Shout out time!

I'd like to dedicate this space to Ellen  She is my 2nd cousin, once removed (?) or something like that.  However the relation, she is family.

Ellen surprised me one day, not too long ago and sent a little treat in the mail.  Actually, this is the 2nd time Ellen surprised me by sending me an unexpected package.  The first was when she received an extra copy of Elizabeth Hasselbeck's Gluten Free cookbook and thought of me.  I know Ellen more from her Facebook posts than anything else and was tickled pink that she went to the trouble to mail me the cookbook.  It was a very sweet gesture.

But that's not all and this latest surprise in the mail from Ellen has been a real treat -- both for me and for Ian.  Ellen had read on my blog about putting notes in Ian's lunch and encouraged me to never stop.  She wrote and said that even though her kids are teenagers, she is still writing notes and leaving it for them to find.  In the envelope sent to me were a package of printed lunch box notes.  And not just mushy "I love you notes" (like the kind I was writing and embarrassing Ian with), but really, really cool ones. There were 25 of these notes in various colors.

On one side of the card is a sweet note: "Thanks for being honest", "Your smile brightens my day", "I love your creativity", "Your thoughts and opinions matter to me.", "Treat people the way you want to be treated", etc.

Then, on the other side of the card is a fun trivia fact:  "Did you know?  It is believed that a snail can sleep for up to 3 years."  "Did you know?  Just like finger prints, each person has a unique tongue print."  "Did you know?  That girls blink nearly twice as often as boys."  "Did you know?  To escape the grip of a crocodile's jaws, push your thumb into its eyeballs.", etc.

Without letting Ian know I had a new supply of lunch box notes, I put one in his lunch.  I picked this one.  "My favorite job is taking care of you."  And on the other side, "Did you know?  Wrigley Field did not have lights until 1988."

After school, Ian ran into the house and asked, "IS THAT TRUE!?!?!  You know about Wrigley Field?" 

Me:  Oh, Ian.... you saw the note I put in your lunch?

Ian:  Yes, I LOVED IT!  You can do that again.  Like every day.  That was cool.

A big hug and kiss to Ellen.  Your kindness is very much appreciated.  I know that you've been spending many, many hours volunteering to help the people affected by Hurricane Sandy get back on their feet.  The state of New Jersey is very lucky to have you on their side.

It was incredibly sweet of you to think of me and send these notes our way.  Ian and I thank you very much!  I am a big believer in karma and I know something amazing is going to happen for all the good you do and continue to do.  You rock!

'Tis the season to be good

My December New Year's Resolution experiment was to do a random act of kindness every day.  I am still in the midst of completing this challenge and officially have 1 more week to go, but I want to report on my progress. 

I discovered something unexpected in this month's challenge.  Looking to do good, make other people's lives a little easier and generally be helpful made me a much happier person.  It put me in a great mood all day long!  And, I was much less to anger, get frustrated or experience road rage.

There is this gas station that I love to go to.  Hands down, they have the best price; I'm talking like a good .16 cents less a gallon then gas stations that are even a 1/2 mile down the road.  However, this gas station is not my secret alone and everyone goes there to get gas.  No matter what time of the day, the pumps are packed and there is usually a line 3 or 4 cars deep waiting to get gas.  Unfortunately, there is no correct way the cars should be pointing.  You can approach the pump in either direction and the next thing you know, you've got cars coming at you from all over.  It is a nightmare.  This past month, I had stopped to fill up my car 3 times and was ready to do battle and secure my spot.  I was determined to not give in.  Then I remembered my challenge for the month, took a deep breath, and didn't go anywhere fast.  Knowing I wasn't going to get upset by the gas station scene somehow made it all the more bearable.  Then I threw in my 'holiday spirit' and actually allowed cars to get in front of me that were otherwise stuck.  This is pretty much unheard of for me.  :)

Other things I did that changed my mood around was helping "a little old lady" as she referred to herself, find a table cloth to match the place mats she picked out.  She wasn't sure what would go best with her Christmas plaid and the next thing you know, I am helping her shop.  I found one I thought would be perfect, pulled it out of the package, put it on the floor and took her place mats to sit on top.  We both agreed, it looked great.  Then I found  the size she needed and folded the table cloth back into the package and put the original back on the shelf.  Considering this was happening at the mall, the last Saturday before Christmas, it was pretty chaotic.  But after helping her, I then proceeded to let a different lady behind me in line at the register go before me because she only had one item and a toddler with her.  I know how that goes having to shop with your children, and I wanted her to have the opportunity to get out of the store as soon as possible.  My good mood was contagious and I had this need to change everyone's day for the better.

And the icing on the cake of doing random acts of kindness was getting matched with 2 families for the holidays.  One needed help with food, and the other needed help with gifts.  It was an amazing feeling going out and getting their needs taken care of.  My Toppall team and I have more than we'll ever need and to be able to help those less fortunate is really what this is all about.

There were so many other things I did throughout the month.  Whether or not they were even noticed or appreciated is inconsequential.  It made me feel better doing something good.  I'd get this little pep in my step, a smile on my face and my day was humming along. 

I am not sure if this is karma, but I found many instances of people doing acts of kindness back at me.  From the manager at Let's Dish who called to say she'll dish all my meals for me for free (after not having been there for an entire year!), to my friend Stefanie who took Ian for the morning while I had a doctors appointment.  Not only did she pick him up from my house, but also fed him lunch too, as I hadn't given that any thought to when it would occur before he had to go to kindergarten. Then there was my neighbor across the street who helped me unpack my car from my trip to Costco, Wegmans and the mall.   I felt like every day I was projecting this giving energy and it was coming right back at me like a boomerang. 

I feel like I am normally a kind person, but I definitely took it up a notch this past month.  It is the most wonderful time of the year!