Snow Brings Out Neighborly Kindness

The Presents of Presence

The Presents of Presence

There’s a kindness during a snowstorm in the Northeast.  Being out here in the farmland, people are especially nice and I am very grateful for their generosity considering my predicament.

So this morning, when my telephone line was heavy with snow, hanging dangerously low across the street, I saw my next door neighbor outside, shaking the snow from his beautiful trees and having to cut some limbs which had broken.  When I explained my worry, he came over and with a huge pole, and was able to knock the snow from the line, freeing it to spring back to it’s normal height thus restoring what could have been my phone line being broken by a tall truck.  Yippee!

I was plowed into my driveway too and I just don’t have the strength to shovel that much heavy snow.  I was praying for help as I was outside taking the snow off of my car in anticipation in getting out of the driveway when a man riding a small tractor came up the street.  Seeing my dilemma, he stopped and asked if I needed help.  Yes please!  So he’s now getting the heavy 2 feet of snow that the snow plows left at the base of my driveway.

God is good.  People are good.  Strangers are kind and all is well.  I hope you are enjoying the snow day today.  I am feeling very blessed myself and I send blessings your way as well!

Shine On!

xo

Thank You Pedro!

We have a snowstorm coming coincidentally when we were planning on getting the Christmas tree.  Who wants to bring a snow-laden tree into the house?  Not me!  So after the children agreed that they didn’t care if they chose the tree this year, I went to our favorite tree place and began my hunt for the perfect tree.

It wasn’t easy and I spent 30 minutes walking around in a daze until Pedro came over to me.  Pedro is a worker at the tree farm who, after watching me walk up and down the aisles of trees, decided to help me.

When I told him what type of tree I was looking for and the size and explained how I was looking for the perfect tree (because who isn’t?), he smiled and said, Come with me.  So willingly I followed him to the back of the lot to the trees which had yet to be put out for display.

This one, he said knowingly, we just got in and I just cut it.  It’s perfect for you.

I looked at it and felt euphoria set into me. Yes, it’s perfect!  I agreed.  Thank you!

Ok, so I will get it ready for you, he said smiling as he easily lifted the huge tree and carried it to be freshly cut for me.  I dutifully walked behind him, chattering the whole time and thanking him.  We have an unusual tradition of naming our Christmas tree so I asked him his name so that we could use it for the tree this year and voila – that’s how our tree was named Pedro.

Right now my house smells like balsam Christmas which sends sparkles down my spine and puts a huge smile on my face!  I love Christmas!

I hope you find the perfect tree for your home too!  If you need help, ask the tree guys because believe me, they know those Christmas trees well!

Now, to decorate with white lights and a beautiful angel on top!

Shine On!

xo

 

Courage and Kindness

“Courage is a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger,

and a mental willingness to endure it.” – Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman

At times, for me, the idea of being courageous has nothing whatsoever to do with danger in the warlike sense that Gen. Sherman meant it, but simply in the notion of doing whatever needs to be done in order to live.  As a breast cancer survivor, I have endured my share of surgeries, pain, sadness, fear and being at the mercy of others.  I have known gratefulness for those who take the extra moment to connect humanly to me and I have seen others who don’t see me as anything more than another duty.

But in fact there are times in our lives where we all have to show some courage…we have to go out on a limb and try to be the person we desire to be most.  To take that small extra step or extra moment with someone else.  To have a bit more patience than necessary and than comfortable.  To reach out beyond what is expected in order to comfort a loved one, a friend and even a stranger.

To me, sometimes it’s the little things which tug at my heartstrings.  Not that I don’t appreciate the big ones either because I do.  I clearly remember my first breast surgery  back in 2002 and the subsequent hospital stay.  In the middle of the night I had to go to the bathroom and I couldn’t get up out of bed by myself.  The male nurse who arrived kindly helped me to the restroom, waited outside for me to finish and then helped me back into bed.  As I slid back onto the pillows in my bed, he patiently took all the covers off of me and rearranged them, smoothing them so that they weren’t a mess like me.  To have my bedding rearranged and smoothed, pillows fluffed and tucked in made me more comfortable for which I was truly grateful.

It was one of the kindest things I’ve had happen to me at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital.  I know it probably sounds strange to you, but sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most!

So today, on your travels, take a moment when you get that flash of inspiration to hold a door, smile at someone or even just say a kind word.  Your little extra effort means the world to you and to the recipient!  It always does.

Shine On!

xo