Every now and then, someone will share something with us that catches us completely off guard. Like when a friend quietly mentions that her husband lost his job, or a neighbor tells us they’re caring for an aging parent. Sometimes, when we’re at church, we hear about someone who’s recovering from surgery, or we find out about a family down the road who has had an especially difficult week.
In those moments, most of us say the same thing. “If there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”
And we mean it. The trouble is, life has a way of moving on. A week passes. Then another. Before long, we’re trying to remember where we heard the news in the first place, and we wonder if it’s too late to reach out.
I’ve done that more times than I’d like to admit. Not because I didn’t care. Because life became busy.
A while back, I realized I needed something to help me remember the people whose burdens hadn’t disappeared just because the calendar pages had turned. Not a gift basket to give away. Not another project to organize. Just one small personal basket that quietly waited for me to use.
Inside were a few blank cards, some envelopes, stamps, a pen, and a handful of reminder cards with names and dates written on them.
Not one thing in that basket was fancy, or expensive. It was just enough to remove every excuse for not following through.
If you think it would help you, it doesn’t take much to make one. Here… let me show you how.
Here’s How I Put Mine Together
Start with a basket or small box that’s easy to see. If it’s tucked away in a closet, chances are you’ll forget it’s there. I keep mine on my office desk where I notice it often enough to remember why I put it there in the first place.
Add a few simple supplies: note cards, envelopes, stamps, and a pen. Those little things may not seem important until the day you actually want to write a note and discover you’re missing a stamp.
Now, let me explain what I mean by Reminder Cards. These are just simple cards, like an index card, where you can write down the date, the person’s name, what they’re walking through, and maybe things like their address, or an idea or two of what might help cheer them up – like their favorite cookie, or which casserole you want to take to them.
And just so you know, the basket itself isn’t the important part. The important part is that it quietly reminds us to do today what our hearts genuinely wanted to do the day we first heard the news. Sometimes encouragement isn’t complicated. Sometimes it simply needs a little help remembering.
If you aren’t sure where to find some of the things you’ll need, let me show you what’s in mine.
In My Basket
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Note cards (blank or all-occasion work just fine)
Decorative Box (if you want to get just a little bit fancy with your basket)
Stamps
Reminder Cards (Index cards – but you can use an Address book, too. I use both, because Reminder Cards often have more room for personal notes.)
Come Back Anytime…
…I’ll leave the porch light on for you.
Until next time…travel safely.
Stroll Down Another Path
Porch Conversation
There’s always room for one more conversation.
Hands at Work
Sometimes the best conversations continue with busy hands
Another Garden Path
When one conversation naturally leads to another.
The Bookshelf
Stories, books, and favorite reads that have found a place on my shelf.
Front Porch
Head back to the porch and see what’s new.
Leave a Note on the Porch