just one

Picture this for a moment. You have one chance - one opportunity to change things for the better. Imagine. You can do something so wonderful. Picture this in your mind. Think about it. I'm not talking about lists. I'm not talking about doing something marvelous every single minute or every single day of your life. I'm talking here about one chance to do great. Just one. Think about it for a moment. Study it for a while.

Now imagine one more thing: Imagine everyone doing one great thing.  Everyone.  Every single person in the country - perhaps everyone in the entire world doing one great thing.  Oh my!  Imagine how great things could be if we ALL got on board and made a difference. Just one.  If we all did just one incredible thing.  Think about it. Pretty incredible, huh?

It can be pretty easy to do some small things too and make a huge difference.  Right now with COVID-19 and monkeypox, a few things come to mind, like washing our hands, wearing a mask, keeping physical distance from others, and getting vaccinated.  These are difficult and if just one person does their part it helps.  Now think about all those individuals being joined by others.  So much can be accomplished!

It does not have to start out big at all. It can start with just one person. You can be that one!

all smiles

Did you ever notice that a smile isn't just the position of your mouth? When most of us smile, we use our whole face. We smile with our eyes, even if they aren't wide open. When I see someone smile, it makes me happy. How about you?  Do smiles brighten your day?

When I see someone who isn't smiling, I try all the harder. I smile every single day. Why? Because it really is contagious. You'd be amazed at how many smiles will show up as a result of yours!

Oh, one more thing about smiles too.  I will never suggest we be cold and uncaring about someone's bad moments. People you encounter might be going through financial or health difficulties or may have just been touched by the death of a loved one. These days are certainly more difficult than ever before, but there is still reason to smile.  There are many reasons why someone's smile might disappear, but we can still smile with a loving and caring smile.  Let the world you encompass shine!

But no one seems to want to save the children anymore

It is so easy to become discouraged and depressed these days.  There are so many horrible things happening in our world.  This is especially true when we see so many shootings.  It's time to say enough is enough, but I have said this before!  Is anyone listening?

People argue on social media for a day or two and then it seems to be business as usual again.  Overnight someone responded to a tweet of mine saying the solution is for everyone to be carrying guns.  He was serious too.

I'm not going to tell you how to fix the problem, because it is complex and cannot be corrected by a simple act.  We can't keep ignoring it though.  We need to do something.  If we don't care about each other, then let's at least think of the children. But no one seems to want to save the children anymore.  That line from Kendrew Lascelles poem "The Box" keeps popping into my head.  (His poem was about war, but the sentiment still fits).

 

I was looking the other day at the face of a little boy who was shot a few years ago at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.  This morning I'm thinking especially of those killed at that parade near Chicago.  How many kids were witness to this tragedy?  I think of the many kids who have been shot and killed, so many of them in their own schools.  There is public outcry for a few days and then everyone moves on.  Every human life is precious, but for those who suggest that some folks "deserve what they get," let me again point to the children.  How can an innocent child deserve to die?  Do you have an answer?  But no one seems to want to save the children anymore. 

 

Will YOU do something today?  Will you make a phone call or write a letter or talk to your friends and family or overwise convey your feelings that something must be done?  In many countries the people would be out in the streets marching for safety and peace.  What is happening in the United States where mass shootings have become so common?

 

But no one seems to want to save the children anymore.

money from the sky

How wonderful it would be if money simply fell from the sky!  As you are well aware though, it does not!

 

How do churches pay their bills?  How do homeless shelters operate?  Where does the money come from to take care of feeding the hungry or clothing those who cannot afford to buy clothing?  How do help-agencies find the means to keep on going?  It takes money.  Yes, it takes desire and a willingness to do something, and volunteering is important and the numerous paid employees of non-profits certainly are needed, but the big thing that is common is funding.  Where does that money come from?

 

The answer is that it comes, at least in part, from folks like me and you.  It doesn't rain down from heaven and many of us - probably most of us, cannot afford to give as much or as often as we would like.  So, here's an idea:  make a plan.  Set aside some money as you are able.  This is giveaway money.  Now choose where to give it.  Do you want to spread it out or give it all to one place?  Do you want to give more to one type of organization than to another?

 

How can you set money aside for this?  Well, do you really need that midday ice-cream?  Can you skip the afternoon latte?  Is it possible to spend a little less at the grocery store (perhaps checking the sale ads and also using coupons)?  If we all tighten our belts just a bit, we can have some of that giveaway money and for organizations in great need, it can be like money from the sky!

Missing a piece of the puzzle

Somehow I never really got into the jigsaw puzzle thing. Mom loved them and I remember her having them laid out on a card table when I was little. It might take her a while because she stopped to do other things, but when she found those last pieces, it was an accomplishment - especially that last missing piece of the puzzle.

 

Sometimes our lives are like that. It doesn't mean we are unhappy necessarily, but we are looking for something that just is not there. When it comes: WOW! It seems somewhat like finding those missing puzzle pieces. (Now of course if you are putting together a jigsaw puzzle, you actually look for those pieces. In life we might not even realize that something is even missing).

 

So what do we do? Well, keeping our minds and our hearts open to new possibilities is always a good thing. Listening to others and realizing that "our" way might not be the "only" way is a start in the right direction. If we think there is a missing piece that we'd like to find, there is nothing wrong with asking for help too. Perhaps our puzzle pieces are a bit more fluid than those of the jigsaw puzzle. Perhaps in some cases, there is nothing really missing at all.

Joy Joy Joy

There used to be a song that was often sung around the campfire at church camps and other places with a line that went "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy - Down in my heart - Down in my heart to stay."  I don't know how I got that in my head.  I must have joy in my heart!

What brings you joy?  I've asked that question here before but think about it for a moment once again.  There are tons of answers to the question.  There really isn't a wrong answer.  What brings you joy might not bring me joy.  Does some of your own joy come in the giving too?  So how can a feeling of great pleasure and happiness be felt by those around you?  What can you do to share the joy?  Do you every purposely try to fill others with joy and happiness?

For me joy is pretty awesome but like with this blog, it's NOT about me and it's not just about my joy alone.  I really am most joyful when I am surrounded by other joyful people.  Seems pretty obvious what we need to do then.  We need to spread the joy, especially during these difficult times!

Living life to the fullest

I noticed in an obituary the other day that the deceased person they were writing about was said to have lived life to the fullest. What exactly does that mean though?

There are those who let life pass them by. They really don't enjoy the day-to-day wonders. Many years ago, when I worked in radio, I used to say "Smell the flowers along the way. They're only here for a very short while and they need a lot of love to grow." In other words, enjoy life - live it to its fullest potential!

Ernest Hemingway asked, “Don't you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you're not taking advantage of it?" What a great question! Just think about it for a moment.

Take advantage of all the good around you. Smell the flowers indeed but do so much more. Enjoy family and friends. Do good. Appreciate beauty in its many forms. Take risks. As Auntie Mame taught us, we should "Live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"