Motivational Mondays: How to Keep Blessing Your Corner of the World, Before and After You Die

Photos by the author, Deeann D. Mathews, April 9, 2025

No pressure on a Monday ... no need to do the "after" yet ... but walk with me toward eternity into one of my favorite places in the world...

San Francisco used to have vast stands of what are called live oak trees -- they do not lose all of their leaves in the winter, but go through two "golden" periods a year as about half their leaves come and go! Spring is a remarkable golden-green period in Golden Gate Park as spring's new leaves come in, but this corner of the park was built around the live oak stands that survived being made firewood and furniture as San Francisco expanded toward the Pacific Ocean.

Going up and over the hill takes you up into the thickest part of the stand, and as you look up you see the glitter ...

... but those who read me regularly know I am recovering from anemia, and the flatter path is safer, and spectacular enough!

Some of these trees are so old and so huge that it takes an imperfect panorama picture to get across how IMMENSELY branched and spread they are ... the sun was not trying to work with me, but I still managed to capture this living architecture on the side of the hill I could walk up...

... but speaking of architecture ... someone had to make the decision to spare all these trees, and that corner we walked in on is gorgeous ... on this day I notice there was a sign amidst the corner flowers...

"Kathleen's Corner -- keeping her memory alive. Volunteer opportunity. Please come. 1st Saturday each month. 10:00am to Noon."

There is a bit more there ... Rec and Park keeps the park, and brings tools for volunteers...

Somewhere among all the people who decided to keep this amazing place for the public, there was a woman named Kathleen who loved this corner, Kathleen who also knew that just across the street, St. Mary's hospital stood ... so even if the patients there could not hike the Oak Woodlands, they could look across the street to the corner, and some might be able to come and sit down. There are three benches and also a table there ... so, it is entirely possible.

Whoever Kathleen was, and whatever she did, she also opened a way for many, many other people to get involved in preserving and enjoying this beautiful place, joining the 150 years of people whose labors of love have preserved Golden Gate Park and the last of the live oak stands that preceded it.

I mentioned there were three benches. On one of them, I found out who Kathleen was as a person.

"Kathleen Russell. 1931-2018. She shared beauty and kindness with all who entered here."

But Kathleen is also a portal now, to many living people sharing kindness and beauty... her work received me into a beautiful walk, and there are countless other people who her life blesses on that corner, and countless other people who come out and work and are also a blessing to countless others ... everyone involved for 150 years is just blessing on and making ways for others to bless on!

It's Monday ... you do not know as you go do your thing today how the blessings you bring with you and share with the world may not only be a blessing now, but may bless on much longer than you think. You also might be able to look on and join up with blessings already in motion around you ... for if I had turned around and photographed the other three corners, you would have seen a scene of traffic and stress and potential accidents ... but instead I choose to focus on the blessings!

Finally, gospel artist Sis. Verlin Sandles used to sing "Touch Somebody's Life" at our home church before moving out of state, and I remembered it today ... enjoy hearing with me again what I remember so well ... and remember ... the touch of kindness and blessing you put out today may be the same one that, in a different way, comes right back to you, too!