By Lisa Bowers

Surprises and kind gestures have such beauty.  And surprising kind gestures have such beauty. I was the recipient of a beautiful and surprising kind gesture when I received a lovely needlepoint with a message that deeply resonated with me: “There is no Planet B.”  I thought it was so sweet that the creator knew that cross stitch would have meaning for me.  This common clarion call for environmentalists emphasizes the need to take care of what we have now.  We can not create another planet if we destroy Planet Earth. 

While my mother was living out her last years with Alzheimer’s disease, I thought that having something she could carry around with her, like an iPad, would give her comfort and control.  The iPad became a source of both calm and joy as we would stream Mom’s favorite songs on YouTube.  What a blessing to see Mom belt out “Do Re Mi” from The Sound of Music, the Carpenters’ “Close to You,” and the Temptations’ “My Girl.”

My Mom was known to be very giving and generous.  When she died, we had an extra iPad and of course it would be given to someone who might be able to use it.  That is my Mom’s legacy of giving.How appropriate that the iPad recipient, from whom I expected nothing at all, would give me a needlepoint so thoughtfully created.  Mom’s legacy of giving just sparked more giving.  The original desire to give the iPad to Cece stemmed from my fondness for a dear high school friend and her family.  I had something that might be useful to my friend’s sweet daughter.   It made me very happy that she might find it useful, even if only for a few weeks.  (Ironically, giving away the iPad also enabled me to “reuse and recycle,” rather than keep it or put it in the equivalence of an electronics landfill.  The creator of “There is no Planet B” would be proud!)  

The many factors involved in creating this needlepoint also signify the seemingly random nature of the things that happen to us. I got my Mom an iPad.  We experienced hours of joy that we might not have had otherwise. My Mom dies. I want to provide a “reuse” for her iPad.  I have a long-time high school friend I was visiting.  She has a daughter who could use an iPad.  Her thoughtful daughter wanted to express her thanks.  Her daughter makes beautiful needlepoints.  I receive a package with a needlepoint.  The result?  A needlepoint with a powerful message, nicely framed and sitting on my living room console, which reinforces a warm feeling about the giver and her family.  Random events coming together?  The stuff of life, although I’m not sure these events are really random. 

Surprising kind gestures. Wouldn’t it be great if there were more of them in the world?  Thank you, Cece, for helping me continue my Mom’s legacy and for touching me with your surprising kind gesture.  And for helping me remember that “There is No Planet B!”