Dear YuMMies (my term of endearment for YMM participants),
This Sunday will be the start of our 5th You Matter Marathon! If getting your You Matter cards isn’t enough of an inspiration for what’s to come, then let me introduce you to a truly spectacular YuMMie.
Khelly is from California. This will be her 5th YMM! Khelly lives You Matter every day and is a true difference maker in this world. I hope her YMM experience will get you excited for yours!
Khelly, how did you hear about the YMM?
I was introduced to YMM during a class I was attending. The minister had given each of us a purple mesh bag containing five cards. I was HOOKED! I went to the website and signed up and sent the link to all my contacts. Dr. Nell of GA told me she was a YuMMie too! We’ve had a friendly competition handing out cards. We buy the cards by the thousands. I usually have 1000-2000 cards in my car and another few thousand at the office.
Empowering others is the intention of our work. As a physician of more than 40 years sharing You Matter cards is the most profound, and simple way to empower others that I’ve experienced.
How have you used the You Matter cards?
How have I NOT used the cards! They’ve become especially important in 2020. Now we’re targeting postal workers and voters. I encourage our patients to hand out cards lavishly. We gave hundreds of cards to survivors of the Las Vegas shooting and to those impacted by other shootings. Local temples and churches have used them for Saturday/Sunday school/summer camp projects, or place cards for fund raisers. One person who initially couldn’t be bothered with them asked for 200 to give to his employees.
I personally like to give them to men. Men try so hard to do it right and they get so little recognition. Over the years I have seen tears in the ‘macho’ men, been given high-fives, thumbs up, hugs, treated to lunch, coffee, and been asked for more cards.
I leave cards with restaurants tips, in any envelope I mail out, on cars, as gift cards, appointment reminder cards, in library books. If I go to a conference, I put my name on a card and use that instead of the conference name tag. My housekeeper got cards printed in Spanish. She managed to get them to some of the children and families being held at the border.
How do you keep the YMM experience fresh every year?
Having a competition with Dr. Nell as an inspiration. Seeing the responses of others motivates me – especially when they ask for more cards! My garbage truck driver has come by several times for more cards. People I’ve given cards to wave when they see me.
One time I gave some cards to a Middle Eastern teenager I saw at a service station, asking him to give them to his mom and others in the family. Weeks later I was at another service station and gave cards to the elderly attendant. He yelled at me in Arabic and then said in English, “you, you are the one!” The teen was his grandson. I love the small world stories.
Any last words of inspiration for the 2020 YuMMies?
Believe it or not, I’m not an outgoing, exuberant person. It’s not my nature to initiate contact. I live with MS, so most days it’s challenging just to live life. The response to the cards has been so heartening and exciting and fun. I have learned that when I have a down day it’s time to share YMM.
I so appreciate YMM. You will never know of all of the life affirming impact you and your team have had.
I will never know. But I believe that at some time, somewhere a YMM card will save a life.
That is a good reason to give them out.
Thank you Khelly.
You Matter.
Cheryl Rice, Founder
https://youmattermarathon.org/
