Give a Little, Live a Lot, 4 Grandma’s Sake

I’m thrilled to bring you yet another gueSTARtist post from a good “friend” of mine…

Actually “friend” is an interesting word here. I certainly feel friendliness for Rob, manly respect and love too. But how and why Rob and I are now connected, I can’t really say. Maybe, it is birds-of-a-feather, maybe it is fate, maybe God brought us into this unique relationship. Either way, it’s been a great benefit to myself, and I’ll speak for him too, Rob would agree 🙂

So Monday mornings at 7:30 am, over a cup of coffee at Mickey D’s, Rob and I converse. From the beginning, we’ve strayed away from idle chatter, whining and “story-telling”. In fact, it’s sometimes a challenge. We’ve become accountability partners. We share our struggles, and keep each other in check. We set important weekly goals and pay a price if they’re not met. It’s a neat thing. I call it Coffee Coaching, and it’s a mutual benefit. Anyway, I’m blessed to be learning and be being taught by today’s gueSTARtist, Rob.

As I ponder the “U turn” of weirdforgood, I carefully consider… What took place in my life that has had lasting impact and change?

It was 1992 and it involved my Grandma Meyer, Betty Meyer, to everyone else.  Grandma passed a few years back but I still have fond memories of her.  Grandma was a midwife in Rantoul, KS and likely delivered as many children as the local doctor.  She not only loved people, but also animals.  Even the mean black cats that scratch you and bite you, but I’m not bitter, I healed.

As for me I was a 15 year old teenager who, like most teenagers knew everything and pretty much lived for me.  I would go visit grandma from time to time but as I got older, there was less need for her input, or so I thought.

So this is a blog with Grandma knowledge; please, for her,  listen carefully.

Grandma, who can take liberties with the law, if it is done for good reason, plagiarized a poem into her own handwriting and gave it to me.  Though I can’t find the true author of the poem, it reads as follows:

Is anybody happier because you passed this way?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to them today?
The day is almost over, and its’ toiling time is through.
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?

Can you say tonight in parting with the day that’s slipping fast,
That you helped a single person of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said?
Does one whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?

Did you waste the day or use it? Was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail of kindness, or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think that God will say:
“You have earned one more tomorrow by what you did today.”

Like many poems, you can read through it once and say, “That was nice.”, but I have read it over and over again, unfolding, reading and then refolding the white piece of notebook paper.

Daily I have the opportunity to reflect on this poem and believe that some how and in some way I can change someone’s day.  In doing this, I am able to affect so many others.  I am a believer in paying it forward and as God blesses me everyday, I must continue pouring out blessings to allow them to flow beyond myself.

Those involved in particular churches often refer to each other as brother and sister.  These are those who recognize that we are of one family and should work together to make life better for all.

It doesn’t take hours of volunteering or thousands of dollars in cash.  It doesn’t mean only helping those who have less than you.   It means you have the power to brighten humanity.

Live a CONSCIOUS life.  Do not only be aware of your day and what is happening in your life, but also pay attention to those around you and better their lives as well.

I guess some would now post some grand deed they did for others, but that would lessen the deed as a whole.  One might ask, “Why help others when I have so many needs myself?”  It has been shown that when one does good deeds for others, the giving person actually receives more fulfillment and happiness than those who received.  Also, there is no need to share what you have done.  It fills your heart and will be there for your reflection.

We say that we are busy people.  I know I have more car projects than I know what to do with.  I work 2 jobs.  I play pool league 1 night a week, a self-development meeting another night. So who really has time to “make a difference”?  WE ALL DO!

Opportunities to make a difference come in all shapes and sizes.  Smile! Wave! Get the door for someone!  Let someone go ahead of you in line!  Leave some quarters at the car wash for the next person!  There are thousands of things we can do, but some opportunities will be uniquely yours.  Take advantage of them.

Contemplate Grandma’s poem each morning and every night in this week to come.  When you are given the opportunity to be a ray of sunshine for someone else, please do so.  I don’t ask that you post what you did for someone else, but rather just an anonymous tally mark in response to this blog.

The End….

Well, I thought it was the end!

This blog was supposed to have been emailed to Aaron yesterday, but I completely forgot about it and didn’t get it to him.  Tonight I understand why.

Today while at work I walked passed a gentleman, who I am guessing to have been a security guard.  He was sitting in a very large exhibit hall with events preparing in the exhibit halls to each side of him.  His area however was empty except a few moving vans and trucks and trailers.  He sat there in his khakis pants, his dress shirt and his orange work vest.

As I walked by I asked him, “How are you doing today?”  He replied, “Good, how about you?”  I replied “Doing well.” That was all the normal part, but what happened next is why I remember this man from today, his clothes, his look, even his tone of voice. He said, with much appreciation in his words, “Thank you for asking how I was doing.”

Obviously this man had been overlooked most of the day by people who were “too busy” or perceived him as unimportant.

When was the last time someone truly appreciated being asked how their day was?  We so often, say “Thanks for asking.”, but when do we really mean it?  Though I know he was appreciative of me asking him, right now I am appreciative of being genuinely thanked and will recognize the importance of speaking to others even more.  We never know the impact we might have.  Now, that… is the end.

Sincerely,

Rob


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