An Especially Nice Day

 Yesterday was outstanding.  Mother Nature has been on her best behavior lately and I, for one, really appreciate it.

This post isn't about the weather though.  I experienced two really nice gestures yesterday and wanted to relay the feeling I got from both.

Since moving to Holland I have become a regular at the nearby Meijer.  I know the first names of a handful of staff there and enjoy interacting with these people frequently.

Yesterday I was looking for some oven spray and couldn't find it.  I know the joint by heart so I knew which aisle to head for but didn't see it anywhere.  I finally gave up but on my way toward checking out I saw a young man by the name of Ron.  I called to him and asked if he knew where the oven spray might be.  He lead me right to it - only 4 rows away.  I'd been there twice and didn't see it so I was pretty sure Ron was going to be as unsuccessful as I was but, no.  There it was!  I thanked him profusely and started my departure.  

I realized we were walking side by side and then I noticed he had two bags of chips in his hand and he turned into the self-check area. 

HE WASN'T EVEN WORKING!  IT WAS HIS DAY OFF!

He could have just told me the aisle number and left it at that but he WALKED ME THERE!

Warm and fuzzy feeling #2:

A neighbor down the street has recently moved to a memory care unit so I wanted to chat with his wife and see how she was doing with this recent change. As we were winding down the visit she said she had something for me.  She knew we were Buddhist practitioners and wanted us to have a statue of Buddha that she had on one of her shelves.  She also had a mala and a metal pendant with my favorite chant on it.
I visited a neighbor/friend to offer moral support and left with gifts.

I didn't realize how much I  needed to be reminded that most people are good.  

There are thoughtful, giving hearts out there.

Where Have I Been???

 So my last blog was in 2024.  I haven't posted since then because, I guess, I've put most of my thoughts into Facebook.

But today I heard something on NPR's  The Moth that got me thinking.  Too much thinking for a FB entry.

I heard the last 2 minutes of a man talking about being left out as a kid.  The story must have been pretty gut wrenching because I had tears in my eyes and I hadn't even heard the whole thing.

What got me thinking/reflecting was that I could not relate. I simply couldn't bring up one memory in my young or old life of being left out.  

I felt full of gratitude while listening with a side of guilt.  

When I was a kid I was never aware of what the other kids had and what they didn't have.  Does that make me entitled?

I had 2 parents.  We had 2 cars and a cleaning lady.  We went on vacations (nothing fancy but vacations) together.  

I got a new winter coat every other year.  That's how I remembered it, anyway.

We had dinner together every night.  We had plenty o'food in the house.  Didn't everyone?

I never heard my parents fight.  They probably did but I didn't hear it. 

No one took a belt to my backside.  I honestly don't remember ever being punished for anything.  I sure wasn't an angle either.

I know, I know.  It was a different time back in the 50s and 60s.  But, was it?  

I didn't know to reach out.  I didn't know about the whole compassion/generosity thing.  I just skipped through life enjoying the hell out of every day.

Even today as an almost 77 year old thinking back on my life I feel sad that I was so unaware.

Today at temple I talked about being on the "polar opposite roller coaster" this week.  One minute I felt joy and love as I watched the Buddhist Monks walk for peace.  I felt hopeful when I saw all the people lining the streets.  

And then . . . Minneapolis happened.  I felt outrage and dark despair.

Was I better off as a innocent unaware kid back in the day?