Wednesday, May 29, 2013
What's your good deed for today......!!
Every day we go through our daily routine and we seize to notice others. I enjoy sitting back and watching people go about their routine "unnoticed." But what if we take time every day to notice a perfect stranger? When I people watch, I wonder what is going on in each life of the faces I see walking by. I wonder what is going on behind closed doors of their homes. I ponder that six degrees of separation and how different and so much alike we all are. Yesterday my neighbor did an awesome thing by mowing our front and backyard for us. That to me was an act that is much appreciated and one that I didn't expect. It got me thinking about how I too can proactively touch another life. Living is not just waking up and going about my daily routine or business, but it also includes touching others lives no matter how small or big. I know that I don't actively look for opportunities to help others. Why is that? Maybe I've bought into this idea that I am but one person or not wanting to interfere in someone else's life. I'm not sure exactly. Am I do busy that I miss so many opportunites each day to say to another person, "I care about you?" Essentially, that is what I am saying when I stop to help someone I don't know. Breaking out of my daily routine provides an opportunity for me to grow and to learn. So, my challenge to you is to look for those opporutunies and not wait for them.
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The neighbor next to my grandparents came over and mowed their lawn for them the other day too! Normally, one of us grandchildren take care of it but this guy is unemployed and has been looking for a job for quite some time (poor soul) and I thought it was so thoughtful that he took the time out of his day to help an elderly couple instead of moping around the house and making excuses for himself like so many of our youth do now a days.
ReplyDeleteI read a story today about a girl that has won a national award for organizing community volunteer programs. I believe she is maybe 13 or 14 years old. Yet, she has this amazing gift of getting people to work together for a cause. Despite the fact that she has recently been diagnosed with cancer, she carries on with her projects. She has founded a non-profit organization that was implemented within her school district. They raise money by letting the kids wear a hat to school in exchange for a donation. She is a person that truly cares and wants to make a difference in this world. She is but one person....and look at all she is doing, even at such a young age. If we all put in even minimal effort to do for others, we really could make a difference in the lives of others. I just thought she was an amazing gift and she really blew me aware. More people should aspire to be like this girl.
ReplyDeleteI love stories like this. She is the leader of the future and we don't hear enough stories about these kinds of kids who care more about others than themselves.
DeleteMany years ago I had a close friend in boy scouts who was a true native american. One day he and I were walking along a trail together at camp and a Hawk circled overhead. Without thinking I did a shrill whistle as my old scoutmaster had taught me and the Hawk circled back to return my call.
ReplyDeleteMy friend smiled and asked me if I always do that I said no don't because sometimes I know the hawk isn't wanting to be disturbed.
Right now there is a falcon nested somewhere near where I work and every morning the female is sitting in a tree behind the building. I have taken to calling out to her and she has started calling back and then flying off in search of a meal.
Sometimes good deeds can be biried in seeing things others don't see.
Yinka, I people watch all of the time. My favorite thing, oddly enough is watching people open and close doors for strangers ...or not. It surprises me how often people don't open the doors for other people, I have a slight obsession with it! I think it's rude not to keep a door open, or even worse not to say thank you. My boys started opening doors from an early age and often times they LOVED doing so. Once at QT my son went in and paid (I was within feet) and opened the door on his own coming out of the store, the guy came to me and said something along the lines of how awesome that was that he opened the door for him and when the guy said thank you, my son said you're welcome. Small deeds=good things!!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I'm not sure what people watching is, or maybe I do. I can't justify sitting in my car doing nothing but watching people and wondering about their lives. If I'm that interested in them I'd rather just walk up to them and ask them. As far as neighbors go, I'm sure neighbors people watch other neighbors. Some aren't so kind and some are. I think we're just all too busy with our lives and responsibilities that the only time some of us step out to help others is if it's right in front of us. It's not something a lot of people go out of their way to do. When they do it's more likely for a reason.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite movies is "Pay it Forward" and I believe it teaches a valuable lesson, well actually a few, but what I took away from seeing that film is that we need to make sure we do something good for someone everyday without expectations of getting anything in return.
ReplyDeleteSecond, that we should all tell the people we love exactly that..we love them.....everyday because we don't know if it will be the last opportunity for us or them to experience this joy.
Now I'm gonna make myself cry, Ha Ha..... Oh well, my favorite emotion is laughter through tears. What a great emotion!