“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of; there is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” – Fred Rogers Yesterday a wonderful friend and former colleague stopped…
Category: kindness
Generously
“Freely you have received; freely give.” – Matthew 10:8 This skeleton is part of a Halloween display in our neighborhood — and his hat made me laugh. But it also made me think. A skeleton giving life advice…. Does he have a regret of not being kind enough? Did he give beyond his means? What’s…
Hold on there, girl
“I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you” when someone sneezes, a leftover from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying. And sometimes, when you spill lemons from your grocery bag, someone else…
Continued transformation
“Small gestures hold immeasurable power. Each smile, kind word, or thoughtful action ripples through the world, creating positive change. Embrace the beauty of simplicity and consider how your small acts of kindness can bring immense joy and warmth to others. In every moment, you have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. Remember,…
Be safe
“Be safe.” Today as I left the office, a nasty storm was brewing right outside the front doors. Several people were leaving at the same time and instead of the usual “have a good evening” pleasantries, there were lots of sincere and slightly anxious exchanges of “be safe.” I thought about that expression during my…
Say what?
“Don’t speak negatively about yourself, even as a joke. Your body doesn’t know the difference. Words are energy and they cast spells; that’s why it’s called spelling. Change the way you speak about yourself and you can change your life.” – Bruce Lee Life is constantly telling me that I’m loved. Random hearts appear in…
The gift
“Their joy – that’s the gift to you.” Not long ago, I saw a Steve Hartman segment featuring some school kids who were inspired by a Secret Santa to raise and give away literally thousands of dollars to strangers in need. (Please watch the segment here if you haven’t seen it, which includes the above…
Light
“Be a kind voice in this brokenhearted world. Give grace and be ready to receive it. Listen so well that the person you’re with can rest in your loving attention for a moment. Be a light. Be a light. Be a light.” – Nanea Hoffman
Everyone
“You can’t be best friends with everyone. But you can notice everyone. You can make room for everyone. You can be kind and generous and thoughtful and sympathetic to everyone. You can offer a smile to everyone. You can make eye contact with everyone. You can probably even offer a simple “hello” to everyone. And…
Much Better
“Be the person who breaks the cycle. If you were judged, choose understanding. If you were rejected, choose acceptance. If you were shamed, choose compassion. Be the person you needed when you were hurting, not the person who hurt you. Vow to be better than what broke you – to heal instead of becoming bitter…
Everyone
“Be brave because you are a child of God. Be kind because everyone else is too.” I’ve noticed something about myself lately that bothers me a lot. I have a really bad habit of assigning character traits to people based on a single behavior that I’ve witnessed – especially people that I don’t know well…
What to do with 21 bananas
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop For whatever reason, I was thinking a lot today about little things we can do to brighten each other’s spirits. The other day I found a handmade gift of a ring for me and a collar for Finn on my front porch…
Visible
“As the world fights to figure everything out, I’ll be holding doors for strangers, letting people cut in front of me in traffic, Saying good morning, keeping babies entertained in grocery lines, stopping to talk to someone who is lonely, being patient with sales clerks, smiling at passersby. Why? Because I will not stand idly…
Minions and Memories
“The truth is, not everyone can change the entire world, and not everyone needs too. All we can do is give as much love in our lives as possible, treat ourselves kindly, and leave the world a more positive place than we entered it. That is all I can ask of myself, and I try…
Kindness
Today is International Kindness Day! To mark the occasion, here is a fun mural I saw over the weekend during a road trip, along with a list of “seven ways to start making kindness the norm in your daily life” (according to a very nice random Instagram post I spotted this week): 1.) Send an…
Gratefully
“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” – Maya Angelou Today is my day for receiving gratefully. The above zinnias came from a yard a few streets over, as the gardener was encouraging folks to cut what they wanted from the abundance. And I certainly wasn’t the only one eagerly accepting this…
The Strangest Gift
“The kindest people aren’t born that way, they are made. They are the souls that have experienced much at the hands of life, they are the ones who have dug themselves out of the dark, who have fought to turn every loss into a lesson. The kindest people do not just exist – they choose…
Big L
“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is to love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy.” – Thomas Merton What I have…
Such a Difference
“Your impact on other people is bigger than you think. Someone still giggles when they think of that funny thing you said. Someone still smiles when they think of the compliment you gave them. Someone silently admires you. The advice you give has made a difference for people. The support and love you’ve offered others…
You can do the hard things
“Your life’s course will not be determined by doing the things that you are certain you can do. Those are the easy things. It will be determined by whether you try the things that are hard.” – Sheryl Sandbery I spotted mamma owl napping in Forest Park this morning. She’s such a pretty girl. I…
Love and…
“Okay, I know that there are terrible, terrible people out there, but listen… I also know that there are people who stop and smile at tiny plants growing out of sidewalk cracks, people who laugh so loud they snort, people who compliment others randomly, people who take pictures of their friends because they love seeing…
It all matters
“Your impact on the world is significant whether or not you are aware of it, and even whether or not you desire it.” – Gary Zukav I spotted this little heart with just a mile and a half left to go in my long run today, and it was just the boost I needed to…
Rule of Nature
“Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other. No matter how difficult it is. Life is good…
Beyond Work
“Just be kind. Please. Just be kind. Especially during the holidays. Have an extra moment of grace, of understanding, of love. There are so many with stories of loss and struggle and hardships. And the illusions of the holiday and perfection and celebrations can make the hurt magnified. So just love. Smile more than you…
hey there, friends 