By Terra Avilla
In a day and age where selflessness often goes unnoticed, I want to take a minute and shine a huge spotlight on Sara Chandler.
I am not a betting woman, but if I were, I would bet that if you took a poll of all of Lassen County asking what words could be used to describe her – the results, overwhelmingly, would say that she is compassionate and generous.
Every person that knows Sara can’t help but love her, because what truly is there not to love?
I don’t think Sara realizes there are countless people she has helped through her acts of kindness, all while remaining remarkably humble. I don’t think Sara realizes how much she helped me when I was going through a really hard time when I first moved to Susanville.
To this day, I am so thankful for her, and you know what? I have never even told her what she means to me, so what better than to make her the feature for this week.
Over ten years ago, when I first moved here, I was having a really rough time making friends. I didn’t know anyone. Worked with mostly all males. The fact that I was in a constant bad mood because I was pregnant and extremely sick all of the time didn’t help things either.
To put it lightly, I wasn’t exactly a delight to be around.
But I was lonely and for a while, felt like I was constantly on the outskirts of social groups. It’s a rough place for anyone to be and for me, it made my transition into my new marriage and career difficult. And then came Sara.
We were working together on some sort of project, and she made the time for me. Sara already had friends, -made time for me. She came up to me and just talked to me.
Genuinely being a kind person. I don’t remember what we said, but I remember how she made feel. She made feel included which is one of the kindest things you can do for someone else.
Sara constantly offers a listening ear, supports her loved ones during difficult times, and/or is simply there to lend a helping hand, she consistently puts others before herself.
For example, this past weekend (I think she could tell I was a little frazzled) she offered without any prompting or wanting anything in return to drive Pearl back into town for me from a birthday party. Saving me time that I was running short on.
Sara even went out of her way to ask Pearl (my five-year-old) if it was okay with her too. (Pearl of course was ecstatic to get to be with anyone but her mom). Sara is just kind.
She is also a devoted mother; she has made it her life’s mission to ensure the happiness and wellbeing of her own kiddos and it shows. Sara is actively involved in their lives, always finding creative ways to spend quality time together.
Sara’s acts of kindness are never performed for recognition or praise but solely out of the goodness of her heart. She often deflects compliments and redirects the spotlight onto others, highlighting their achievements and contributions instead of her own.
Whether it’s supporting a local charity (which she does all the time), helping with community events (which she does all the time), or lending a helping hand to those around her (which she does all the time), Sara’s selflessness has a ripple effect that has touched the lives of many, mine included.
Her unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of those around her is one of the many reasons she is one of the reasons I love where we live.
