My pot of gold....

I recently received a phone call from a friend of mine that I hadn't spoken to in months. It was a very nice surprise. It made me feel special knowing that she had been thinking about me. And I also received a text message from another friend that lives on the other side of the country. In her text she said she just wanted to make sure we were doing well and that we were missed. That just brought a BIG smile to my face. I think it is so sweet to receive unexpected calls, letters, visits or even texts. It is so easy to go about your day and be consumed with work, chores, errands, etc. I find myself thinking about what I am going to do later in the day, later in the week or even in future months. I forget to simply live in the moment. The past couple of years I have attempted to remind myself to really live in the present moment. Sometimes it's easy but sometimes it's easy to forget. I have learned that it is a learning process. So in recent months, when someone pops into my mind I really make an effort to get in contact with them. In this day in age, there really is no excuse to not staying in contact with friends and family. There are so many ways to maintain communication. Sometimes I write a letter telling the person they were in my thoughts that day or I'll send a text just to say hello. Sometimes I'll even make a phone call, which is something I rarely do. But I know that a phone call, especially an unexpected one, can be a nice, thoughtful gesture. Afterall, life is short. I want to make sure that all the people I care about know they are my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

To smile or not to smile....

There's days when I go out to run errands and run into people who just look so grumpy. I give them a smile and sometimes even say hello, but in return I get the evil eye or simply get ignored. At first I would get a little upset. I mean, why am I smiling at these strangers who aren't even going to appreciate a kind gesture? So I then stopped making eye contact with strangers so that I can stop giving my "free smiles" away. But honestly it's tough not to make eye contact with people. And when I really thought about it, my solution to the whole situation was kind of childish. Someone won't smile at me so I won't smile at them was just plain silly and immature. I thought of reasons why people wouldn't smile and thought of so many! They could be stressed, having marital problems, having financial problems, facing a medical issue or dealing with a loss/death, the list goes on and on. At that point I put myself in the shoes of all those strangers and really empathized. It wasn't that they didn't want to smile at me, it was that they couldn't put on a smile with all that was going through their minds. Of course, some people are naturally just grumpy all the time and some are all smiles all the time, but I think everyone deserves a little smile to brighten up their day or to brighten it up even more. I now continue to smile at random strangers, even knowing that I may not get a smile in return. Who knows, maybe that one smile I give could be infectious and give a stranger inspiration to pass it along!

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." -Mark Twain

Being a mommy....

So, I have been a mommy now for 7 months and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I love my little guy and really enjoy watching him grow. It is amazing to see how much he learns everyday. And of course seeing him smile just lights up my day. I have my hands full being a stay-at-home mom and I only have one child. When a difficult day confronts me, I think about how easy I have it compared to single moms who work and go to
school. It is amazing the strength and determination those women have. But I truly understand their drive. A mom only wants what is best for their child or children. People always told me, before I had a child, how wonderful motherhood is, but I never really grasped the connection until I had my little guy. Now I understand it completely. Being a mommy is wonderful, life-changing, exciting, difficult, frustrating, rewarding, and priceless. Seeing this little human being, who is a part of me and who grew inside of me, reminds me how beautiful life is. He is my inspiration to become a better person each and every day.