For J.A.K.E.'s Sake

Exactly one month from today, our baby boy would be turning one. Instead, he entered this world stillborn...emptying my womb while filling Heaven with his tiny little presence at the same time.

In honor of his upcoming birthday on June 12th, my oldest child (and only daughter) wanted to commemorate it in a special way. She decided to create an "event" of sorts. It won't be a party filled with cake and balloons, but it will be a celebration & there will be gifts. A celebration of life, and gifts of kindness.

She has entitled it, "For J.A.K.E.'s Sake." It stands for "J-ust A K-ind E-xpression." The definition of "expression" is this: "The act of transforming ideas into words or actions. The manifestation of an emotion, feeling, etc. without words. A look on the face that indicates mood or emotion."

She is simply asking that everyone do one or more Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.) that day in his memory. How you choose to express that is totally up to you! R.A.K. cards that you will leave behind (if you wish, and for example- leaving an unusually large tip at the restaurant-even if/especially if your waitress was having a bad day) are also being printed. They will read, "This Random Act of Kindness done in loving memory of Jake Lawrence Baker, 6/12/12-6/12/12. PAY IT FORWARD! Matthew 25:34-40, Philippians 2:3."

This is her description taken from the Event Page on FB:

"In honor & loving memory of my youngest brother, Jake Lawrence Baker's 1st Birthday (coming up on June 12th), I'm inviting you, my family & friends, to participate in J.A.K.E.'s Day! "Just A Kind Expression." Expression: The act of transforming ideas into words or actions. The manifestation of an emotion, feeling, etc. w/out words. A look on the face that indicates mood or emotion." How you choose to express your R.A.K. (Random Act of Kindness) that day is up to you: Whether you pay for a stranger's meal behind you in line at the drive thru, open the door for an elderly man at the store, or simply smile at someone, every R.A.K. (big or small) matters! We're going to have R.A.K. cards for you to leave with your "victims" so they can in turn pay it forward! They will read, "This Random Act of Kindness done in loving memory of Jake Lawrence Baker, 6/12/12-6/12/12. Pay It Forward! Matthew 25:34-40, Philippians 2:3." Please message me with your address & how many you'd like and we'll get them in the mail at no cost to you. We have just one request: if you order them, please ensure you use them all!!! :) We also have a friend who is making T-shirts for those who may be interested in buying & wearing one that day. The deadline for ordering a shirt is June 4th & the price is $18. On Jake's birthday, please feel free to leave a comment here letting us know how your R.A.K. went! ♥ "

I just have to say how deeply touched I am and I stand in awe of her heart behind this effort! If any of you would like to join us in this celebration, we'd be honored.