small smiles

Quite amazing

2006-11-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Round here...

2005-06-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

One
I went in to a bodega to buy my girl some flowers. I asked the guy behind the counter where he was from. He told me he was from Cambodia. I said that I would like to visit there some day. He offered me a smoke. I don't smoke, but accepted and thanked him.

Two
As I was on my way to work I had to leave a large metropolis of about 11 million people. The streets at 6:15 in the morning weren't that crowded and very few people were scurrying to get to wherever they were planning to go. I watched this one kid cross the street in front of a large cathedral. He blessed himself out of respect and kept on trucking it to his employment.

Three
Walking up the street I became aware of a kid following me in a burka of sorts. His face was covered and it was black. He had green khakis on and carried nothing. Should I tell someone, should I be suspicious?? Should I hold him to the ground and call the cops?? Should I let him greet the rising sun, like I do every day??

Helping Hand to a Stranger

2005-06-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

I travelled this weekend. I met two people on the plane. One was a girl going to Cali to start a job iwth Yahoo. The other was a Manager of Operations for a large electrical company.
He has a daughter who has just accepted an internship in Australia for jounralism. She will be spending a few weeks in Vienna and requested time in Bosnia. Being her father he was very concerned. Her name is Katie.
Being unfamiliar with the airport I was going to he waited til I got off the plane, waited while I bought some breathmints (I was going to see my crush), and showed me exactly where to go to meet her.
He was a stranger, who didn't have to do that at all for some guy he just met on a plane. He was very nice and I want to thank, John P. for his help.

Small Miracles

2005-06-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

My cat started giving birth to her kittens this morning. What a miraculous and wondrous process birth is. The two times we are equalled in this life are birth and death. Nothing else matters at those two points. It seems a shame to separate ourselves over trivial things between those two points.
Today I have thought about the rifts in my life and how I want to heal them. They will and time will pass.

Community

2005-05-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

Being in my own religious organization I can see how ideaologies divide people. I saw Flight of the Pheonix recently and there was one character who s/d, "I'm not religious. Religion divides people. I am spiritual."
Without getting into a debate , I wanted to focus on the community aspect of it. In my community we have five kids, whom we all are responsible for raising. We love and care for each other. We gossip like mad and have little picts like every else. It's a strong sens eof family tied with devotion. And we exclude no one and invite everyone whether they believe in out path or their own.
All are valid.

When I find similar expressions of humanity, I tend to like it. So I stumbled across this site - The Thursday Night Gathering. The description from their website reads:
We are a group of friends and acquaintances. We are people who help each other move. We paint each other’s bathrooms. We make birthday cakes. We are people who want to recognize that time is not a renewable resource, it matters how you spend it We want to know the new lady with the little girl who moved in next door. The guy in the next cubical. The dreadlock barista at the coffee shop. The yoga teacher with the cool chimes. The plumber at our worksite. The outrageous waiter with the t-shirt that says, “I’m Gay.. Don’t Tell Anyone.” We are people who like life. We are artists. We are computer programmers. We are parents. We are beer lovers. We are people who fight, who laugh, get bored, get inspired. We make music; we make soup. We laze around in the sun; we play scrabble in the rain. We listen to loud music; we go with each other to get tattoos. We read good novels; we learn about wine and cheese. We are explorers. We are people who want to worship God, and talk to God, and listen to God. We are people who readily admit we are not entirely sure what that means. We are people who learn not from a leader, but from one another. We blow dust off of old books, we reform old beliefs. We uncover ancient practices and make them our own. We say, “I was wrong,” We look twice at something that catches our eye. We seek.

Just thought that was cool and wanted to share.

Prayer for a Stranger

2005-05-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

I was at work when someone noticed that there was no traffice moving on the large suspension bridge a few blocks away. This was due to a woman who, distraught by recent events in her life, had climbed the side of the bridge with the intent of committing suicide.

While at lunch I was listening to the radio the various DJs took turns making wisecracks and suggesting there be a specific time limit prior to direct police action. The this girl called in.

She asked if she could say a prayer for the girl on the bridge. They asked if she knew who this girl was and she replied, "no". But she wanted to pray for her that she might get down off the bridge and get help for whatever was bothering her.

Surprisingly, the DJ allowed her to and it was just the most stilling and touching moment when she began praying for a complete stranger, regardless of faith.

From Tina

2005-05-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Tina sent me this and I thought I should share because it made me feel good:

I've been a little down lately, but I did a good thing today. My mother's birthday is Monday and she turns 75, but she's still in the nursing home. We sent a check so she could get her hair cut and colored and get a manicure earlier in the week, and today we came in with all sorts of gifts. But my most inspired move seemed to be walking in with a sheet cake big enough to feed all the people in her wing. Chocolate....with buttercream frosting....and it was really good. I checked with the nurses because I didn't want to give anyone anything that might kill them or cause an allergic reaction or anything, and they helped me set up a room so we could have a party. If you want to see 70 and 80 and 90 year olds turn back into little kids again...show up with a birthday cake.

One of the nurses said to me later "You did a good thing here today. I saw a man who's refused to eat for two weeks so that we've had to use a feeding tube l ight up and dig into that chocolate cake. In many ways, this was better therapy for them all than we can give them." It definitely seemed to perk my mother up, and I made friends and introduced them to her. She's not the type to make friends, I don't know where I got my friendly side....my grandfather maybe, he was a likeable fellow.

It was bittersweet, I was reminded of the shows I used to volunteer to do at nursing homes and veteran's hospitals. I was so full of cheer for them, but I wound up crying later every single time because of the things I'd seen. At least I didn't cry today, it seemed to pick me up as much as them.

The Four Candles

2005-05-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Four Candles burned slowly. Their ambiance was so soft you could
hear them speak.

The first candle said, "I am Peace, but these days, nobody wants to keep
me lit." Then Peace's flame slowly diminishes and goes out completely.

The second candle says, "I am Faith, but these days, I am no longer
indispensable." Then Faith's flame slowly diminishes and goes out completely.

Sadly, the third candle spoke, "I am Love and I haven't the strength to
stay lit any longer." "People put me aside and don't understand my importance.

They even forget to love those who are nearest to them." And waiting no
longer, Love goes out completely.

Suddenly . . . A child enters the room and sees the three candles no
longer burning. The child begins to cry, "Why are you not burning? You are
supposed to stay lit until the end."

Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently to the little boy, "Don't be afraid,
for I Am Hope, and while I still burn, we can re-light the other candles."

With Shining eyes the child took the Candle of Hope and lit the other
three candles.

Never let the Flame of Hope go out of your life. With Hope, no matter
how bad things look and are, Peace, Faith and Love can Shine Brightly in our
lives.

Don't let these candles go out in your life!

If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, march down there
and turn it on yourself. -- Unknown

Something more.

2005-05-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

I came across this woman's blog today and it spoke to me. The blog's description reads, "My husband and I own and manage a vineyard and walnut ranch in the sierra foothills of California. This was a long time retirement dream of ours. We have one daughter, and three beautiful grandchildren. Our son is deceased but still lives in our hearts and spirit. I was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).I am now starting my second challenge and considering making it official..."

Her entry for today is as follows:

My Bronze Medal!!
I have successfully achieved a bronze medal in the Presidential challenge. I am so proud of myself. I am now eligible to move on from the blf cadet , to the bfl top guns. WoooHooo! What a hoot. It is stuff like this that makes my struggle with M.S. take a back seat...

Kind of gives me a perspective of how people deal in difficult times and what I can do when I face them; and also what people are capable of accomplishing. there is also the example of personal strength and determination indicative of the human spirit that nothing else seems to define.

What I see in you...

2005-05-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to a Wiccan celebration of the coming summer, known as Beltane.
It consisted of drumming, community celebration, socializing and ceremony. I enjoyed it immensely.

The ceremony was very simple. They passed around a cup full of apple cider. Thanks was given to deity, in this case the god and goddess. Then one person turned to the next and told them a favorable attribute that they saw within the person they were addressing. People who had known the person next to them for five minutes or twenty-nine years participated. And I thought it was wonderful that everybody had something good to say. It was heartfelt and beautiful.

It took place under the falling light and misting rain. The sense of community was powerful and reassuring that if more people tries to see the everyday goo din one another, then perhaps the world wouln't see so scary.

Songs of Freedom

2005-04-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is about something a stranger gave me without her realizing it - a sense of freedom.

I was working at a telemarketing firm about four years ago and I placed a call to a woman who ran an animal rescue business in Wyoming for seven counties. Yes, seven. And we started talking about the services offered and she didn't qualify, but we kept talking.
She was in her late fifties. She had beaten cancer and still smoked. She had two grown sons, both married, who owned motorcycles. They also owned a business doing car alarms and stereo systems.
At this point I asked her if she rode and she said, "No. Well, not those things." She was referring to horses. She loved riding horses, had been doing it almost her whole life. She loved just going out into the plains for hours.
Then the coversation turned towards the freedom of doing just that. The stars being your blanket and freedom of doing what you want. She instead started telling me all of the difficulting involved in a life like that. You have a beat up pickup, your face is always windburned, your hands are calloused and you sleep outside every night.
Now from sitting in a cube for eight hours a day without getting much exercise this sounded unimgineable. The idea of self-direction and freedom was profound and something I had not thought of or experienced in my life at that time.
The phone call ended and I went outside and looked at the sunset. I thought to myself that if I didn't have the financial responsibilities I had, then I would drive out to Wyoming and say thank you to that woman for that gift. I still have the urge to find her although it would be impossible now.
But to taste that boundless possibility was the beginning of something that has led me down a road to find what I enjoyed and what freedom really means.

Helping an Unknown

2005-04-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

I post some of my political thoughts on a community website. I noticed that no one would leave comments about them, ever. I had read the articles of others and found one woman in particular who seemed adept as communicating her point. So after posting my most recent article, I solicited her help in critiquing it. Now, please keep in mind that the website hold anonymous membership and there was no previous knowledge between this person and I prior to my request.
And without knowing me in the slightest she set about analyzing my article and provided me with practical and detailed methods of improving my writing. I was ever so grateful and thought, wow, she had done this for a complete stranger.
So this is my thanks to her.

Across the pond

2005-04-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

If you live across the pond (the Atlantic) here is a blog I stumbled across who raised money for poverty by running a marathon. Take a look.

The Four Chaplains

2005-04-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

This is the story of the Four Chaplains. The following was taken from the website dedicated to these fine human beings:

A convoy of three ships and three escorting Coast Guard cutters passed through "torpedo alley" some 100 miles off the coast of Greenland at about 1 a.m. on February 3, 1943. The submarine U-223 fired three torpedoes, one of which hit the midsection of the Dorchester, a U.S. Army troopship with more than 900 men on board. Ammonia and oil were everywhere in the fast-sinking vessel and upon the freezing sea.

The four Chaplains on board, two Protestant pastors, a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi, were among the first on deck, calming the men and handing out life jackets. When they ran out, they took off their own and placed them on waiting soldiers without regard to faith or race. Approximately 18 minutes from the explosion, the ship went down. They were the last to be seen by witnesses; they were standing arm-in-arm on the hull of the ship, each praying in his own way for the care of the men. Almost 700 died, making it the third largest loss at sea of its kind for the United States during World War II. The Coast Guard Cutter Tampa was able to escort the other freighters to Greenland. Meanwhile the cutters Comanche and Escanaba, disobeying orders to continue the seach for the German U-Boat, stopped to rescue 230 men from the frigid waters that night.

Unknown friend

2005-04-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

WordWhiz said...
Last night, my daughter discovered she'd been scheduled to work today. She had specifically requested that she only be scheduled only on weekdays when her friend was working, because this friend is her ride to work. I called a woman who used to attend my church. I barely know this woman, but she had kindly responded to my plea for help to drive my son to and from school back in January, while his father was on vacation for two weeks. She not only provided transportation, but was just delightful to him and they became quite friendly. She even dropped a note off at his school recently, for the principal to pass along to him. Very sweet. She quickly agreed to drive drive my daughter to work.

Little things...

2005-04-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

Even small things mean a lot some times:

Anvilcloud said...
When I got stuck in a rural snowbank tis winter, I appreciated the lift that snowmibillers gave me. I won't be able to reciprocate in kind but in spirit.

Sojourning Crow said...
When I totalled my car a complete stranger stopped to flare and flag cars around it and me. I never got his name and he left without me being able to thank him.

Towards the end of a long-term relationship my ex- and I were very much estranged from eachother. One day I was doing the dishes and she just came up behind me, put her arms around me and squeezed. My heart melted. It was the smallest thing that meant so much.

Unseen Kindness

2005-04-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

Canada's World tour of Kindness can be found here.

Also the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation can be found at www.actsofkindness.org.
They are based in Denver and have stories on their website.

There is also The Foundation for a Better Life
where you can tell the story of someone who has touched you life.

Or you can leave it here and I will post it.

I guess my kindness thought for today is that we are not alone in thinking that there is good in people and the world.

It is not weakness to be kind. Though that seems like a forgotten lesson.

Huda Ba'haroon post this:

2005-04-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

'Just want to share a quote on kindness : "I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." - William Penn'

Simple Things

2005-04-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some things that make me smile:

1) My best friend's wife will randomly send me garbled emails typed by my goddaughter, signed with love.

2) Going to my friend's daughter's Spring Concert.

3) Working at a deli and meeting all the fine folks that come in.

4) Going drumming with all my friends til my hands hurt.

Do the same for another, Part II

2005-04-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

I was in the supermaket a fews days after the incident described below and I only had one or two things to get. I got on line behind a couple with a whole shopping cart full of stuff.

They noticed that I had only a few items and offered to let me go ahead of them. I thanked them and they s/d to me, "Just do the same for someone else some day." Struck by the complete randomness and signifigance of the comment, I turned around and related my previous encounter with the same phrase.

I find it amazing that people want so much to pass along good in the world.

Do the same for another, Part I

2005-04-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

One snowy night I was drving home when I noticed a car stuck on the other side of the road. As I passed I noticed it was too young boys trying to get their car back on the road and unable to do so due to the incline of the embankment.

The car had been tricked out and could not get the wheels to move slow enough to generate any traction. Even starting in third!!

After about an hour or so of trying various means to manufature an escape we placed a 2x4 under their front wheel and they made it out.

I told then in the rejoyous moment that they should do the same for someone else someday.

Felix

2005-04-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of Felix the Cat.

Today's pic:

Heart still beating.

2005-04-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

I had to call Hawaii for business once and a man answered who sounded life he was out of breath. I asked him if it was a good time to speak with him and he responded, "Well, I woke up this morning and my heart was still beating, so it's a good time, sure."

I just thought that was really cool.