February 18, 2010 – Take the Time.

I always take the time to work on our two elderly neighbors’ yards when we are out doing our own yard work.  My husband goes over in the winter and helps to plant their holiday tree and trim it with lights and I’ll occasionally take over hot soup to them for dinners or just check in with the kids to say hello. 

I do this happily, but also with the genuine intent of putting goodness out into the universe that the young neighbors of our elderly grandparents would kindly do the same.  Some would say that’s a selfish reason for my kind actions and not the right reason for helping, but I think I would respectfully disagree.  Rather, I think it’s a positive and hopeful thought.  

“When you are kind to someone, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else. And it'll become like a wildfire.” – Whoopi Goldberg

Below, one of my favorite quotes originally stated by Mahatma Ghandi, and paraphrased here from Pearl Buck.

“Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members.” ~Pearl S. Buck

The real ‘selfish’ part of it is that we do it because it makes us feel so good.   It’s a minimal exertion on our parts, thirty minutes or an hour and the effects are long lasting-  from the ease you’ve added to people’s lives to perhaps more importantly, the example you’re setting for your children watching and learning from your actions, which lights the original match for your own personal wildfire to begin.

My grandmother hurt her knee this week shoveling ice, which I suppose has gotten my mind in this direction today.   I couldn’t figure out why I put so much out there,  kindness hoping to boomerang, - and yet these things still happen. 

I don’t know.   It doesn’t really matter-  it is simply hopeful thoughts for the boomerang.   I do know that it won’t stop how I choose to live. 

I will continue to take the time to simply take some time and hope that others light the matches for their own fires as well.

Scattered thoughts for today anyway….

~K