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welcome
to
heartworks
“Heartworks” is a non-profit Acts of
Kindness group created in response
to the tremendous kindness that
sustained so many families
in the months and years following
September 11, 2001.
In daily memory of
John W. Farrell
(Jan. 23 1960- Sept. 11, 2001)
Dear Friend,
Thank you so much
for visiting our website. I want to
share with you a little bit about how
and why Heartworks got started.
On the morning of
September 11, 2001, I had just finished
giving my daughter a spoonful of yogurt
when the phone rang. It was my
brother asking me if I had the
television on. Life as my family
knew it changed between that spoonful
and the next. My brother-in-law
John W. Farrell never came home from his
job in the Twin Towers. My sister
Maryanne had dated him since she was 16.
They were married with four children:
Kaitlin, Patrick, Molly and Colin.
John had been like a member of my
close-knit family since I was seven
years old.
There are no words
to describe the agony and numbness of
that first year. I watched my
sister struggle to catch her breath each
morning. Day after day, my family
organized the notes, flowers, donations,
religious mementos and food that were
brought to the house. Kids from
California sent change from their piggy
banks and money they had earned mowing
lawns. Funds were set up, car
pools were formed and meals were
delivered through April.
I remember a
sensation of sinking, usually when I
would wake up at her house each morning
and remember what life had brought to
us. By the time I walked
downstairs, there was coffee being
delivered and a neighbor raking leaves.
The phone would begin to ring and would
not stop until long after the kids had
fallen asleep. I stopped several
times a day to say a silent "thank you"
for the friends, neighbors,
professionals and complete strangers who
were reaching out to her. While
the rest of the world may remember
images of crashing planes and burning
buildings, my nieces and nephews have
memories of teddy bears made from their
father's shirts, games and candy being
delivered to the front door, and hugs
whenever they left the house. The
show of kindness from all over the world
would have brought us to our knees if we
were not already there.
I cannot remember
when it was exactly, but I remember
clearly saying to myself that when we
have our feet solidly on the ground
again, I would spend the rest of my life
"paying forward" all the kindness shown
to my family. How could I not? My
silent "thank yous" needed to be
said out loud, and often, in a way
that would benefit the world the way
this kindness had affected my sister.
September 11th was a very public
tragedy, but people live every day with
private or less known struggles. I
wanted to create a way of life that
encouraged people to pay closer
attention to these struggles and to the
power of healing available through
giving. I knew that the scope of what I
wanted to do would be impossible to
accomplish on my own. I did not
have the time, money or energy to pull
off all the ideas I had. I
knew I would need a group of people
committed to the same ideas to bring
these ideas to light. We had moved
back home to New Jersey from Colorado in
March 2003. I was making friends,
but every thing seemed so surface.
I was joining in on too many
conversations about "things" and other
people. I would leave lunches with
great women still feeling a bit empty
even though I had finished off a full
meal (including dessert!).
I had been
through too much awakening and had been
too vulnerable in the past few years to
coast along in relationships that felt
anything less than authentic. And so the
craving for something deeper
continued. The idea came to me that I
had to develop something with a base in
spirituality..."YIKES! WHAT? Mention
spirituality in A group of women? Talk
openly about being conscious in our
lives and steer away from gossip? Maybe
I should just stick with a book
club..." But I knew I could never go
back to anything ordinary again-life is
too short, and too unpredictable.
This website is designed as a tool for
you to use in your own life--Use any
idea or inspiration that you find here
in your own circle of friends, family
and community.
Thank you for
joining in the movement to continue what
was born from September 11, 2001--A
focus on what is really important in
life, being present with yourself, your family and giving to others.
Thank You and
Have a Grateful Day.
Love, Megan
megan@njheartworks.org
Copyright © 2009-2015 Heartworks. All rights reserved.
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