Sometimes I see prompts and I am like, “Oof. How will I answer that question?”
But I saw today’s and thought, “Ooh! This is easy. I could go lots of different directions with this.”
So, here’s one of those directions.
As long as I walk this planet, one thing I want to do is to bring sunny, cheerful love to the people around me.
Of course, I can do this at home in myriad ways. To name a few:
- listening to problems
- asking about what my family is doing
- greeting my family with a smile and kind words
- cheerfully helping with challenges
- saying thank you
- offering encouragement
But I can also bring a little sunshine to people outside my family by doing things like:
- smiling at people I pass
- complimenting strangers
- greeting my cashier by name
- asking other people about themselves
- checking in on my friends
- expressing gratefulness
- purposely taking the seat next to parents with small children on a plane (because I know the crying is not going to bother me, and that’s a gift to a parent on a plane!)
- leaving comments (not just likes) on other people’s blog/Instagram posts
And if I sat here longer, I could list many more.
Basically, I want everyone I come into contact with to have a teeny improvement in their day because of our interaction.
I know I’m just one person. And I know that doing just one small thing for one other person doesn’t change the whole world.
But it could mean the world to that person. 🙂
Boy. I appreciate this post today! Something I have started doing, and it may sound crazy: I am a fast walker by nature. Lately, I am trying to slow down my speed say, at Wal-Mart, when I see an elderly shopper walking through the parking lot. I will slow down, and not just breeze past them, hoping that they don’t feel slow. If that makes sense. I just don’t want them to feel like they are in my way, or aren’t keeping up the pace of life so to speak. It’s just a tiny something I have started trying to do.
Oh honey this is my life. I am my mother’s carer and I am always stopping and waiting. I try to not outtalk her but she is so slow and it often feels like I will fall walking at her pace.
You are making the world a better place, Kristen! Looking for these opportunities is why I tell my teens not to leave their earbuds in while they’re shopping.
This reminds me much of the St. Mother Theresa quote, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”
Catching up on your posts. I didn’t know there was a new blog!
Ah, I love that!
It is often difficult to feel that an individual can make a difference. I do believe we do.
Yes! What we do might not change the world, but it can change one person’s world. And that matters.
Your answer reminded me of the closing paragraph about Thespia in _Tales of the Resistance_ by David and Karen Maines.
“And Thespia became a street player in the back alleys and dead ends of Enchanted City, acting out the King’s story in such a way that all who saw her suspected—then hoped—that there was a real kingdom.”
It’s okay for our lives not to be someone else’s definition of grand and exciting. How much we can do for the King in quiet ways when we live our lives and interact with people in such a way that they can see glimpses of His love and joy for them!