Last week I was sitting on the couch at the end of a long day when suddenly one of my sweet sons dropped a folded up piece of paper into my lap and walked away. I often get hand-drawn “presents” from my youngest son, but this was from one of my oldest sons and it was a surprise. I opened it not knowing what to expect. This is what I saw:
“There is someone that cares.”
I couldn’t help but smile at this thoughtful boy’s note and I sought him out to thank him for his super kind note.
There is someone who cares. Isn’t that something we all need to hear sometimes? Just seeing those sweet words on a sheet of paper reminded me that I am not alone in all of this. So often we feel alone, don’t we? We feel like no one is aware of our circumstances and no one cares. When those feelings come on, please remember that there really is someone who cares.
No man—or woman—is an island! Keeping with the geography theme and using the US as an example (since it is the geography with which I am most familiar), I find that I often feel more like Florida than Kansas. How about you?
I recently led a discussion with an awesome group of women where we talked about service. Before the day of our discussion, I had sent out an anonymous survey to this group of women asking them about ways they have helped others by serving them as well as ways others have helped them through service. The results were eye opening. Here are a few ways these women said they would like people to serve them:
Seeing their responses really opened my eyes. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with all that is going on in my life and I feel like I have nothing left to offer another living soul. Seeing these simple responses helped me to realize that I can offer a kind word or smile to a stranger at the grocery story or send a quick text message to a friend who comes to mind. I don’t have to cook her a fancy meal or plan some elaborate get-together. I can invite someone with kids to come play with my kids. I can LISTEN (it is my “One Little Word“…)!
Doing these small, yet meaningful services help to remind those around us that there really is someone out there who cares.
Putting the needs and wants of others ahead of ourselves is often discouraged in countless modern-day articles and speeches. We do need time to charge our own batteries–I get it. But remember balance. Remember that we are in a constant state of flux and true joy comes to our lives as we bring joy to the lives of others. The world would be a happier place if every one of us made the conscious effort to help someone today. Are you in? If so, share what you will do or what you did in the comments below.
I just watched a show on TV that talked about the internet and all the technology we have was invented that we would be more connected, when in fact we are separating ourselves more with the technology. It’s so true. We can be in the same room with people, even family, yet be so involved in whats new on our Facebook news feed!
So glad to have yet another reminder to connect with people. We aren’t alone in this crazy world. I’ve begun to be more present. Not just in conversation but to those people around me. It’s amazing the opportunities you will get to help someone out just by observing more.
Yeah! Being more present is a huge gift to everyone around you! Thanks for making the world a better place, Hilary!