Tag Archives: compassion

The Weekly Smile 12/31/2018

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There was a lot to smile about this week :)  It was Christmas, of course.  I talked to family and friends.  I played with the dogs, walked on beaches, walked in the woods, did a lot of writing, some reading and other such stuff.  Here is a photo I took on Saturday:

But like last week, I want to use this week for more philosophic discussions.

Last week I said that one reason I do a Weekly Smile is so people can look back at their week and see that there actually was something to smile about, no matter how small.  Smiling, and happiness, isn’t something we need to go in search of, but something we have if we only recognize it.  Yes, people can have very hard times.  And there is mental illness that makes it impossible to see the good.  But if we take the time to think about it, it is the small moments, the little smiles, that make up our life.

This week I want to talk about why I started writing the Weekly Smile two years ago.  Yes, I do paste a little about it on every smile.  Have you read it lately?  Well, here is a little more.  (Note: Some might see what follows as very political.  It is, in a way, but ti is a tirade against the politics of division, not necessarily one party or another.  If you don’t want to read politics, just look at the pretty picture I posted, smile and skip to the end :)) Continue reading →

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Although I write a lot about smiles, I don’t write much about gratitude or being thankful.  That’s not changing ;)  Oh well, I was off to such a good start here, and I blew it…..

Seriously, I know that I have a huge amount to be thankful for.  My entire life has been blessed in many ways.  I had a great childhood with great parents, both of whom are still with us.  I got along with my siblings and still do.  I was never social, but I have had, and still have, good friends.  I had a good education.  I have a good job.  I have had good health.  Still do!  I’ve seen and done a lot of things.  I’ve been to many places.  Had a very wide variety of experiences, many that most people will never have.  I often take these, and all of the other things that I didn’t mention (things, property, etc.) for granted.  I know that is bad and try not to, but I do.  i think we all do.  It is human nature, particularly for those of us who are doing well.  We forget.  or we don’t know. Continue reading →

The Weekly Smile 10/29/2018 #weeklysmile

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weeklysmile2a

Hi!  I hope you had a good week last week with something to smile about.  I had a very busy week, a bit stressful, but there is always something out there, even if it is something small.  This week, for me, it was pretty big, if not huge.

I belong to our local Lions Club.  As the Lions Club does everywhere, we try to contribute to vision issues, but most of our funds go to help local people in  our community.  Our big fund raising event every year is our Penny Sale, an event that has been happening for over 65 years!

What is a Penny Sale?  We solicit local businesses and get donations of items.  The items can be anything, including coupons, little nick-knacks, etc.  Individuals also donate stuff (I donated three books, The Fireborn, Seasons of Imagination and The Halley Branch, all signed by the author ;) ).  The club itself also buys a lot of stuff.  i think there must have been over a thousand items.  There is also food and several other raffles. Continue reading →

The Weekly Smile 78 #weeklysmile

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Weekly Smile #WeeklySmile

Weekly Smile #WeeklySmile

I have a lot to smile about this week – I’m on Vacation!  Of course, that means Cape Cod as usual, but still!  Despite all of those smiles, I’m going to do a very small smile that gets to the heart of what these posts are all about.

On Monday, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items.  There were two “express” registers open, and one had no line.  So I unloaded my stuff and put my bag out to receive stuff.

The casheir said, “hi” but didn’t really seem to mean it.  She wasn’t mean, or rude or anything else, she just didn’t seem happy.  Again, not depressed or anything, more like it’s been a long day at work and she’d rather be at the beach.  Or home reading.  Or… anyplace else in the world than work.

I also noticed, but didn’t notice, that she had a strong accent. Not surprising as a lot of the “help” on Cape Cod do have accents.  Not a big deal.

When she handed me the receipt, she looked up at me for the first time.  I caught her eye, smiled warmly and said, “Thank You.”  It was amazing.  It was like the sun came out.  Her face blossomed with a large, genuine smile.  She told me to have a good day like she really meant it. Continue reading →

Journey

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swan-pond-sunset-5-2017

It’s a heavy load to carry
A rough path for us to tread
And some who’ll trip us up
Wishing we were dead

There are some who are forced to carry
More than their due share
Weight is piled on high
Although it’s not fair

But there are some carried by clouds
Who turn a blind eye
When those so much worse off
Are casually passed right by

So if you see one over burdened
With troubles quite untold
Why don’t you stop to lend a hand
To lighten up their load

For we’re just travelers on this Earth
If our burden is great or small
But the journey is much more pleasant
When the load is shared by all

— — —  Continue reading →

Christmas, 24x7x365

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Sad Brady

Sad Brady

Once again
It’s that time of year
When on every lip
Is “Be of good cheer!”
We say peace on Earth
And to all good will
With high spirits
Our hearts do fill
But why can’t we do this
All year round?
Why only at Christmas
Do these feeling abound?
For every day
We should do what we can
To help every woman,
Child and man
Every effort should go
To make Earth more like heaven
By acting with compassion
Twenty Four by Seven
So start today
To help all alive
And hold out a hand
On all Three Sixty Five
— — — — —
I wrote this for Solveig to use in her Advent Calendar, which she did on Sunday. I was going to repost her version, but I wanted to make sure the whole thing is on my blog – I like it and want all of the words here :) But, since I wrote it for her blog, please go visit! Go see what everyone else did for her Calendar! There’s some great stuff this year! There was last year too :)  (Yes, I did two posts for the calendar, though Sunday was a shared day with several contributors.)

Only Human

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trent-02

Sometimes I get angry
I hate everyone in the world
Hey!
I’m only human
You nod, aren’t we all, aren’t we all

And that’s just it, we are all human
With all that implies
And that shared humanity
The compassion and love
That’s all part of being
Only human
Every one of us, all

I try to live by the ideals
To tolerate all but intolerance
To hate only hate
To celebrate the differences
To embrace my neighbors near and far
But I’m only human
Aren’t we all?

If the world frowns at you
If you are surrounded by those that hate
Come and see me
And I’ll try to help
With what little I have
But I’m only human
But aren’t we all?

I Shared a Laugh

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earth

I shared a laugh
With a neighbor
A thousand miles away
I chatted amicably
With a friend
Across the sea
I wrote a silly verse
For a special one
Who lives around the world
The boundaries
State, national, cultural and religious
Melt away
Leaving only our shared humanity

I saw a sign
Of hate
In my town
I heard exclusion
From someone
In my state
I read about calls to violence
To all who are different
From my fellow countrymen
How can those so close to me
Be so far apart?

I shared a laugh
With friends
Near and far
I hope tomorrow
It won’t be a cry