On the Receiving End

   

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wbeem/6854174252/">wbeem</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>

      Earlier this week I was feeling on the glum side. Chalk it up to a trip to DC and being faced with throngs of rude, oblivious, tourists (Yeah, I don't do well with crowds), listening to several horror stories about malicious behavior, and watching part of the most recent Hunger Games movies. I was convinced that everyone on the planet was completely self absorbed. This is not my normal state of mind. I am totally a glass half full kinda gal, and it bothered me. Thankfully the very next day, I was on the receiving end of several acts of kindness from random strangers, a free admission to the indoor playground, a fellow mom who gave my son her Frosty card at Wendy's when they were out of the boy kid's meal toys, and an awesome waitress who made my family's fine dining experience truly special. I like to believe that what happened was an answer to prayer. My prayer to restore my hope for the world. Whether it was or not, it did the trick. So for all of you doing acts of kindness who wonder if they make a difference I will tell you they do! If each small acts in some way can restore someone else's hope it's worth every bit.

Getting Burned

   
    

     Okay, so I am straying from my positive focus today to go on a slight rant. Please forgive me. Yesterday I spent almost my entire day helping an elderly family member with what I thought was a potentially life threatening problem, only to find out at the end of the day that my kindness had been seriously taken advantage of, and the situation was quite different from what I had been led to believe. I will spare you all the grizzly details, but it has me thinking. What do you do when you feel like all your efforts are unappreciated or worse, wasted? Of course, a truly kind act does not spring from expectations of some form of reward or return. We are usually not even seeking acknowledgement, but to feel taken advantage of, that's another thing. I feel resentful of the time I put in that could definitely have been used to do the myriad other things that need my attention. For one thing, this mission took me away from my children for several hours. Time that I willingly put in, thinking it was sorely needed.
      Will I go to this much effort to help again? Probably. But I hope this is the last time I will play the fool.

Photo Credit:
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/begotka/10860998686/">The Wild Roam Free</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>