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.

More Street Art

    

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wy_jackrabbit/4564912966/">Wyoming_Jackrabbit</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>    

     Yesterday the kids and I were enjoying the beautiful weather outside and still feeling the urge to create some random art, we graffitied the neighbor's sidewalks with sidewalk chalk. I opted for quotes about peace, hope, and love. We only chose neighbor's whom I knew wouldn't mind. There are so many quotes that I love, but I found I couldn't remember too many of them at the time. If given some chalk and a sidewalk what inspirational would you share? Wouldn't it be fun to write them all over?

A Little Encouragement Goes a Long Way

     Last week I talked about how something as simple as a smile can work wonders. It can brighten some one's day and be quite contagious. A few weeks ago I was out for a run and I tried to make it a point to smile at every person I met.  It ended up being the best run ever. I wasn't fast and I didn't go far but I came back on an amazing high that wasn't just from running. Not only did I get plenty of smiles back but also encouragement for trying to get in shape. It may be one of my favorite things about running. The cheering and support I get from people on the road. Sometimes it's friends and neighbors but just as often I get "Good for you's" from random strangers and I have to admit it feels wonderful. In fact, that day I got so much encouragement on the road I ended up running almost an additional half mile more than I had planned. So what if we all tried to encourage other people who we saw doing a good job? You may not be comfortable saying it to a complete stranger but we all know a friend or family member who could benefit from hearing what a great job you think they are doing. Sometimes it's just what we need to keep going.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rueful/8065467654/">Key Foster</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>