When you care enough to send the very best...

The past few weeks have definitely been a roller coaster. I realized that there have been times that I have not reacted the way I should when others have tried to serve me.

I have days where I feel like people do nice things so that they either look good to others, or to get people to like them, or to feel better about themselves. Ultimately, we want to do nice things out of love. But I'm beginning to see that all the other reasons are good reasons. At the end of the day, those reasons motivated us to show someone kindness. In the meantime, as we learn to become better and kinder, and we ask ourselves why we do what we do, our hearts change. And the more we show kindness, and the more we receive kindness, the more it will inspire us to love.

This morning, a friend did something as simple as send me an e-card. I love me some Hoops and Yoyo. It took a moment, it gave me a good laugh, and it was personal. No one else was going to see it. No one else was going to know what she had done. But they will now! lol. I am so grateful for all my good friends who reach out, who remember, and who inspire me to be a little better and love a little more.

And she is just one of many.

Welcome relief and new beginnings

Be grateful for good friends and answered prayers. Last year, rumors and then substantiated rumors of layoffs amid budget cuts swirled throughout the university. My job has been incredibly stressful and I've been overloaded for a while. As concern grew, I realized that if layoffs did take place, I wanted it to be me. Not just because I wanted other people to keep their jobs, but I was already doing the work of about two and a half people, and if someone else left, I couldn't handle more being placed on me. A good friend at the time started praying and fasting that I would get laid off. Now I know that sounds weird, but I felt it would be the best thing if budget cuts came to that point.

Yesterday, that prayer was answered. And strangely enough, I am very grateful. It reminds me of a quote from You've Got Mail. "You are daring to imagine that you could have a different life. Oh, I know it doesn't feel like that. You feel like a big fat failure now. But you're not. You are marching into the unknown armed with...nothing. Have a sandwich." In January I get to enter the world of student teaching. In the meantime, I get a chance to decide what it is I really want to be doing. I am so grateful for such a gift.

To all those who make the world a better place

There are a lot of amazing people out there. People who remind you what it means to be a friend. People who are kind in the face of criticism, loving in the face of intolerance, patient in the face of unrelenting demands.

To the friends who are there when you need them, to the teachers who strive to make a difference, and to all those who make the world better by being in it...

On a day I need to remember

When I started this blog, it was on a day when I really needed to remember that what I did made a difference.  Today is another one of those days.  Sometimes it can feel like we work so hard, reach out so often, and rarely if ever see the purpose behind it.  We feel like we have to change the world, and in a world of instant gratification, forget how long it can take sometimes.  And sometimes, we get those small moments where miracles happen.  We get to be in the right place at the right time.  We say the right words. We show sincere love.  And we get to see the change begin.  The rest of the time, we have to remember why we do it.

So today, the thing that I am going to do right is to let what I give change me.

Stay classy

One of the hardest things I've done, or seen other people do, is watch someone I care about be unhappy.  Sometimes life is just hard, and all you can do is listen, comfort, or pray on their behalf.  And when that person is unhappy as a result of their own choices, it breaks my heart.  Recently I witnessed someone handle a very difficult situation with class, maturity, and wisdom beyond her years.  With all she knew, she never shared, never gossiped.  Instead, she showed love when her friend would not accept concern.  When others grew tired of an unending assault of walls thrust in their path, she showed patience in turning those walls into works of art. 

Sorry seems to be the hardest word

Recently I've learned a lot of important lessons.  One of the most important has been about healing- not just individually but healing relationships.  Recently someone I know was deeply hurt.  The details are not important.  The pain was inflicted unintentionally, but inflicted all the same.  At times it seems we should not get involved, but here I had been dragged in the middle of it and the anger was steered towards me.  While trying to figure out how to talk to the instigator to repair the situation, my phone rang.  I thought I might be angry, or upset, and want to let them know that what they did was absolutely not okay.  Instead the voice on the phone simply said, "I'm sorry."  Two simple words.  Alone they mean little, but spoken in sincerity and humility, accompanied by actions to heal those really hurt are rare-- and the most courageous words a mere mortal can utter.

It's never too late to back up

Last night I was leaving a friend's house after a crazy week of things not exactly going as planned.  As I walked up to my car.  I noticed two cars going by.  The first one slwed down, and shifted into reverse.  Probably annoyed the car behind it.  The second car finally drove around, as the first car backed up at least 50 feet and stopped behind my car.  Out popped one of my good friends who ran over and said she didn't get a chance to say goodbye and wanted to give me a hug.  A moment of selflessless  and a much needed reminder.