The Everything Sale

Saturday was a GREAT day. I've never been part of an event that went so well - everything went better than planned, and we exceeded our goal of what we wanted to raise for the Farar family. I'm so grateful for our community here. We saw amazing generosity all day long, and I'll never forget that feeling.

People are so good.

The whole weekend was a blur. On Friday night we loaded a 20-foot U-Haul with all the donations. Furniture, clothes, a piano, a sewing machine, home items, toys, shoes...we had everything (at the Everything Sale!). We loaded the truck in categories to try and help the morning go a little smoother - we had a lot to get done before 8am the next day. After that, Michael helped me bake for the bake sale and punch holes in all the balloon messages. Then we took a three hour nap before go time at 5am on Saturday! 

We had lots of help there to get everything set up. It was amazing how fast a huge truck full of stuff suddenly became neat, organized sections of items. Everything looked great! Especially the bake sale...pretty sure all of us working the sale all day played a big part in supporting that :) Another LDS ward in Indianapolis baked items for their Young Women's activity that week, and they had everything packaged and decorated. It looked so good. Michael set up our old kitchen table - we were a little sad to say goodbye to it! Ok, just me. He seems to do a good job putting logic before sentimentality. Gender is on his side.

It was freeeezing that morning, but we had so much to do that it wasn't that bad. Summer left to boil some water and bring us all some hot chocolate. I've never liked a cup of hot chocolate more than that one! The sun finally started to come out, and customers started showing up. We were immediately overwhelmed by how generous every single person was that shopped at the sale. When they found out where the proceeds were going, people shopped more or refused their change, or just sincerely showed sympathy. 

Businesses donated gift cards that we could sell that day, medical students stopped by with a car full of donations, a man handed Alanna $400 and said he just wanted to pay it forward to this family, another man bought all the remaining pairs of shoes in one purchase to donate to another cause... we just saw so much generosity. I heard multiple people "haggle" as usual at garage sales, but they would up their total price instead of shooting lower. I worked out how to accept credit cards on my iPhone that day, and some people found me just so I could charge a donation to their card without any purchase. 

We had a picture of the Farars framed on the front table, and it kept my mind on them all day. This was all for them, and it was amazing to see how many people that family has touched.

As the day went on, we were amazed at how much sold. Things would sell, and more donations would come. It just never ended! There was never a time in that 10-hour period that customers weren't there. 

Our little table, though, never sold... so sad! It stood alone in the furniture section at the end of the day, just cute and lonely. We were personally offended for a second, but we're over it. All the donations that didn't sell went to a local Women's shelter, so our table went to a good place. 

I love all these girls so much. They are my friends and my family out here. Adriana is part of our family, and we love her. We were smiling all day together, and we just kept sharing stories about the generosity we were witnessing. Each of us had stories of little miracles that pulled the day together, and little moments where we really truly felt how much the Lord loves the Farar family. 

At the end of the day, we had a balloon launch in memory of Damond. We tied a message to each balloon and had a moment of silence to remember him, and remember what the day was all about. Then we counted down together, and let them fly.

We love and miss the Farar family here in Indiana, and so many people love and miss Damond. Saturday was more than just coming together to help the Farars financially. It was coming together to remember how Damond lived his life, to show gratitude to Adriana for how she lives hers, and to try to give back to them. 

I don't understand why Damond was taken away from his family. No one does, right now. But I am grateful for the example he was. I am grateful that his family will be together again. And we will always be remembering him.