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Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

I’d like to tell you about my friend Sarah. She was raised in Virginia (the state, not the northern Minnesota mining town). She received her degree in journalism from BYU, and then found her way here to take a job at the Tribune. As you’re probably aware, she is a skilled journalist and writer. She could have done what many people do when they move to Albert Lea — gain a few years of experience and then move on to bigger and better things. She’s had opportunities to leave; however, she chooses to stay.

She’s one of the busiest people I know, but I’ve never heard her use it as an excuse to get out of something. When she signs up for a committee or to help someone, she commits. She doesn’t just attend a service club every week, she’s the president of it. She doesn’t just assist the women’s group at church, she’s currently the president of that as well.

Sarah and I go to the same church. When I moved here from Iowa, my church notified the Albert Lea branch that a new family was moving into town. She could have waited until Sunday to meet me, but she reached out just after we arrived. She wanted to see if we needed help with anything and make sure we felt welcome.

She’s not only generous with her time, she’s a kind human.

Kind, helpful, considerate of other people’s feelings, that’s who Sarah is. Even at her lowest, when she could have rightfully shut out the world and been as selfish as she wanted, I witnessed her serving others. Patient, humble, selfless… God knew what he was doing when he placed her in my life. Over the course of our friendship, Sarah has repeatedly been an amazing example for me.

Her son has special needs and as such requires things that aren’t always easily accessible in a smaller community like ours. Instead of moving to a town that was better equipped, she decided to better equip this town. Just like everything else in her life, she stepped up and gave it her all. She was a driving force for our splash pad, and this week I had the opportunity to see another one of her visions come to life.

The All Together Albert Lea Inclusive Playground has been a labor of love for many these last few years. On Wednesday they had their groundbreaking and announced that they’ve successfully raised $1 million. I know they aren’t done fundraising, but $1 million is worth celebrating. Countless hours of behind the scenes work led by a small group of volunteers. I held back tears as I watched this dream come to fruition.

There are many people in this town just like Sarah, but I know there could be more. Can you imagine how much better our town could be if we were a little kinder, patient or more helpful? So I’m challenging you to bring a meal to a neighbor, volunteer at an event or actively support your favorite cause.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” — “The Lorax”

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday.