Those who serve others (with a full heart, for the sheer joy of giving where it’s most needed and seeking nothing in return) have found a true treasure.
My sister-friend Sydney Frymire was such a person.
In many ways, choosing to serve the less fortunate in Nepal ‘saved Sydney’s life’ – structuring her work in a way that made her heart sing. Schools struggling for second hand books, computers, and anything educational, and later, helping Nepali victims of human trafficking were driving forces that fueled the second half of her life.
Sydney was a shining light, a true North Star. The services she rendered took a very special person who gave freely and whose example encourages others to do so selflessly.
Two months before Sydney passed away on November 8, 2023, she published her book How A Cup of Masala Tea Changed My Life. It’s the story of one woman’s revelation, courage, and determination to transform the lives of hundreds of people on the other side of the world.
At the same time, the gift she received was the sense of purpose and fulfillment that came as a result of helping others, and this is what actually transformed her own life.
I hold Sydney up to you (as I have, many times, in my heart) as a shining example and reminder of the power, beauty, and grace found in “being of service” to others. Solely for the sake of others.
What are your ‘service stories’, big and small? Think about them often and share them when you can. By sharing the ways in which you extend your time, talent, and treasure to others, you give to them.
And remember to share the moral of the story. Remind them how life-changing giving can also be for the giver.
Through her brother, Sydney asked that we not give flowers, but invited us to support any of the organizations she passionately worked so hard for – And in honor of her request, I’m sharing two of them with you:
Be of service whenever and however you can,
