Most of us don’t take the time to show first responders how much they mean to us. Local restaurants may offer them discounts, and we may let them cut in front of us in line at the grocery store, but do we ever really stop to appreciate their hard work?
An Arizona woman, Natalie Reilly, and her mother did exactly the latter. Rather than a verbal “thank you,” the duo decided to write sweet letters to the first responders of their area. Their handwritten letters served as a way to remind police officers, firefighters, and the like that their services are much appreciated. Once Reilly’s mother passed away to cancer, she continued to write the letters, which has now amounted to over 20,000!
“Somewhere along the way I lost my mother, my best friend and biggest cheerleader, but I gained something I never would have expected – an entire community of amazing people who support me, our mission, and our nation’s heroes!” Reilly wrote.
Reilly and her mother first started the kind act while her mother was going through chemotherapy. Writing letters for the emergency service people of their community gave both the mother and daughter something positive to focus on during a difficult time.
“It was a tough go for us both! We were looking for something to take our minds off of our own misery, hers as a cancer patient and mine as her daughter/caregiver, and so one day we went out into the world with a simple idea,” Reilly said.
“Together, we reignited the old tradition of handwriting Love Notes to our heroes–veterans, law enforcement officers, firefighters and the like. It didn’t take us long to realize we were onto something special!”
Reilly happily continues to run Nothing But Love Notes not only in honor of her mother but in honor of the first responders of her community that she has never-ending respect for.
“Mom’s been gone for more than two years now, but our collective dream of spreading love to our best and bravest, those who have shown courage, love and compassion to our country and community in the most selfless and essential of ways, is growing stronger every day!” she said.
And since she’s been continuing writing the letters, Reilly has received good karma in return. After writing a letter to a retired police officer last year, he later contacted her, and now the two have been dating!
What goes around comes around.
Learn more about Nothing But Love Notes below!
