Apr. 17: Spreading more joy

Wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity for kindness and to make a difference.

I wrote the other day about spreading joy to others. In light of the bombing in Boston this week, I’m feeling even more that spreading joy needs to become a much bigger focus of my life. I’ve found a gazillion web sites dedicated to this, and I’ll share just a few of the ideas that I think could be totally do-able for me.

• Smile at people. I have no problem making eye contact and smiling at strangers, but when I’m on the receiving end of a stranger’s smile I sometimes feel kinda creeped out. Proceed with caution—that’s all I’m saying.
• Give genuine compliments
• Be thoughtful
• Donate to worthy causes that align with your values. This is more of a good deed thing than spreading joy—it is to me, anyway; I think of spreading joy as being more immediate and personal than making a donation to Goodwill or American Cancer Society. Still, donating is good good good.
• Give a handwritten note of encouragement or appreciation
• Pick flowers from your garden and give them away
• Seek out a store manager and let them know when a clerk has been particularly helpful
• Comment on a blog. Facebook comments are delightful to receive, but the ones left directly on the blog are really special.
• Let your kids pick out your clothes for work one day (yikes!)
• Invite a friend out for coffee
• Text a friend you haven’t contacted in a while, just to let them know they’re on your mind
• Surprise your spouse and kids with a COOKED breakfast on a busy weekday
• Write a note to your kids to tell them you’re proud they belong to you
• Help your kids spread joy too!
• Make up “care bags” and give them to homeless people (fill a large Zip-loc bag with things like a bar of soap, shampoo, sunscreen, toothbrush, flossers, toothpaste, razor, comb, Band-aids, Chapstick, emery boards, hand sanitizer, deodorant, pack of wet wipes, Kleenex, gum, mints, nuts, energy bars, socks)
• “Like” a small business on Facebook
• Leave a dollar in a library book
• Put a birdfeeder on the ground, just for the squirrels (I bet they’ll be suspicious)
• Tape change to a vending machine
• Tip 100%
• Hand out free popsicles to the neighborhood kids

The best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving with passion and compassion and humor and style and generosity and kindness. ~Maya Angelou

Now, go be nice. Let’s make the goodness in the world bigger than the evil.

Dec. 14: We did it.

I’m trying to work on 4,295 Christmas-y things that have overdue deadlines right now, and I’m doing every one of them inefficiently, but I just have to stop all the important stuff for a minute and share the AMAZING NEWS I got today!

My cancer is, according to Dr. O, in “complete remission.”

Yuh-huh, you read that right. COMPLETE REMISSION.

Let’s say that again. Big.

COMPLETE REMISSION.

This means there is no sign of cancer in my body. There’s junk where OJ once was, but it didn’t light up on my PET scan so they’re assuming it’s scar tissue or something and I don’t really care, as long as it’s not cancer.

We did it, guys. We kicked cancer’s ass and we kicked it HARD. I don’t want to get all drippy and blotchy-faced and boohoo-y, but I’m quite sure that you played as big a part in this fight as I did, and I am so grateful to you all that I almost feel like I should do a Thanksgiving post again. What did I do to deserve you people? I can’t imagine. Maybe in a previous life I was a good person.

I’ve said many times before that I believe people’s true selves come out in times of crisis. In the past year, my family members have behaved in predictable ways—most were willing to be right where I needed them. My friends, however, surprised me constantly and repeatedly through the past year with their love and concern and gifts and visits and cheerleadering and fondue dates. Even my friend’s friends, people I’ve never met in person, showed tremendous concern. There’s so much good in this world. There’s so much good in some people’s hearts. I like being reminded of that. If there’s one unexpected thing that really stands out when I look back on this rotten year, it’s how many times my heart was warmed by kind words and gestures. Ah, loveliness.

I kinda like being here, and I’d like to stay, thanks. So as I look ahead to my newly cancer-free existence, can I be bold and ask for one more thing? Can y’all make other stuff happen? Like, less cancer and more things that… well… aren’t cancer? They don’t have to be all good things—just real life minus the death and threats of death. And don’t take cues from Loveliest Lori—she is sooo not on the right track.

I’ll have more to say about all this later, but for now, I just wanted to quickly share the news. Hooray!

Jan. 22: Only 24% evil???

Ah, man. And I try so hard!





Chris, you gotta try this on your blog... I'll be waiting for the results.