“Shower the people you love with love. Show them the way that you feel. Things are gonna be much better if you only will.” -James Taylor
These lyrics have always been a background in my husband’s large family. From elaborate family gatherings and holidays to the simple moments in everyday life, many of life’s precious memories would be sprinkled with the uplifting words of James Taylor in the Dold household.
We’ve been revisiting these words again and again with much reverence as my father-in-law made his peaceful exit from this world onto his next heavenly journey. In his life, Joe owned every James Taylor CD in his extensive music and movie collection, each carefully claimed with his name in marker. But beyond the plastic collections, James Taylor’s words lived in Joe.
“Shower the people you love with love. Show them the way that you feel.”
Joe’s dancing, particularly the way he swooped loved ones onto the dance floor with him, would be one of his greatest legacies. He wasn’t afraid to show his love in this joyful way.
In the field of philanthropy—the field of loving humankind—we bear witness to many powerful acts of love. One of the greatest privileges of working in this space is uncovering people’s passions to create an impact that is many times born out of love—love for a family member, love for a personal passion, or maybe love for humanity overall.
Sometimes, we want to show people we love them by creating a fund in their name to continue their life’s mission, literally immortalizing their impact.
Sometimes, folks recognize the barriers that have hindered their own life, and seek to uplift other vulnerable individuals from experiencing the same burdens by supporting or volunteering for organizations that do the boots on the ground efforts —truly transforming the future.
Perhaps, showing people you love them looks like making a donation in their name to celebrate an anniversary, a holiday, or just to remind them that you care.
There are infinite paths to showing people you love them.
When it comes to Joseph W. Dold, Jr, the family has chosen to establish a fund in his name, as well as the name of his beloved dog who brought much comfort, even in his final days. The Joe and Chunky Dold Dogs for Life fund will support therapy/service dog visits at medical facilities in White County.
To make a donation in memory of Joe, you can mail a check to the Community Foundation of White County with Joe’s name in the memo line or log on to www.cfwhitecounty.org to donate online.
To learn more about how you can show people you love them through the powerful act of philanthropy, reach out to director, Lucy Dold at (574) 583-6911.