Paying it Forward (and Backward) (and Every Direction)

This morning I decided to stop at Starbucks. It was mid-morning, so there were only three cars: Car #1 was at the window, Car #2 (a police car) was next, and then Car #3 (me).

As Car #1 drove away I wished I could have been IN FRONT of the police car because I would have paid for his order to show a little appreciation for those who go out of their way to help others in crisis.

When Car #2 (the police car) drove away I pulled up to the window.

"There's no charge," said the Starbucks employee. "The friendly police officer paid for your order. The car in front paid for his, so he wanted to pay for yours. It's a happy day."

How about that? Three complete strangers in a Starbucks drive-thru had the SAME EXACT THOUGHT to do something kind for a stranger. 

Despite everything going on lately, there is hope. 

A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, 

and the roots spring up and make new trees. 

~Amelia Earhart

Be kind whenever possible.

It is always possible.

Dalai Lama

Vacation Quotes: The Things We Say

We just returned from a family vacation on St. Simons Island (our first time) where we rented "a compound" which comprised of three houses (the Big House, a medium house, and a small beach cottage), a pool, a beach volleyball court, and a small playground. It was the perfect setup for four families (16 people) and the perfect opportunity to record the funny things people said ...

"They come in through the tiniest openings, but when you open the window and door to let them out they get all confused." ~Timothy, while attempting to shoo an insect out of the car

"I'm going to build a desert temple." ~our nephew, which made us all laugh because he didn't say "sand castle" but "desert temple"; he really, really likes Minecraft 

"You need assertiveness training!" my sister-in-law to me during Trivial Pursuit, after the 4th time I allowed my teammates talk me out of a correct answer which resulted in us giving the WRONG answer  

"My butt is inflated." ~the youngest in the group who had an air pocket trapped in the seat of his swim trunks while swimming in the pool

"I love you. You're the best. What's for dessert?" ~another nephew, trying to sweet-talk his way into a treat

"You know, you're actually pretty good." ~Timothy to me, after we played a rousing game of beach volleyball; his attempt to NOT sound so surprised by this fact was unsuccessful.

"There's a giant turtle in the pool!" ~the nephews, and there was

"Okay. I need my reading glasses." ~Nonno, after the third round of Catch Phrase when he kept getting caught by the buzzer because he took too long to read the word prompt

"Zoom, zoom." ~Nonna, the sound effect she makes for EVERYTHING during Catch Phrase

"What time is dinner?" ~everyone, every night

"There's a shark!" ~my sister, standing in knee-deep water; and she wasn't kidding

Family Beach Vacation: St. Simons Island

Nonno playing bocce with three of his grandsons

What I love: Little Free Libraries, crashing waves,

lighthouses, oceanside wildflowers

What I love: giant oak trees and churches with steeples

and peekaboo holes in ancient stone walls. 

What I love: spirit trees, beach sunsets, gnarly oak trees,

and pathways of tiny pebbles that take you to magical places.

Una passeggiata con le parole

passeggiata: a stroll/walk     parole: words

Speak to Me Sunday: TruthandLove

A few months ago we attended Mass at St. James Catholic Church in Madison, Georgia.

The church was tiny, with maybe 75 parishioners in attendance, most of them retired. Timothy was the youngest one there, and Joe and I might have been, too.

But the priest from that tiny church packed quite a punch with his homily on truth and love. Before his homily I thought of truth and love as two separate concepts, but now I see how important it is to live them as one -- truthandlove. While he spoke within the context of our faith, I think his words hold meaning to all areas of our life, whether we're in school, work, home, the sports arena, or even the political one.

Here are some quotes from his homily, and I love how there is an underlying theme of balance and moderation ...

"Christ calls us to live in truth and love. Not truth or love. Not truth over here and love over there. But truth and love. Together. Like the vine and the branches."

"Those who live truth to the extreme point fingers at others and accuse them of being wrong or tell them they're going to hell. This isn't love."

"Those who live love to the extreme keep the truth buried. They embrace the idea -- popular in today's society -- that love means getting along and doing or saying anything to keep everyone happy. They become afraid to speak the truth for fear of offending anyone. This isn't truth."

"Although it will cause a reaction, both good and bad, practice truth and love as one -- love the truth, but live it with love."

truthandlove

The Un-Finished Sentence

Too often I have heard people say, “We live in a great country; it’s not perfect, but …”

And they leave it at that. An unfinished sentence.

But what? It’s not perfect, but we just ignore that un-perfect part? But we choose not to acknowledge certain issues? But it’s not happening to me so it’s not important?

It’s not perfect, but what can you do?

Then, some people become defensive, offended even, when the imperfect parts are brought to the forefront.

Well, there is so much in our perfect world, our perfect country, our perfect city, and our perfect neighborhoods that is imperfect.

Pope Francis has said he prefers a Church which is bruised and dirty from having been out on the streets; that we need to come out of our comfort zones – leave our schools, churches and homes – and go out to confront illness, poverty, racism, ignorance, injustice; in other words, all those elements of humanity which are messy. All those things which make people not experiencing them, uncomfortable. Offended, even.

But how—from the comforts of our schools, our churches, and our homes—can we address all these things? 

It is not so hard; as with most things, it begins by standing on what is good, opening our eyes to the not so good, and making changes right here in our schools, our churches and our homes. And during the process—by making it about others and not about us—in big matters and in small, in political arenas and in sporting ones, the good has the potential to become even better.

So, fill in the blank with whatever is your circumstance (city, school, church, home, family, government) and finish the sentence: It’s a great country; it’s not perfect, but … but there’s room for improvement; but we need to make some changes; but we can be better. 

Finish the sentence. And it starts from there.

The 4-ingredient Dessert

In the midst of these confusing times, let me offer you a little simplicity. Turn off the television, close that laptop, and go sit on your back deck or front porch with a slice of Lemonade Ice Cream Pie. Just four basic ingredients for a perfect blending of not too tart and not too sweet. An uncomplicated treat for this topsy turvy world. 

You're welcome ;-)

LEMONADE ICE CREAM PIE (makes 2 pies)

Two 6-oz ready-made pie crusts, graham cracker or shortbread

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

1 can (12 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 tub (16 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Place crusts in freezer.
2. Put softened ice cream, lemonade concentrate, and 3/4 of the whipped topping into a large bowl. Stir until blended.
3. Spread mixture in each pie crust.
4. Top each with remaining whipped topping.
5. Cover and place in freezer.

*garnish with fresh blueberries and/or sliced strawberries.

A Holistic View: The Good, Bad, Beautiful, and Ugly

It may seem paradoxical (maybe even comical) to be reading The Book of Joy during a global pandemic. And racial unrest. And political divide. And ... I could go on. Where is the joy? 

But then I read the following quote from Archbishop Desmond Tutu. 

"It is also good to recognize--speaking from our struggle against apartheid--how incredibly noble people are. You know human beings are basically good. You know that's where we have to start. That everything else is an aberration ...the fundamental thing about humanity, about humankind, about people, is that they are good, they were made for good, and they really want to be good."

He went on to say that we must keep a more holistic view. Yes, terrible things happen; yes, there is so much doom and gloom. But we must have a sense of proportion and a wider perspective. This doesn't mean sugar-coating events or looking at the world through rose-colored glasses; instead, we must look with honest eyes at the whole. 

And in doing so, we won't feel despair but hope. NOT optimism (which depends on feelings) but HOPE (which is based on the firm ground of conviction).

As I am typing this, I am trying to think of ways to apply the Archbishop's quote on a practical level--to right here and now while I enjoy my morning cappuccino. What can I do? Like the Archbishop, I fundamentally believe that people are good, were made for good, and really want to be good. But I also acknowledge that the goodness can sometimes be hard to see. 

Then I read another quote from the Archbisop: Despair turns us inward. Hope sends us into the arms of others.

So that's where I will start. With hope. Out in the world. To stand in the face of the bad, but celebrate the good; to witness the ugly, but bring forth the beautiful.

To open my eyes and see the world holistically and honestly, and still choose hope. 

To choose hope is to step firmly forward 

into the howling wind,  

baring one's chest to the elements, 

knowing that, in time, 

the storm will pass. 

 

~Archbishop Desmond Tutu

The Book of Joy