Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

 

Another February has rolled around, and for our household, it means one thing: This is the birthday month for our dear daughter, who passed away two years and seven months ago.

Sophie would be turning 11 this year, and as I started thinking about all the ways our family could honor her memory this month, I thought back on the many experiences she had in her short eight years to lift up myself and others through both large and small deeds.

She was definitely a people person.

I remember how excited she would be to ring the bell with me for the Salvation Army, to deliver cookies to our friends and neighbors at Christmastime and to go out with me on monthly visits to some of our church family.

In our church, the congregation is divided up, and each of us is given a partner to go out with to visit a handful of other families in the church at least monthly— to make sure they are doing OK, that their needs are being met and that they have a friend.

Sophie would often tag along with me to these visits — and she looked forward to them, too. She loved meeting other people, and her interactions with them would often brighten their days.

I have many memories of her kind-natured spirit.

This month, instead of a balloon release like we have done the last few years, I am encouraging people — whether you knew Sophie in person or have only known her from what I have written about in my columns — to spread her goodwill to others.

Whether it’s volunteering with a new organization, making cookies and delivering them to a neighbor, helping shovel someone’s sidewalk, paying for the person behind you in the drive-thru, holding open a door or simply offering a smile to someone, there are many kind things we can do. Pick one thing to do, complete that task and then send me an email or a letter of how it went.

I know Sophie will be looking down on us, smiling, as she watches all the good taking place.

I know I plan to try something special a few times this month, and I hope to share in a followup column at the end of this month highlights from the stories I’ve heard from all of you.

I can be reached by email at sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com or at the office at 808 W. Front St.

I look forward to hearing your stories.

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Tuesday.