There is a very special pink purse that hangs on my bedpost. It contains only four dollars and some spare change, but to me that little pink purse is priceless because it belonged to my first daughter. The money has been in this purse since she changed her address to Heaven.
Ten years ago, Alisha had just received money for her seventh birthday and she decided to buy some snacks for her friends she would see that evening. So, off she and I went to the local store. Her smile let me know she was pleased with her selection of chips and crackers, so she began her march toward the register. I can still see her with that pink purse belt strapped around her waist, as she skipped and danced her way to the checkout counter. She was so proud to hand the cashier her money and then she carefully put the dollars and odd cents into her purse. And so it remains there ever since.
Spare change has always been an issue with me and I have always liked to have some jingling in my pocket. My wife would prefer to save it and I believe she is right, but it goes against me. I know if I were to put it aside, after a while it would add up, but I struggle to do so. Why? It’s not a good reason; it’s simply the truth because old habits are hard to break.
Recently I have been thinking about my spare change issue and realized that my spare change isn’t life-changing to me, but when added to others or given to someone with far less it becomes significant. It doesn’t matter where you give your spare change to the Ronald McDonald House, the people who ring the bell for the Salvation Army, or other great charities, it is just important to give.
My daughter, Sianna, who is 8, sweetly told me the other night when we were in the car that she just loved the thought of going home. In her sweet voice she almost whispered, “I can’t wait to get home, I just love it there.” My thoughts went to the children who don’t have a home or a family to call their own and I realized that I need to form a new habit and put my spare change aside.
“Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life's blood. But everyone has something to give.” ~ Barbara Bush
Swavel
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Necessary Action
Good things are happening all around us. I believe, we are more naturally inclined to see the negative rather the positive that takes place. Instead of noticing the naughty child in the store, the rude passenger on an airplane, or the man who makes a scene because his lunch order wasn’t exactly how he ordered it, maybe we should be looking for those who are doing the right thing.
Have you ever just been minding your own business and you noticed someone performing above and beyond the call of duty? I have.
This past weekend after a busy day, my family and I stopped to get something to eat at a fast food restaurant. After we sat down, we heard a loud crash and my wife noticed an elderly man spill his tray of food. It took only a moment before a young worker came to help the man, quickly taking care of the spill and seeing to it that he received a fresh tray of food all while treating him with respect. Soon afterward, the worker was quickly back at his job moving from one task to the next. He went from wiping the tables, to sweeping the floors, then to taking out the trash and it was all done with focus and discipline. Moved by his great work ethic, I approached him and told him I appreciated his hard work and noticed what he had done for the gentleman. I got a “Thank you, sir. I really appreciate that.” As I got in my car, I stole a glance inside to see the young man still working, as he waved goodbye to me. He was the type of worker we would all want to employ if we owned a business.
Years ago, my wife and I encountered another kind of worker who saw beyond his “work”. On a Saturday afternoon we were at a bowling alley with our son and began talking to one of the supervisors. We began sharing some of our life stories together and were simply enjoying his company. As we were leaving, he pulled out his wallet and gave us some money. Stunned, we tried to refuse, but he insisted saying it was his “offering,” his way of helping others. He took what he believed was a necessary action. We have never forgotten him or his kindness.
It’s easy to complain, but how often do we take a moment to recognize the good or take action and help make someone else’s load a little lighter.
“Don’t be yourself, be someone a little nicer.” ~ Mignon McLaughlin
Swavel
Have you ever just been minding your own business and you noticed someone performing above and beyond the call of duty? I have.
This past weekend after a busy day, my family and I stopped to get something to eat at a fast food restaurant. After we sat down, we heard a loud crash and my wife noticed an elderly man spill his tray of food. It took only a moment before a young worker came to help the man, quickly taking care of the spill and seeing to it that he received a fresh tray of food all while treating him with respect. Soon afterward, the worker was quickly back at his job moving from one task to the next. He went from wiping the tables, to sweeping the floors, then to taking out the trash and it was all done with focus and discipline. Moved by his great work ethic, I approached him and told him I appreciated his hard work and noticed what he had done for the gentleman. I got a “Thank you, sir. I really appreciate that.” As I got in my car, I stole a glance inside to see the young man still working, as he waved goodbye to me. He was the type of worker we would all want to employ if we owned a business.
Years ago, my wife and I encountered another kind of worker who saw beyond his “work”. On a Saturday afternoon we were at a bowling alley with our son and began talking to one of the supervisors. We began sharing some of our life stories together and were simply enjoying his company. As we were leaving, he pulled out his wallet and gave us some money. Stunned, we tried to refuse, but he insisted saying it was his “offering,” his way of helping others. He took what he believed was a necessary action. We have never forgotten him or his kindness.
It’s easy to complain, but how often do we take a moment to recognize the good or take action and help make someone else’s load a little lighter.
“Don’t be yourself, be someone a little nicer.” ~ Mignon McLaughlin
Swavel
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Reset Factor
In the early eighties, when the Atari game system was all the rage, a high school friend and I would do battle in the tank game. All would be fine unless I got too far ahead, then suddenly the screen would go blank. My friend had hit the reset button. In recent years, another friend suggested I hit the reset button whenever my day would become too overwhelming. When you choose to reset you give yourself a clean slate and an opportunity to succeed.
Tolstoy once wisely said, “Everyone wants to change the world, but no one wants to change himself.” When you choose to keep your attitude the same, your actions will remain the same. The secret is to take the negative and turn it into a positive. Here are some examples from my own life.
It was sometime in 2005, when as an exterminator my wife called me to alert me of an unexpected large dental bill for my youngest daughter. I was frustrated, so I pulled into a convenience store to grab a cup of coffee and regroup. Then, I saw her. There she was a little girl, around the age of ten in a wheelchair. She was sitting at the bus stop smiling while she waited to be picked up. Immediately my anger was replaced with shame when I realized how foolish I had been. If this young girl could accept the circumstances in her life then I just needed to take a deep breath, reset my attitude and move on.
When I was young, around five or so, I had an annoying habit of speaking too quickly which caused my words to be slurred. For years, people believed my name was Andrew not Aaron Drew because of my sloppy speech habits as I threw the two names together. Then in second grade, I had to go to speech therapy classes with a wonderfully kind elderly gentleman named, Mr. Marconi. He taught me to slow down, take a deep breath and then pronounce my words clearly. It was an amazing transformation because I choose to reset and change my bad habits.
Choices; we make them every day and they shape us. Regardless of our situation or circumstances we make decisions. How you survive is based on you. Over 200 years ago, Samuel Johnson said, “Things don’t go wrong so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”
Swavel
Tolstoy once wisely said, “Everyone wants to change the world, but no one wants to change himself.” When you choose to keep your attitude the same, your actions will remain the same. The secret is to take the negative and turn it into a positive. Here are some examples from my own life.
It was sometime in 2005, when as an exterminator my wife called me to alert me of an unexpected large dental bill for my youngest daughter. I was frustrated, so I pulled into a convenience store to grab a cup of coffee and regroup. Then, I saw her. There she was a little girl, around the age of ten in a wheelchair. She was sitting at the bus stop smiling while she waited to be picked up. Immediately my anger was replaced with shame when I realized how foolish I had been. If this young girl could accept the circumstances in her life then I just needed to take a deep breath, reset my attitude and move on.
When I was young, around five or so, I had an annoying habit of speaking too quickly which caused my words to be slurred. For years, people believed my name was Andrew not Aaron Drew because of my sloppy speech habits as I threw the two names together. Then in second grade, I had to go to speech therapy classes with a wonderfully kind elderly gentleman named, Mr. Marconi. He taught me to slow down, take a deep breath and then pronounce my words clearly. It was an amazing transformation because I choose to reset and change my bad habits.
Choices; we make them every day and they shape us. Regardless of our situation or circumstances we make decisions. How you survive is based on you. Over 200 years ago, Samuel Johnson said, “Things don’t go wrong so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”
Swavel
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