There is no doubt that first responders are heroes and deserve a lot of appreciation. This was also the thought of Natalie Reilly, an Arizona native who started a “Nothing but Love Notes” project. She began this activity on Valentine’s day four years ago with her mother who was fighting cancer at the time.
As an attempt to cheer her mother up, she got many cards and they began to fill them with heartfelt messages. After writing many “thank you” notes, they went around town for hours looking for police officers, veterans, firefighters, and many more. What was a successful attempt in lifting her mother’s spirits has become a tradition that Reilly continues to uphold.
The Tradition of Handing Love Notes to First Responders Continues
Even after her mother’s passing, Natalie Reilly continued the tradition of handing out love notes to first responders every day. With a number of these notes always in her purse, she is ready to brighten the day of a person in uniform at any moment. She believes that sometimes the strongest ones among us are those that need a bit of care and appreciation the most.
Whether the notes came to them on a bad day or after a long and tiring shift, the recipients of these notes truly appreciate them.
A Love Story Bloomed
It turns out that the positivity and love we send out has a way of coming back to us. After years of spreading good will, love, and appreciation, Reilly found love through the notes when she handed one to a retired police officer who later became her boyfriend. Continuing the tradition of writing and handing out love notes to first responders in her mother’s memory has brought about a lot of positivity for Reilly and all the recipients.
Hopefully, this amazing story will inspire many more such acts of kindness in all of us.