Category Archives: kindness
Thank You, Eddie
In the early 80s, I worked for an Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center. The work we did was mostly physical therapy, speech therapy, and vocational rehabilitation. It was in the north end of Hartford, Connecticut – one of the poorest sections of Hartford. I was glad we were there, even if it was not the best …
Helping Out
Have you ever gotten one of those emails from Amazon, asking you to help answer a question? One that says something like: “A customer has asked a question about a product that you have purchased in the past. Can you help this person with an answer?” I’ve been asked about the fragrance of a face …
How My Father Retired
In the middle of October, my thoughts naturally return to my father. His birthday is in a few days. He would be 95. He died at 88, and so he had a good, long, and happy life. I don’t think he had too many regrets. He worked hard. He was honest. He was unceasingly cheerful. …
More Advice – And Why You Can Ignore It
I give lots and lots of advice. Just as if I know what the hell I’m talking about. I don’t have any qualifications for all this advice – except that I’m intelligent, good-hearted – and old. Old people are allowed to give advice, because they have so much experience. Of course, in my case, I’m …
Advice – The Good, The Bad, The Terrible
Over my many years, I’ve received lots of advice. Overwhelmingly, it’s been good advice. Like from my mother: “If you have to choose between getting a chore done and having fun, pick the fun. Years later, you won’t remember how many chores were done late, just how much fun you had.” And from my father: …
Just Wipe It Off
Isn’t wonderful how our loved ones are completely perfect? Just kidding. My loved ones drive me crazy. A single friend once told me she admires the way I so generously accept my husband’s faults. I laughed really hard at that one. I don’t accept his faults. They really irk me. (I love the word ‘irk’, …
We Are All Brave
As I watch the scenes from the Texas floods, I am overcome with awe for the bravery I see. People heading TOWARDS disaster, not away, in order to save others. I watch the confirmation that all Life is precious, especially as I watched one woman working with others to save baby bats from the rising …
Shame
I am ashamed of myself. Oh, I was often ashamed of myself as a kid. Mostly ashamed if I had been naughty. And when I was naughty, I would sometimes attempt (with no success) to lie my way out of it. And so then I would be doubly ashamed. Ashamed I had misbehaved and ashamed …
Feeling All Of It
This week a friend posted the following quote on her Facebook page: And I thought – Yeah! That’s Me! That’s Totally Me! And I started to reflect on all those decisions I made that were difficult, but were best for me. Like dropping out of school years ago (I did go back later), changing jobs, …
notquiteold 