Community Stories

After months of being apart, I finally got to meet my girlfriend for the first time in real life. We have known each other since July last year, but have been "together" since January. It was exciting and nerve wracking to meet the love of my life and to find out whether we really were as compatible as we both thought we were.

And we were! I met her family as well, and they gave me a Smile. And now I can look at that Smile and think about my new, extended family who lives on the other side of the world. Soon, my girlfriend will come to Europe and we will find a solution to make our long-distance relationship into a life-long relationship instead.

Thank you for those sweet Smiles, those cute creatures who inspire and spread joy!

We're thrilled to share a heartwarming story that recently unfolded in Uganda, all thanks to Connect to Uganda. Check out all the images on our FB page but here are the highlights. 

Thank you for being a part of our journey and for your commitment to spreading kindness and joy. Together, we're making the world a brighter place, one smile at a time!  

"The mission team started our week with the perfect devotion led by team member Suzanne. She gifted everyone a smile from Seeds of Happiness .
We had a great time finding lots of ways to generate more smiles throughout our time in Uganda. Check out the good work this company is doing; they're based in Kirkwood. We love their commitment to making connections!!" 

- Connect to Uganda

Dear SPARK - My Seeds of Happiness story is long - however for the purposes of this newsletter, I am hoping to make it short AND meaningful.

Here goes: In 2018, after a VERY long and happy life, my mother learned she was terminal. She was 90. Like anyone losing someone dear to them, I was sad and lost - though I honestly never expected either of my parents to live as long as they did - which sounds crazy, but it is the truth. Their generation lived through the Great Depression and fought in World War II. So - their life was extremely well lived - even before they married and had four children - I am their youngest. In any event - in 2018 my mother learned of her inevitable encore. She had survived cancer 3 times - had beaten "the odds" that and then some. And she was before - and still - HAPPY. In fact, her totem (so to speak) was always a yellow smile-face. During my mothers earthly exit, I was living states away, with my own family (husband and four boys).

A VERY dear friend walked into my house on what was one of the "harder days" - and simply handed me a Seed of Happiness. I looked at it - having never seen one before - and it made me BREATHE. Like - it made me inhale for the first time in what felt like forever. She shrugged. She said, "I don't know what to say. There is nothing TO SAY. I just thought maybe THIS - this? Maybe THIS could say it for me. Maybe THIS will help you.". I took it with sober, knowing gratitude. It helped - more than anything in the world could have helped me at this point in my life.

My story has two parts, SPARK! =). I took this SOH and gave it to my mom the next time I saw her. I gave it TO HER - and it was the one thing she could actually hold. It was small and round - and it was her favorite thing - a yellow smiley face! - so she loved the message. The message really was unspoken (she had breast cancer that after 50 years became brain cancer) - but she KNEW. She held onto her yellow SOH - she never let it go. She smiled and thanked me for allowing her to continue to be EXACTLY what she always was - HAPPY. And a GIVER.

Okay - so sorry - my story maybe has THREE PARTS (SPARK - please do as you please with this story - I know you know it well). So - my mom Helen Dobrinski died on April 24, 2019. I tucked her seed into her hand so she could keep it forever. My father - her stalwart (and OLD!!! ;)) spouse grieved for her like nothing I have ever seen- and frankly hope not to - it was gutting. However - wait for it - Mark Borella's seeds of happiness - saved THE DAY. Months after my mom died, my dad deteriorated. He was married to my mom for 70 years - and they were a team. A beautiful, loving team. Honestly, my father had aged much more than my mom in those past two decades, but somehow when my mom got her news, my dad reverse aged to be there for her for every minute - and he was. He ran "out of gas" in September - just about 4 months after my mom died. He checked HIMSELF INTO hospice (Ama/ declining life sustaining meds at 93) -on really his own volition. He had been a cardiac patient for years - and had had cancer for decades - but he never wanted to leave my mom - so somehow, not sure how - he held on. For HER I know now - but only in retrospect. My dad was the giver of givers. My mom was too - but my father? He was physical about it - if a car needed plowing, or pushing out of upstate NY snow storm? At 90 - he did it. He was the youngest son of Polish immigrants and NOTHING - and Imean NOTHING stopped my dad.

OK - Back to Seeds Of Happiness. My dad decided he missed my mom and wanted to catch up with her (not suicidal) - just 93 and owning the feeling that she was in Heaven and he missed her and wanted to be with her. Which is COOL - but not cool when you are his child - and you need to figure out how to make this time "COUNT" so to speak. Well. Mark Borella is one in a million - or maybe a ZILLION (says me) - because I reached out - I needed to order seeds - ASAP - because my father needed a way to tangibly THANK people (tipping and such wasn't allowed - and even if it were, the hospice environment is beautifully humble and loving and giving - and it required something SPECIAL). So - having only ONE Seed of Happiness to my name (which was at this point, buried with my mother) - I reached out to Mark Borella. I ordered Seeds of Happiness for my dad to be able to offer to anyone who visited, or to give to the HUNDREDS of wonderful volunteers at Mercy House. Seeds Of Happiness for the WIN!! My dad - a humble, Polish immigrant - WORLD WAR II Veteran and later a nurse, husband of 70 years .... he cherished his mason jar of SOH. He gave them out in TROVES. My husband (who is wonderful, and frankly my parents loved/liked more than me - yay - that's a win) - said, "heather - you are going to break the bank. but I don't care"- and oh my goodness - I didn't care, either.

The Seeds Of Happiness in a generic Mason Jar that we tried to keep filled to the brim - they made SUCH a difference for my dad. And for US. THEY enabled my dad to be EXACTLY who he always was - a giver. I will NEVER, EVER EVER EVER NOT have an ARSENAL of Seeds of Happiness at the "ready".

They are tiny - but they are MIGHTY. Thank you, Mark Borella, for taking the time to read my story/my plight years ago - and HEARING IT. You are magic. Your team is magic. I am so very grateful - with each and every Seed Of Happiness I gift. Thank you. From the whole bottom of my heart. XO

- Heather

I lost my best friend to suicide a month ago today. I am usually a very happy girl. I smile all the time and know how to make others smile. But for around 2 weeks I just couldn't bring myself to do so. Then my mom came home from work with a seed of happiness from one of her co-workers for me and it was the first thing that made me smile. I love what you guys are doing and thank you for bringing me my smile back. Keep on smiling!

- Maggie

So I got my SOH in time for my acts of kindness birthday and in the same day I got another SOH box with a flower and pot. No idea who it was from but it made my night...

Thought I would share some reactions from giving out the SOH to strangers..

A waitress at a bar we hit. "I have had a horrible week and this right here has made it ok, I don't think you realize how much I needed this.”

Stranger on the street "you mean this is for me, to just make me smile?" And then she cried and hugged me..

A waiter 'I think this is the coolest tip I have ever gotten" (we left cash too haha).

Then today I gave away an SOH to a patient that saw it on my desk. She asked what it was and I showed her a card while I checked her in for her appt, she then pulled out her phone to look it up. She seemed really upset today, so I gave her mine. I can always order more. She then said she has to tell her mom and sister about them.

And now my favorite... I sent a few care packages overseas. I got an email last night from a deployed chaplain stating that I made a small group of grown men cry happy tears. I guess it was a bad day- and my package with SOH arrived on that day, and that small reminder to smile just helped.

So I hope on the hard tiring days y'all at SOH know you are making a difference. And you are helping people like me make a difference. All the happiness

- Shawna

Just a thank you for what you do. When I went for my chemo yesterday some other kind patient had left a SMILE for each of us. It is now on my desk to offer me a smile whenever I need it. Wanted you to know that what you do matters!

- Melanie