who

Who makes a difference in your life?  What person comes to mind when you think of love and kindness?  Who is changing the world for the better? 

One of the things I write about here every day is how we ALL can make a difference, and I hope that same of the things we have said here in this blog have encouraged you.  I also sometimes write about specific people who are doing great things for our communities and our world.  Sometimes I stumble across inspiring stories or hear something in the media, and sometimes folks suggest names of people they think are making a difference.  

Today I am asking the big "who" question because I would love for you to give me some of those suggestions.  Down below there is a place for comments, and while you are always welcome to say something there, today I hope you will help me out and tell me about someone you know who is a hometown hero.  Who is making a difference in your neighborhood?  Who is making a difference in our world?  Let's hear from you!

No place for hate

There really should be no place for hate. Seriously. I prefer writing about positive things. How can we change the world? Let's do some random acts of kindness! Let's change for the better. That's what I like to write about. I really don't like saying that this is bad or that is bad, but yesterday I just had to speak out. It is so much more uplifting to say what is good and to talk about that. Love is good.

There really is a lot more to be said too, and I hope that some of you will add your own comments.  I really fail to understand why there is so much hate in the world and with it so much fighting and so much crime. How many people have been injured or even killed because of hate?  Does hate come about because we are all different from one another?  That would seem to be more of a reason to celebrate.  We should rejoice in those differences rather than fight over them

 

It seems to go through cycles.  Right now people are hating Asians in larger numbers.  Last year it seems to have been Blacks.  Neither one is new.  Oh and don't forget the hate of transgender people, Jews, Mexicans, the gay and lesbian community, and pretty much anyone who isn't just like the person doing the hating.  I don't get it.  I'm sure I never will.  It simply makes no sense at all.

 

As a youngster I remember when President Lyndon Johnson worked so hard on civil rights and I remember all of the racially negative things I heard.  It may seem hard to believe, but in some parts of this country, it's almost like we haven't changed at all since then.  I still hear people slinging pejorative terms at those who may be different from them.

 

There should be no place for hate in our society.  We shouldn't put up with it.  We have the power.  We can make it end.

Let it shine

Everywhere I look, there is something that makes me happy. Yes, even now.   What about you? Do you see happiness in the most simple things? I look out the window at the sunrise and think of Barry Manilow's uptempo pop song from back in the mid-70s. Before you know it, I'm singing.

I'm singin' to the world,
it's time we let the spirit come in
Let it come on in

Those peppy lyrics, which Manilow wrote with Adrienne Anderson, are enough to get you bouncing, even if there isn't a gorgeous sun rising on your horizon. Put them both together though and it will keep shining all day long! Why frown first thing in the morning anyway? Start the day happy and you can stay that way all day long!

Yes, and it's daybreak
If you want to believe, it can be daybreak
Ain't no time to grieve
Said it's daybreak, if you'll only believe
And let it shine, shine, shine
All around the world

Let's keep believing! Let's keep letting it shine!


words from Daybreak by Barry Manilow and Adrienne Anderson © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

At the hospital

Some of you are aware that I volunteer at a local hospital where I live, and I was thinking of that when I got up this morning,  Occasionally I've shared stories here that are not my own, and this is one of those. This has been floating around on the internet, and I have no idea who wrote it, but please read on for a moving tale.
 

"Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for endless hours.

"They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, and where they had been on vacation.

 

"Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

 

"The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

 

"One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

 

"Days and weeks passed.

 

"One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

 

"As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

 

"Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall!

 

"The man called the nurse and asked her what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

 

She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'"

Great story, huh? As I said, the author of this is unknown. You may have even read it before, but I think it is worth seeing again. I was very moved when I first read this story, and I hope it touches you as well.  Do share this with others too. That's what encouragement is all about.

One thing we all have in common

There is one thing that every human being has in common. We all come from the Planet Earth. You would think we would all care more about the Earth's future then, huh?  Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated around the globe as an annual event on April 22, on which events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection and for the future of the good ole Earth.

 

My goal is that EVERY day be Earth Day - that we care about our planet every single day of our lives.  That we take seriously things like carbon emissions and recycling and food shortages and global warming.  My goal is for us to all care about this place we call home and making sure it will still be able to sustain human life for our children and our grandchildren and their children and grandchildren.

 

The idea of Earth Day is certainly a good one, and I am not trying to dismiss it.  Yes, let's do things today, but let this only be a beginning.  Let us work every day to erase our earlier mistakes and let's start really taking care of our planet.  We CAN do this!  Let's make a difference!

The purpose of life

What is the purpose of life? Have you ever heard that question asked?  Why are we here?  How should we act?  Should we be ruthless and dishonest and claw our way past others to get the biggest piece of the pie?  What are we expected to do during our lifetime?

You probably already know my answer to the above questions.   I think we are all here to each make a difference for the better. We all should contribute to the common good, but that's just my opinion. 

It would seem that the great essayist, lecturer, and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson agreed. It was he who said “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

What do YOU think is the purpose of life?