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Helpfulness
When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. –Maya Angelou, author, poet, and civil rights activist I was preparing for a major presentation. There were people from my team that gave their time and talent. Three different mentors provided guidance. On the day of the presentation, several people texted me notes of good will. Not only did I feel prepared, I felt supported. The second scenario was a simple exchange. I met a friend at the coffee shop. After a few minutes, I noticed she wasn’t having anything. I later learned that in her hurry to leave her flat, she had forgotten her wallet. She chose not to ask to borrow the three dollars she needed. What happens when…
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Giggles
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. — Mae West I have a friend who advocates giggling (his word) daily. He’s always trying get people to smile and professes that the giggle is always there if you look for it. I’m inclined to agree. No matter how busy or important or sad our day is, there is always a laugh to be had somewhere. Laughter costs nothing and lifts our spirits. Some people like puns or word play. (A dyslexic walks into a bra…) Others, often below the age of ten, prefer the most nonsensical of all silliness the knock-knock joke. Regardless of our brand of humor, when laughter…
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Fast. Slow. Colorful.
Time is an abstraction of eternity. A glimpse, for mortals, of what could be if we spend ours wisely in life. — Dean Cavanaugh The more desperately we want something to occur, the longer it seems to take. Time expands with our desire. We count the minutes waiting for the phone to ring, the storm to pass, or the plane to land. As though by clock watching, we can accelerate ourselves through uncomfortableness. Ironically, we often experience the opposite sensation. The more we focus on that we wish to avoid, the more present we are to it. Like the proverbial rough tooth that draws the tongue, the obsessive thought grows and eclipses the…
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Dogs and Humans
My husband, W, had a heart attack on New Year’s Eve. Thankfully, he’s recovering well after the miraculous procedure of inserting multiple stents into two arteries. We say he’s bionic now. What’s been interesting is how our dog, Roux, has responded to his convalescence. Roux prefers to lay next to W on the couch with his head resting on W’s leg. Or on the floor at W’s feet. We have taken to calling him a therapy dog. I know Roux is not unique in this nurturing trait. Reports abound of canines demonstrating unconditional love and companionship. There are movies showcasing heroic dogs in service to the military and law enforcement agencies. Or dogs who drag people…
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Humanness
“I’ve been around a long time and life still has a whole lot of surprises for me.” –Loretta Lynn We are busy. Our work is important. The household needs managing. We are taking care of our duties and responsibilities–going to the dentist, walking the dog, and saving for retirement. It is in the midst of these mundane activities that our lives unfold. With beauty and grace, life awakens us through moments of shared authenticity. People being authentically themselves do so unabashedly. Whatever the form the authenticity takes, it is done so without thought of an audience’s applause. It is simply one human being living their truth in the presence of others. This humanness is what makes us…
