What is Friends Sharing Hope?
Friends Sharing Hope is simply a group of people united in three simple things: friendship, giving, and hope. With the passing of one of my very dear friends, I have felt very sad and lost. I’ve wanted to talk to her, ask her a question, hear her wisdom. Since I can’t do that, I have asked myself what she might tell me. The words that echo in my mind are words that, in a nutshell, encourage me to keep going, to be real, to laugh, to work hard, but also to rest, and ultimately, to reach out and help someone else because that is what she would have done.
My friend’s mom said, “It would be my wish that all who knew Susanne would reach out or extend themselves to do good in her memory.” So, that’s what this is. It’s my way of reaching out to ask you what you remember about either Susanne or someone else you know, and to share their memory, their wisdom, their kindness with others. It’s my hope that this will help us all to feel positive and connected as we let someone’s hope live on in the world.
If you’d like to join me in spreading the love of a friend or loved one, here are some simple things you can do:
1. Share a word of wisdom, kindness, or encouragement on social media that your friend might have said, and add the hashtag #friendssharinghope.
2. Share your own word of encouragement, a favorite quote, a Bible verse, a funny story or video and add #friendssharinghope.
3. Share something you’re pursuing or working on that your friend or loved one has encouraged you in and add #friendssharinghope.
4. Send a note to someone in the mail. I am currently making notecards that say “Thank you Friend in Hope” that I plan to mail to people. Inside it will say, “Thinking of you with Love” with space to add a personal message and signature.
Included in the card will be:
· Two “Friend in Hope” stick figures to keep and/or give to someone else. They can be used as bookmarks, or posted somewhere as a reminder that someone cares about you, is praying for you, is thinking about you.
· A page sharing the mission of Friends Sharing Hope.
5. Send a note to a charity of your choice with a donation in honor of your friend. You can share this charity on social media as well with the hashtag #friendssharinghope in case others would like to do the same.
Feel free to download the stick figure and notecard templates on my website (diannebeck.com) if you want, or you can make your own, (I am NOT a professional artist, clearly!) And of course, a simple text or phone call to a friend or loved one is always an easy and good thing to do. This isn’t meant to be complicated. It’s really just something I thought of that made me feel a little lighter today, that made me feel like I was continuing on in a very small way the legacy of a very giving and wise friend. May your day be blessed in some way today.
With love, hope, and friendship,
Dianne