show the world your joy

Do you ever notice how small children always seem to be happy? Why can't the same be true for adults? Yes, every single moment of our life is not necessarily magic, but I think we could have a lot more joy if only we tried a little more!  Even with a pandemic all around us, increased hate crimes, and a slowed down economy, there is still something to be happy about.

Babies and small children are really good at showing off their happiness too. It seems there is something else we could copy from them!  Did you ever see a toddler giggle?  Oh my!

Someone once said that life is not about making others happy. Life is about sharing your happiness with others! Even those little tiny happy moments are worth sharing! Have I had happy moments in the past year?  You betcha!  Show the world your joy, especially when there seems to be so much darkness. You just might be surprised at the results!

All kinds of holiday giving

During December there are more and more demands on us.  Oh my!  Look at the stores these days!  One of the big demands is for the best gifts.  We spend huge amounts of money for presents we can't afford.

 

I've written about this before, and of course my way is not the only way, but I think the whole gift thing has gotten way out of hand.  This blog of course is NOT about me, but it's about the heroes in our world who make a difference.  I see more of them this time of year and they aren't the folks going broke because they are overspending.  They are the people giving in their own special ways, sometimes without even spending any money.

 

I volunteer at a hospital that each year gives gifts to employees and their families who are just scraping by and can't afford any kind of presents.  Other hospital employees and volunteers donate to a fund and that money, along with funds from the hospital, brighten the lives of a number of people.  Some chip in a buck or two and others contribute a hundred dollars or more.  It all adds up.  Nobody goes broke, but many share in the joy.

 

This is just one example.  There are hundreds - all across the country.  People give out Hanukkah and Christmas gifts, end of year presents, and lots and lots of food items for festive meals.  There really are all kinds of holiday giving.  Are you aware of some special kinds of giving in your community?  Share it in the comments section so that we can all be inspired by the generosity of others.  I'll share some other stories here too.

I owe it all to Mom

Today would have been my mother's 98th birthday.  Even though it fell five days before Christmas, we tried to make a big deal of it and celebrate it as a separate occasion.  Mom always enjoyed making a big deal out of other people's birthdays, instead of folks doing things for her.

I remember back when I was a teenager, I decided to make her a birthday cake.  Using a mix and following the instructions, I thought making green cake and red frosting (traditional Christmas colors) would be appropriate.  The little food coloring I put in first didn't seem to make much difference, so I added more, and then some more.  I had no idea that this extra liquid would cause problems with the baking.  The cake never looked done, so I tried to fix things by using a lot of icing.  Oh, and I didn't wait for the cake to cool - nobody told me.  It was awful!  REALLY bad.  Mom didn't think so though.  She talked about that cake for years and years.

She and Nana taught me about kindness - not actual lessons, but just by the way they lived.  They both became heroes of mine.  I've probably mentioned Mom here more than any other person, and that is certainly appropriate.  Although this blog is NOT about me, it is about making a difference, and Mom certainly did that.  Any good things that I might do I can easily claim that I owe it all to Mom.

She passed away in 2013, but I still miss her.  I know I always will. So many times, I have wanted to call her up and share some little thing.  Do me a favor folks, if your mom is still alive, call her up today, even if just to say hello.  If your mom has already passed on, call someone else and let them know what you mean to them.  Let's keeping spreading the love!

No Bullying Zone

Personally, I think the whole world should be a no bullying zone. Unfortunately, my wanting something does not make it happen. If all it took was my desire, we would have a perfect world with nothing but goodness.

To put an end to bullying, we ALL need to get involved. There is no neutral zone. There is no standing by and saying it isn't our concern. Justice and fairness is EVERYONE'S concern.  Bullying too often leads to a lifetime of self-hating or even suicide.  We need to say "No more!"  I'm talking about ALL bullying too.  None of it is ever acceptable.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said it best: "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality."

On this Saturday, let us all say 'Enough!"  Let us all get involved.  Let's not see any more lives ruined because of bullying. 

Toys galore

When I think of gifts for children, the first thing that comes to mind is a teddy bear. Toys of all kinds warm the hearts of kids, especially the ones who have little or nothing. The biggest gift-giving occasion of the entire year of course is Christmas and that's now just a week away. Toy drives for needy kids truly make a difference! Consider giving. It really doesn't have to cost a lot.

 

There are stores that each year put out collection barrels for various toy drives.  The largest and best known of these is probably the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots campaign.  Back in 1947 United States Marine Major Bill Hendricks got the ball rolling in Los Angeles, California, beginning with a handmade doll and continuing with a collection of some 5,000 toys for needy kids in his area.  That program continues to this day but now spreads nationwide.  

There are many regional and local programs too run by fire departments or police departments or other local organizations.  The hospital where I volunteer has a program.  There might be such a program in your town.  Last year a friend of mine in Las Vegas did an incredible drive himself, reaching out to all his friends.

 

This is certainly not an easy year but do what you can.  Check with your local schools, churches, police department, and local newspaper for toys drives that might exist in your area.  Perhaps you or an organization you are part of, would like to start your own collection process to help out too.  Remember, a toy in the hands of a child is a beautiful thing, especially in the hands of a child who has nothing.

 

Buddy can you spare a dime?

There probably aren't many of you who can remember all the way back to the 1932 song Buddy can you spare a dime, even though it was recorded by a number of different people. Perhaps you have been asked if you could spare a dime by someone on the street. Most who ask for a specific amount, are very willing to accept ANY amount. Being in need, is not a good thing, whether you are an individual, an entire family, or an organization trying to help others. They need donations, and they need them from us.

Does our donation have to be that dime? Oh no! We might not be much better off than they are. The list though of things we might donate really is endless. Sometimes when we think of giving, we divide into categories such as time, talent, and treasure. The treasure grouping is the one that gets the most attention. Give some money - the more the better. Our treasure might also include donations of used clothing or housewares or canned goods (to a food drive) or a car (many charities now look for used cars or even boats). Artwork might also be part of this list, and books too.

Donating our talent is a very valuable thing too. This is true whether your talent is taking blood pressures or giving tax advice or reading to children. Sometimes doing yard work or light cleaning can be a huge help to individuals in need.

Donating your time is another wonderful thing. Can you spend a few hours helping out in the office of our non-profit? Can you come in one day and help hand out bags of groceries? That yard work I mentioned - is it talent or time (or maybe both)?

Offer help in whatever way you can, even if it's just making friendly phone calls to check on the wellbeing of your neighbors.  As I have mentioned here a lot, giving takes many forms. Buddy, can you spare some time? Buddy, can you spare a dime? Giving in all its forms, is such a rewarding thing to do! 

Dr King always said it so well

The past month has been very frustrating.  I know that hate exists, but we are seeing it in huge amounts right now, and it's making me sick.  I don't think I will ever understand hate.

 

The words of the Rev Martin Luther King, Jr have always inspired me and brought be a sense of peace.  Whatever the subject, Dr King always said it so well.  In the past few days there have been a lot of quotes from him floating around.  This one in particular moved me:

 

"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love."