Mrs Kafoops (not her real name – she prefers to remain under the radar) was spreading kindness in her world long before she heard of 1000 Hearts, and I met her because of an act of kindness. My cousin, diagnosed with MS, was holding a fundraising auction to raise money for an expensive medical procedure and Mrs K bought an item to help her reach her goal. But it wasn’t an item Mrs K needed for herself; she bought it to donate to a sick child because that’s just the way she is.
In September 2016, I was in Mrs K’s hometown for work and we arranged to catch up in a local café. We sat and beamed at each other and talked about making hearts and how brilliant it is to see people’s responses to them.
After I left, I walked past a florist and a man popped out and said “are you Sarah?” When I confirmed that I was, he handed me a beautiful bunch of flowers with a little note attached, saying how fabulous it had been to meet me.
I had a mammoth, wrap-around grin on my face as I went back to my car – it was so clever and funny and ridiculous to find myself on the receiving end of a random act of kindness after just having discussed random acts of kindness with the person who had set mine up before our conversation even occurred!
I was inspired to pay this kindness forward, and I passed the flowers on to a stranger in hospital, whose smile lit up the room (Mrs K was stoked when I told her).
In her own words:
“I stumbled over 1000 Hearts when I won an item in an online auction. I noticed a response to a comment on the fundraiser page about 1000 Hearts and went 'stalking'. The rest is history. A heart-making pack was ordered so I could have a play and the day it arrived, so did a little pack of hearts from an anonymous sender. I shared them with a friend and the magic of hearts - both receiving and giving - was understood.
Addiction can be a good thing. I'm addicted. Badly. A small felt heart stitched with love and care became two. Three. Four hundred. Two thousand and more later 'Mrs Kafoops' loves to supply Sarah with magical hearts to distribute as she needs.
I love to sit like a kid in a candy store and watch as the hearts I’ve dropped in nearby places are circled and collected when the finder reads the little message "I'm not lost - I was waiting for you to find me". To see the small talismans work their magic when handed over to those who need a little love. To see hearts held in little hands, old hands, manly hands and angel hands. To place them with care into hands of those who have left us. To see them gleefully thrown into the air in a game of keepings off.
It's an addiction. It's beautiful. It's so rewarding. The Heartland is a very special place and I'm proud to a small part of it.”
I’m so glad you found us, Mrs Kafoops xx
