Kind hearted Ratoath siblings' 'messages of hope' for community

A big hearted brother and sister from Ratoath who came up with the thoughtful idea to leave ‘positives notes of hope’ for passers-by to pick up on a popular walking route near their home wanted to ‘lift people’s spirits in lockdown.’

Siblings John (7) and Hannah (5) Donnelly were 'determined' to do something to brighten up people’s day while out getting their 2km social distancing exercise and begged mum Mags to help them cheer up the community by leaving inspirational messages for them to take with them. 

It was also a way for the the kind hearted students who attend St Paul’s NS in Rataoth to take their minds off losing their granddad Colm who passed away just a few short weeks ago as Mags explains:

 

'hope', 'fun' and 'love' are all for the taking in Ratoath 

“Like all children they are missing their friends and their activities and they have been looking for different things to do.

“My husband Simon lost his father who was 86 just five weeks ago. He was loved very much by his grandchildren and all of the family so it has been a sad time but we are lucky that we got to have a send off and a proper funeral.

“I was delighted when the kids came up with the idea of making little posters with nice messages and attaching them on the pylon poles on the road near our home.

“I printed out these positive words and phrases like ‘be happy’ and ‘we are all in it together’ and the kids drew their pictures on it.

“It really helped to take their mind off their granddad.

 

Mum and dad Simon and Mags with Daniel (2) John (7) and Hannah (5)

The caring act has really captured the imagination of the community according to Mags who is also mum to Daniel (2).

“Everyone has been raving about them and commenting on them and the kids wanted to keep it going so they decided that they wanted to create something people could bring home with them.

“So we wrote down different words like laughter, cuddle, patience and a hug on strips of paper so people could take whichever one they feel they needed.

“The kids loved doing it, they even added little jokes. 

 

The Donnelly children ensuring people that we are 'all in it together'

“A lady messaged me saying what a lovely idea, I picked up hug and courage this morning and I really needed it which was lovely to hear, I think it’s the little things that make a big difference.

“We live out in the countryside and you can do a full block of Ratoath village from our house and there is definitely an increase of people out walking and running and cycling.

“People are probably just escaping for a bit of peace and quiet down a country lane.

“The kids love people going by and stopping to look at them and then they give them a wave in the garden.

“There are often times when people would be walking down the road and they wouldn’t even wave or smile at you and now people are being a little bit more pleasant to each other.

 

The Donnelly family time capsule 

“You just don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives and when they go for a walk they are escaping whatever worries they have and if it puts a smile on someone’s face isn’t that what it’s all about.”

But the Donnelly family who have a strawberry farm hasn’t stopped there in trying to create positivity in the pandemic and has even made a time capsule to capture this historic chain of events.

“We are living through history this has never happened before so we decided make a little time capsule from an air filter from a tractor.

"The kids are going to  bury it and put in some pictures, memories of things that happened over the last few weeks like the sad passing of their grandad and the new arrival of their puppy D'Mingo and how Hannah has learned to cycle her bicycle without stabilisers.

"Perhaps they might include some predictions for how things will be in 20 years’ time!"