Let's celebrate the good. Let's high five and clap and jump and smile. Because the good is meant to be celebrated. And lately there is a whole lot of good going on. What? You don't think so? You want to talk about the bad things? You are right ... bad things are going on too. And they are there. I see them too. Of course. Yes, I do. But I also don't dwell ... I'm not looking for the bad. I am not seeking it out and giving space to it. I see it. I acknowledge it. I move forward. Hopefully away from it. And I try not to let it rub it's greedy hands on me. To leave a trail of pain on my soul. They both exist. There here in the space where we breathe. and work and play. let's celebrate the good. let's take today for instance. After a fretful night of searching, panicking and finally giving up on finding my keys. I slept. Even though I had anxiety creeping in that whispered and shouted "someone has your keys, they are going to come in your homeand hurt you" well, I slept. With no bad dreams. & when I woke... I eventually found the keys. So let us all celebrate the good. No bad dreams, no people with malicious intentions, no sleepless night... And keys were found. Good & more good. Let's be real.
We can't block out all the bad. But we can train our eyes, our ears and our hearts to filter to seek out the good. It is out there... You will find it if you look. There is a whole lot of noise. In this politically charged, social media focused, fast paced culture of ours. Look for the good. Celebrate the good.
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The door is open, come on in. Todays question? How much kindness can you give away? I've been thinking of kindness as a currency. How it is exchanged between us all, as we scurry about, bumping into one another. I guess I'm asking myself, and You dear reader... How much kindness do you give away? I think the potential here is endless. With even the slightest bit of effort... The rippling effects can reach far and wide. Once, many years ago... I challenged myself... To go into the grocery store... With the intent to connect. To smile. To engage strangers. To be a little light. Yes, I bought a few needed groceries too. But the little experiment was really a test to see "How much kindness could I give away?" And with every bit I passed around, it came back to me. Little did I know that almost 9 years later I would still be mulling over this idea. That I would still be conducting little kindness experiments. Funny thing is... Now it's more of a lifestyle habit, it is something I practice at and strive for. Because giving away kindness.... Feels good and it costs me so little. and the more you give away.
The more you want to give. Take this morning for instance. I went to the local post office to mail off a few packages. Once inside, it was clear that I was too early. There, waiting with me, was a sweet little lady. She turned to me and said "I guess we will have to wait for 15 minutes" and before I even knew what I was doing, I had invited her to join me for coffee. Just a few doors down, at the coffee shop she didnt even know existed... We shared a table. I treated her to coffee, we talked about life, love and learning from grief. She was an absolute delight. It made my day! After I finished coffee with this dear little 86 year old, and my postal errand. I headed to the hardware store. I was meandering through the flowers when I couldnt help but notice... This little old man, struggling to lift a bag of soil. He needed 3. So I helped him. Back home as I was unloading the flowers I had purchased... a woman walked by. She didnt speak english & I dont speak her language but we had a conversation of sorts... Over the flowers. We both smiled, kindness had been exchanged. We are all human, a desire to connect resides in our hearts, in our bones. We want to see & be seen. There is a whole mess of ugliness and shame and heartache and hurt out there. But hidden in each of us...we have the best weapon ... to help errode the effects of all that pain It's little seeds of kindness. That we can give away. That we can plant in our lives and watch grow like wildflowers. Friends, I gave away kindness today and I want to give more. I recieved kindness back. And my heart keeps beating wildly... With the ever growing love for those I pass on the street, at the store, in the post office. We are all here, effecting one another, how much kindness can we give away? Some days.... are so hard.
Are you with me? We face big scary situations, our hearts shatter, we get discouraged, disappointed, let down, beat up, forgotten. We face limitations, uncertainty, frustration. The details are different for each of us... but no one is immune to the HARD parts. No one. Maybe you are standing in the midst of grief? Maybe you just received a devastating diagnosis? Perhaps you wake up every day to chronic pain? Maybe you have a loved one who you can't be with? The details are different for each of us... but no one is immune to the hard parts. We need each other. Because relationships fail. Houses burn down. Jobs get outsourced. Loneliness creeps in. The details are different for each of us... but no one is immune to the hard parts. No one. Maybe you feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed. Maybe you are confused about what to do with your life? Maybe you don't even want to go on. I know friends, I know. There are some deeply hard parts to this thing called life. And I have been there. I once wrote a song that went "these are the darkest days, I can't go on I'm sad and I'm hurting, and I am alone" I've have been there. In the dark days. My details may differ from yours. But I "get it". I know hard. and I know that you can get through it. I did. I do. and I will. Even though it's not easy. We move forward... even if it's slow. With extreme caution. One foot, in front of the other. One day and then the next. That's what I want to say. You can do it! You matter!!!!! And someday, the hard parts will be a little less hard. Someday you will find something good and pure and lovely. And you will know too. Because you did it. I started a project... "the little yellow arrow" As a way to encourage people. Because we all need a little encouragement sometimes. The details are different for each of us... but no one is immune to the hard parts. I want to be a part of the step forward. I want to cheer you on and lift you up. so I write letters. That's how I do it. That is what "the little yellow arrow" project is all about. If you need a letter... a little reminder that you are loved, that you are enough, that you will get through the hard parts. Send me a message. Leave a comment. I will show up in your mailbox. I believe we need each other. I need you. I sell things.
Things that I have the pleasure to hunt down, and uncover. Vintage things. Rusty and forgotten things. Beautiful things. Unique things. Also... I make things. I paint and create all sorts of things. I reimagine and repurpose things. Next weekend I will be at The Vintage & Hamdmade Market with all these wonderful things of mine. And you can come shop, explore and discover some of those things. Until then... Here is a preview... |
Authora writer, a poet, a hug friend Archives
October 2021
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