Thoughtfulness

February is here.  From Imbolc to Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras, there are times to celebrate to keep the winter blahs away.  However some people don't have much to be happy about, such as those who find themselves jobless or a those who've had family member has pass away.  All it takes to make someone's day better is to be thoughtful, and here's an excellent message from good friends of mine.

"So many people have stepped up to offer us, a family in crisis, tokens of kindness to ease our pain.  I truly appreciate these offers, and accept them as they fit the need.  There are dozens of people in my local life and in my online life who offer 'whatever' and 'anything', and to those who are not placed in such a way to help my family directly, I ask...

Do these things for someone near you, crisis or not.  Shovel a neighbour's driveway. Pick up a bag of milk (deal with it, Americans!) for someone because you're going to the grocery store anyway. Take the garbage bins up to the front step, especially if you see them buffeted down the street by the wind. Your neighbour's mail was misplaced in your slot at the community drop-off at the end of your street; take it to their door, don't just drop it back into the delivery slot.  Say hi to someone else's kids on the street, not just to the parent.  If the parent isn't in sight, tell the kid to pass along your regards, to make it less creepy, and so the kid eventually remembers your name, too. Join your smoker neighbour on their front porch, upwind if you must, to shoot the breeze and sip a caffeinated drink. Get aggressive with surplus homegrown zucchini and tomatoes.

Anonymously, you can:

Switch off your phone AND your ego when you get behind the wheel. Open up a gap between you and the car in front of you, so some guy can exit the parking lot with grace and courtesy.  Don't block a driveway or side street when you're lined up at the red light or the activated rail crossing.  It doesn't matter if anyone actually turns on or off - it will change how you think, how you feel, how you behave.  It will open you up to leaving enough room for others to move freely. It's not "take your turn," it's "WAIT your turn."  Don't creep up on the pedestrian's heels when you're turning.  Winter's cold and his boots are likely wet, and chances are good he's only halfway to where he needs to go.  You're sitting in a climate-controlled bubble.

You don't have to wait for the crisis to be thoughtful."