I'm stressed multiplied by 10. I should not be sitting here pecking away at the keyboard. My house is a disaster, the dirty laundry pile is overflowing up the stairs and my mother-in-law is coming for a visit tomorrow. Needless to say, I will be scrambling to get this house in order in time. (I can read your mind, Roberta, but yes, I do plan on cleaning for you coming so please don't tell me not to bother on your behalf!)
As overwhelmed as I am, I have found a bit of relief this morning. You will probably think I'm crazy, but my happiness is steaming in the mug sitting next to me. Coffee. Not just any coffee, Maxwell House Lite with two sugars and...here it is...peppermint mocha creamer. Oh it is SO good. It is also the inspiration for today's post. It really got me thinking how the little things can make an otherwise chaotic world feel doable.
Sometimes when the people around us do little things, it is a huge reminder that somebody cares. A noontime phone call from your spouse to see how your day is going...it only takes a few minutes, but how nice to know somebody is thinking about you. An unexpected card...a plate of cookies...a bottle of wine. There are so many little things we can do to brighten some body's day.
One of my favorite pick-me-ups is the pictures my children color for me. They LOVE to draw pictures and write me notes. They may not be Picasso, but when I look at their artwork I don't need to see perfection, I see love. Inside the lines, outside the lines, misspelled words...I love it no matter what! I don't think this is true of just my kids' artwork. People don't care if you are perfect as long as they know you care.
I have a homework assignment that I hope you will all take the time to think about and do. What little thing can you do for somebody to make a big difference in their day? We don't always get to see the fruit of our labor, but that isn't why we do it anyway!
I thought this was a great quote to keep in mind as you think about what you can do for somebody in your life!
"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." ~ Kahlil Gibran
I like this one myself: "Be an opener of doors." And I love the line: "People don't care if you are perfect as long as they know you care." How true. I get one of those moments the other day with Nicholas. He was asking me about all the paperwork that was spread across the kitchen table for a project I am working on with Bill. I told him I was trying to help a boy who was blamed for setting a fire -- to help tell his side of the story. He thought for a second and then said, "Wow, Aunt Mandy. And you aren't even that much of a super hero." Love him. Made my week.
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