things, like cleaning the family kitchen so someone else doesn’t have to do it (it can get pretty messy!); stopping by a car on the side of the road during a snowstorm to check if they needed any help (I never had the nerve to before!); making dinner for a big group of my friends to show them how much I appreciate them; or dropping by the home of a coworker with a new baby and bringing lunch just to give her a break…. I have done all of this in the spirit of Karri and I am so thankful that I have Karri to forever guide me to be a better person.

We all love you and miss you very much Karri,

Melissa