March Tenth; Days of Difference

My son laughs at me when I get the days mixed up. Since I have no set schedule, it seems that days blend together. A same day, different date thing.  I have a calendar on my desk, so I can keep up with things like appointments, when each bill is due and for my word prompts. I still lose days. The only day that is any different is Sunday when I go to church, but if I stay home to watch the service online, that day blends in as well. 

Once upon a life time ago, for me, there were schedules to keep. Monday began the work week, Wednesday the infamous hump day, Friday that last work day and then of course the weekend. Holidays and vacations? Days to anticipate and get overly excited about. Rewards for having fulfilled so many of those required days of work to provide for yourself and your family and spoil each other with extravagant or not, gifts.

Now, as I adjust still to this freedom from restrictions, I also adjust to the restrictions of finance. There is always a balance to learn. Yet, in truth, learning is not a bad thing. Days, can hold various reasons of importance and memories. March seventh will always be the day my husband went to his heavenly home. The day in January when my son was born. March twenty-seventh, my last day of work.  That day in January when my husband and I were married. (Actual dates deliberately left out)

 We take days, and put a tag on them, marking them. Those are more special than other days, and in a sense they are, but in another sense, they are not. How do we spend out days? On what, do we place importance?

My mantra has and is, be kind. Forced at times to wear face coverings, a smile is difficult to detect if you don’t watch the eyes of others. True smiles, always reach the eyes. This time we are in though, smiles are rare. 

Gentle, polite words go far. An enthusiastic greeting, an honest compliment, a comment of acknowledgement, all go a long way to making someone else’s day brighter. Even if they do not return the words, their heart hears them. 

I once tagged my daily social media posts with the line, be the difference. Often adding, in a world so desperately in need. How much more true that is today. We are in need of a return to sanity and caring for one another and not fearing or hating each other. But how? Other than kind words? 

What if, we decided on this day, to be the difference for those we meet? What if, we spoke to others kindly (that isn’t always easy I admit- but worth it in the end). What if, we opened and held a door for someone? Paid for the meal of person in line behind us? Bought a meal for someone hungry? Got an item for someone who couldn’t reach said item?

 What if, we spent one day, intentionally seeking ways to be the difference for others? Help in a shelter? Help hand out groceries to those in need? Clean out a closest and donate to a place where you know the clothing will go to those in need.

 There are many ways, to be the difference. Even in social distancing, if we put out mind to it, we can devise a way to help others.

It becomes addicting, the feeling you get when you help someone who you know can do nothing for you. when you see the smile on their face, see their step pick up a bit of bounce. Then, one day becomes two, becomes three, becomes many days. Where we show our humanity to humanity and in the process, humanity becomes just a little better.

Humans are similar to flowers in a garden. Given the right conditions and nutrients, they grow and bloom beautifully.