Kindness Reminders

I was (past tense I hope!) the worst at not paying attention to the person to whom I was engaged in doing business with...clerk, teller, service person, etc. Answering questions with a barely audible "yes please" or "no thank you" without looking directly into their faces. Eyes were usually directed down into my purse as I scrambled for the right card or ink pen, towards a clock on the wall or wrist watch, or embarrassingly starring off into space while contemplating dinner plans or something clearly more important, or so it seemed. This wasn't done from a place of superiority, I'd rather blame my lack of attentiveness on the fact that I've always been a bit of a social dork. You know the type, painfully shy beyond reason.

Melissa of Operation Nice is up to her same ol' shenanigans, in a NICE way of course. She is participating in a nice-blogging-supergroup called RAOKA, Random Acts of Kick Arse. The participants perform a positive act each month according to a theme. How each player interprets and follows through is the interesting part. She is asking for help coming up with creative ways to demonstrate each theme. This month the theme is KINDNESS. She is taking suggestions in the comments section of her blog post and is looking for 10 fresh ideas to exhibit kindness.

I don't allow my son to say "sucks" as in "such and such sucks". It just sounds so crude. But I still giggle at the bumper sticker MEAN PEOPLE SUCK with the smiley face sticking out his tongue every time I see it. Good humor! Of course, my kid was eager to call the hypocrisy to my attention. So I found this version online that reads a little nicer... sort of.

I was totally unaware of the problems facing young adults who are aging out of the foster care system. Did you know nearly half of foster kids in the U.S. become homeless when they turn 18? They are often not prepared for adulthood and lack the support and resources to aid them.

Well a friend, Pat Howe, enlightened me on the issue. He is the Executive Director of Good Works Ministries, a non-profit organization that was formed to help young adults in the transitioning from the foster care system to independent living.

A customer emailed me this morning with a great question. She asked what type of metal was used in the String-Ring and if it was hypo-allergenic.

The first question is easy enough. String-Ring is sterling silver. That means it is made up of 92.5% pure silver (.925) mixed with copper to achieve a hardness and stability level that will hold its shape and resist wear and tear. Click Read more...

I've got a new hero today. Her name is Jane Devin. She shares my sentiments when it comes to hate speech. So she has used the social networking service, Twitter, to spread the message that today, Oct. 6th, we could have a one-day moratorium on hostile speech. Because writing is not my forte, I'd like to share what she has written in her blog about today's intention: http://janedevin.com/

Most of us, regardless of how we check our ballots, want healthy kids, good opportunities, decent jobs, and safe communities — we want more of the good things in life and less of the bad.

Along with several other Twitterers, I wondered if we could have one day where we don’t sit at separate tables and toss spitballs at each other. Maybe it’s a bit idealistic, but perhaps those of us who are interested can just pledge one day where we don’t engage in or respond to the vitriol, but instead concentrate on what we have in common, what we are grateful for, and what we appreciate.

This morning I went for a jog with my Labrador by my side. As we paused at a crosswalk, making sure the driver knew to yield (many don't), I thought I saw a hand wave us through. However, the tinted window on the car made it difficult to see from the outside looking in. As we proceeded the driver started honking his horn. I assumed that I had misunderstood his gesture and he wanted us to hurry and get out of the way. Rushing to get passed, thinking to myself, "what a jacka.. driver!", I looked back across the street and realized he was telling me that my dog had dropped the doggie toy he had clenched in his mouth! Thank you anonymous driver and Samurai Jack thanks you too! He loves that toy more than Linus loves his blanket.

Is it just me or does it feel like community philanthropy is growing? Or maybe people are simply getting more creative, investing their talents in specific charitable causes. Everywhere I look someone is pledging to give a percentage of company sales to a charity, hosting charitable fundraisers and creating non-profit organizations. The Blogosphere is packed with charitable blogs and thoughts. And more than ever, the "beautiful people" (celebrities) are getting on-board. I think we are seeing a shift in global tolerance and empathy. At least I hope so. As my lovely cyber friend Karen Au states, "We've lit the candle in our own corners of the globe, and the light is spreading around the world!" click Read more below

I just returned from visiting my family in Oklahoma and wanted to share an amazing experience I had while attending church service with my sister. The topic this Sunday morning was on Giving. NOT giving what you want but what is asked. NOT giving with expectations of something in return. NOT giving begrudgingly but with a kind heart. NOT giving to be exalted by our "sacrifice". ...click the green read more...

You've probably heard about the 14-year-old from Cisco, Texas that died Sunday from the H1N1 virus. What really touched me was her stepfather's comment on the Early Show this morning when he said, "We are sharing this (the interview during their time of grief) to warn parents about the potentially deadly virus because Chloe would have wanted it that way. That is the kind of person she was. Always looking out for others."

My 12-year-old was diagnosed Monday with the H1N1 after complaining of the same ailments as Chloe - extremely high fever with chills, body aches, vomiting etc. - and is now on Tamiflu. It struck me that this could have easily been any parents situation during this heavy flu season and my heart goes out to this family who felt the need to warn the rest of us in the midst of their tragedy. My thoughts are with the Osborne family.

Hear their heart-wrenching story http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5352442n&tag=api