Day 31

It is my parents 28th wedding anniversary today. I want to dedicate today's entry to them. They have been the most loving and supportive parents I could ask for. Even though we might not see eye to eye and we agree to disagree sometimes, I know they just want the best for me and want me to be happy. They have been great role models to my sister and I. I have learned love, respect, compromise, and communication are important key components to making a great marriage work. My mom has raised me to be a strong independent individual and my dad has demonstrated how a man should always treat a woman. I am who I am today because my parents, for they were the start and still an active part of my "life story".

I love you mom and dad. Happy Anniversary! 

Day 30

My friend emailed me a wonderful story that occurred in Granada Hills, California, on the cross streets of Woodley and Devonshire to be exact. 

My friend was stopped at a light. There was a man driving a truck in the left turn lane next to her. When the light changed, he was struggling and could not get his truck to move because he had ran out of gas waiting at the light (and he was probably heading to the gas station on the corner). He put his hazards on. The people in the car behind him in the left turn lane put their hazard lights on too and jumped out to help push his truck into the gas station. However, that was not enough to get the car to move. There was a father and son at the gas station that ran across the street to help push as well. She said it was amazing to see all different ages and types of people jump out to help this man get his truck into the gas station. And to make matters even better, everyone in the intersection was at a complete stop allowing it to all happen safely. 

Amazing story. I loved reading it. She also mentioned to me that my blog has helped her become more aware of random acts of kindness. I was ecstatic to hear that. Awareness of other people is the first step. If you open your eyes to random acts of kindness, not only would you start to see great things, but you will also start to engage in them.

Day 29

Go out there today and make someone smile. It is mid-week and some people might need a little encouragement to help them get through the day. Be that encouragement. Lift their spirits if they are down. 

Sometimes, it is the short but sweet messages that impact others the most. My message today is relatively short, while a smile is relatively short too, furthermore, the action is easy but the impact is powerful.

Day 28

A dad has cancer and knows he is going to be passing away soon, and sadly, his daughter will be growing without her father. Since his daughter was in the second grade, he has written an inspirational letter everyday on a napkin and has put it in his daughters' lunch. He promised his daughter he will write 826 letters in advance to make sure she has a letter everyday until she graduates high school. Even after her father is gone, she will have a daily reminder that her father loved her and will always be with her, even though he will not be tangible. 

What a beautiful father daughter story. My dad means everything to me so when I read this story, I felt for the little girl who will have to grow up throughout her teenage years and adult life without her father. My thoughts are with this family. 

http://gawker.com/dying-man-writes-800-inspirational-notes-for-young-daug-1509972869?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Day 27

Are you really getting ahead if you step on other people to get there? I firmly believe that people who try to cheat and lie only end up behind in the long run. If you live your life knowing you did the right thing today and everyday, then you will not worry that people are out there to get you, or that you will be blackmailed, or that someone will find out something you might not want them to know. Even though doing the right thing is a relatively subjective phrase, I think it can be summed up easily: Do not be selfish (the world does not revolve around you, regardless of what your parents said), do not wrong others, be ethical, help others, and always remember to thank the people who helped you get to where you are at today. Be grateful for what you have. Be appreciative, for it can always be worse.

With that said, I have a great support system: my parents, my sister, my old friends who have stuck by me through the ups and downs, my new friends, and my mentor, and I thank my lucky stars everyday for each and every one of them. I would not be where I am today if it was not for their unconditional love and support. 

Day 26

You do not have to have lots of money to help someone. I think it is wonderful when people write a check for some large amount and donate that to charity, and by no means would I ever discredit that generous gesture; however, some people might not be in an economic situation to do so. In that case, I recommend compensating in other ways. Give someone your leftover food, buy someone a coffee, tea, or a meal, listen to someone vent, smile ALOT, pay it forward. Try to impact people's lives, try to inspire others to be the best person they can be, try to be a friend to everyone, try to make someone smile. 

Money is not everything. Do not feel like because you do not have lots of extra money laying around after you pay your monthly bills that you cannot help others. You cannot put a dollar amount on kindness; it comes from your heart, not your wallet.

Day 25

Have you ever been in a restaurant and seen someone sitting alone? I always feel bad for them. I always wonder why they are alone..is it by choice, do they not have anyone else to eat with, are they on their lunch break? The ones that really make me sad are the elderly that I see sitting alone. I cannot help but think they are widowed and all alone daily. If you personally know me, you know I will give them a smile, talk to them, and invite them to sit with me and whomever I am eating with. Most decline but think it is a generous offer. I think sometimes people do not know how to take me in that situation, after all, I am a complete stranger to them and all. I have also realized some people do not mind eating alone.  I decided last year, January 17, 2013 to be exact, I was going to see what it was all about. I went out to lunch alone and I ate a slice of pepperoni pizza. I realized it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Due to my schedule and environment, I have not sat and ate a meal alone in public since that day, but I would not be opposed to it. I am glad I experienced it and realized it was not bad whatsoever; however, I never plan to forfeit my invitation for others to join me and whomever I'm dining with.

Day 24

Someone I know sent me this story because he knew I would appreciate it. And I did. This story got a lot of media because, well you'll see why...

A restaurant owner in Texas is selling his family owned restaurant to give the money to one of his employees, a 19 year old girl who has a brain tumor. She can't afford treatment, nor can she afford to find out if the tumor is benign or malignant. Unfortunately, her father died suddenly from a ruptured brain tumor, so it is devastating to the family to think this could happen to her too. The restaurant owner has owned the restaurant for 17 years and believes it is worth two million dollars. The girl said "I really think it's an amazing blessing and can't thank him enough and his family. Never thought that anyone would do that and he did and it makes me feel really good." 

I'm in awe with how amazing this story is. I'm actually speechless. What this gentleman is doing could save her life. This goes beyond a random act of kindness. This is a calculated and more than generous deed. I wish for health, happiness, and the best for the girl and her family and for the restaurant owner and his family. 

Day 23

A girl I went to high school with put together backpacks of goodies for the homeless. She posted her good deed on Facebook. I love seeing these posts on Facebook. It is much better than the contrary..I went to the gym... I'm sick... I ate at Olive Garden for lunch... etc. 

She is helping people who really need it. Try to help someone today who you think might need it. It does not even have to be something time consuming or planned out; a simple smile, or holding the door open, or saying hello might change that person's demeanor for the day. 

Day 22

A female was sitting in the sauna at the gym, having a short but pleasant conversation with a lady who was a little overweight. She told her it was her  first time at the gym & she has never been in a sauna before, and felt a little uneasy about it. The female reassured her with a smile and told her there is always a first time for everything. The lady said goodbye, smiled, and got up to leave. As she was leaving, a very handsome and in shape young man went out of his way to open the sauna door for her. The female saw it happen and thought to herself that chivalry still exists. It made her happy to see, especially because she knew the lady was a little uncomfortable. 

The message is short but sweet:

1. Chivalry should not die. Don't be that guy who lets it. 

2. You never know how someone is feeling so if you do something nice, simple, or small for a stranger, it might make them feel better about the situation, their day, or themselves.

Day 21

When I was in college, one of my good friends from high school asked me for a favor. She wanted to know if I could drive her to LAX. I cannot remember the exact time of her flight, but I do know she had to be at the airport sometime before 8 am. The problem was I had an 8 am class that semester and knew I would have had to wake up much earlier than usual and sit in lots of traffic. LAX is about 35 minutes from where I went to college, and if you know LA, the traffic would have made it longer. After thinking it through, I told her I wasn't able to help her. Well six years later, I still feel bad about it. At the time, she said she understood, but I found out later, from my boyfriend at the time who was also friends with her, that she was bothered, hurt, and frustrated I did not drive her to the airport. It made her question our friendship and I noticed she distanced herself from me because of it.

I believe if we were truly meant to be great friends, we would have worked it out. We are not enemies by any means, but definitely not friends like we used to be. I consider her someone I knew. I want nothing but the best for her. I think about her sometimes and hope she is doing well. 

If you know me now, you know I will jump over backwards for my friends, but I wasn't always like that, as you can notice from this entry today. Over the years, I have learned to not be so selfish and I always put myself in my friends' shoes. I believe it is never too late to make a change. It is never too late to stop thinking about yourself as much and start thinking of others. No one is perfect. Accept that everyone, including yourself, makes mistakes, but also learn from them and do not make that same mistake twice. Let your interpersonal encounters and experiences shape you for the better. Transformation and evolving is a beautiful thing.

Day 20

A young lady wrote to me that her aunt put together a few bags of snacks, hygiene necessities, and other miscellaneous items, and drove around town, and handed them out to people who needed them. Her aunt posted her good deed on Facebook and thought it was great because maybe it would spread the word for others to do more acts of kindness. She was amazed and proud to call her family. 

And here I am, posting stories, hoping others get inspired to do nice things for others. Life isn't about just you. It's about community. It's about others. It's about family and friends. It's about love. Giving season should be all year around. 

Day 19

Today's story is short but sweet. 

A young man named Thomas who lives in New York shoveled his neighbors' snow and he refused to be paid for it. 

What a great selfless good deed. No matter where you live in the world, do something nice for someone today. 

Day 18

A young female went to Dave and Busters (it's an arcade) and noticed a child left some of his tickets. She couldn't find the child, so instead of keeping them for herself, she found another young boy (probably around the age of two) and gave the tickets to him. She told the little boy's father she thought it was better a little kid had them, than herself. It made the little boy's day. 

She said she felt great about it. Even though the first child lost some tickets, she did something good for another little kid. 

It's the little things in life. Don't be greedy. Be generous. Be giving. Be thoughtful. Be considerate. Make someone's day. 

Day 17

I was in Lancaster, CA and went to my local hairdresser. I've been coming to her my whole life. She is a very busy lady and had four ladies, including myself, here all at once for a rotation of cut, color, style, etc. As I'm sitting waiting for my turn, I hear one lady say to the other, "Thank you for listening to me; I just really needed to vent". The other lady said, "Of course, sometimes you just need to get it all out". I asked if they knew each other and they said no, we just met this morning. I told them I was really happy to hear this because I preach all the time how you never know what someone is internally fighting so it's important to be compassionate towards others. They told me the one lady was crying and the other lady comforted her, listened, and talked to her regarding everything that was on her mind. 

When we all were done with our hair appointments, we all said bye to one another and wished each other well. 

Be there for a stranger. 

Day 16

I picked up my parents' neighbor, a widowed elderly women in her 80's, from her house to take her grocery shopping. Little did I know she had other errands in mind. She wanted to go to the hospital to sign some documents, the laundromat, and Sam's Club. Unfortunately, I was limited on time. I took her to the hospital and she asked me if I could drop her off, go start the laundry in the washing machine at the laundromat, and then come back and pick her up. At the time, I agreed, but after I left, I started thinking that was probably not the best idea for two reasons: 1. She was alone at the hospital and 2. My time frame. I didn't have time to drop off the clothes and then go back and put them in the dryer and wait for them to be completely done. I couldn't start washing her clothes without finishing them. So I went back to the hospital within 5 minutes of me leaving her, I parked, and walked into the hospital to find her. The problem was I couldn't find her. All I was thinking was "I lost her, I lost her". I got security involved and as we were walking together, I saw her turn out of a corner onto the main hallway in the hospital. I told the security guard I saw her and thanked him for his help and then ran to her. I caught up to her and she said to me...oh that was perfect timing. She was so cute about it. She didn't even know I couldn't find her. I told her I didn't do the laundry due to limited time and that we can save that for another day. She said that was totally fine. I asked her if she wanted to go grocery shopping and she said no. So I drove her back home, walked her to the front door of her house, and she said, "I just remembered we need to go to Wal-Mart to pick up my prescription". So we got back in the car and headed to Wal-Mart. I told her since we were there, we should get some fresh groceries for her, since that was the original plan. She agreed. We picked up her medication, did her grocery shopping, and then headed back to her house. As we were driving back, she asked me a few random questions...where do I shop at and what's my favorite restaurant around here. I had a feeling she was trying to inquire so she could purchase a gift card or something as a way to say thank you, but I didn't want that. I was helping her because I wanted to and because she needs help, not because I wanted money out of it. So I answered strategically. I told her I don't like to shop (which is true) but when I do, I go to a few places that are not in the area. I also told her my favorite restaurant is Rustin House, which is also true, but it worked out perfectly because they do not offer gift cards there. It is a small family owned Mexican restaurant in Lancaster, California. She told me she has never been there before and Mexican food is her favorite food. I took a mental note of that and thought to myself, I should take her to lunch there sometime. We arrived to her house and I helped her in, I took everything in all the groceries for her, unloaded them out of the bags and into her kitchen, and got her all settled. Before I left, she thanked me numerous times and told me how nice, gentle, and patient I was with her. I said to her next week, my mom and I will come and pick you up and we will take you to Rustin House for lunch, our treat. She was thrilled and said she hasn't been to a restaurant in years and years. She is alone and can't drive so not only can she not drive there to eat, but she doesn't have anyone to go eat with. I told her I will call her next week to figure out a day and time that works for her. She said she is available anytime. So that following Monday, I called her and asked her if she would like to go to lunch tomorrow. She said that would be wonderful. The following day, my mom and I picked her up, took her out to eat at Rustin House, had a nice conversation, and then took her back home. She said it was the best chile relleno she's ever had and it was a real treat for her to get out of the house. Later that day, my mom and I told my dad how it went and he said we should do that for her more often. My parents are wonderful and generous people. People need a friend or someone around to know they are loved. I am glad my parents and I are there for her. 

Day 15

I have seen these signs at Dry Cleaners before and it always makes my day: 

If you are unemployed and need an outfit cleaned for an interview, we will clean it for free. 

AMAZING!!!! This is the first step. More Dry Cleaners need to do this. However, don't take advantage of them. Be appreciative for them. Don't try to step on other people to get ahead. Always thank the people who helped you along the way and who got you to where you are at today. At the end of the day, you are the one who is going to have to live with yourself. Go out there and make yourself happy and proud.

A special shout out to ALL the Dry Cleaners who do this. You are really making a difference in many people's lives. 

Day 14

One of my closest friends sent me a message because she saw this post on Facebook and knew I would enjoy it:

A nice old man paid for my drink at Starbucks today, simply because I talked to him; he said most people are too self involved and ignore him. Be nice to people :)

This made me so happy to read. People who know me and have seen me in public, know I will talk to ANYONE. I will talk to a nice older man or woman, I will talk to a young peer, I will talk to a homeless person, I will talk to a professional, I will talk to a child. I am notorious for making friends everywhere I go. I know and respect some people don't like to, but have an open mind, be receptive, and realize it might make someone else's day. If someone starts up a friendly conversation with you, be honored he or she wants to talk with you. 

Day 13

I read this story in an article. 

Title: Special Delivery 

"My sweet husband, John and I, were married for 46 years. Each Valentine's Day, he'd send me the most beautiful flowers containing a note with five simple words: My love for you grows. Four children, 46 bouquets, and a lifetime of love were his legacy to me when he passed away two years ago. On my first Valentine's Day alone, after I lost him, I was shocked to receive a gorgeous bouquet addressed to me..from John. Angry and heartbroken, I called my florist to say there had been a mistake. The florist replied: No ma'am, it's not a mistake. Before he passed away, your husband prepaid for many years and asked us to guarantee that you'd continue getting bouquets every Valentine's Day. With my heart in my throat, I hung up the phone and read the attached card. It said: My love for you is eternal."

Do you believe in angels? Because I do. I believe this lady has an angel, her husband, looking after her always. 

It warms my heart to see true love does last forever. It is hard in this day and age to believe that true love will survive anything. With divorce rates being around half of all marriages, people get discouraged to marry. However, the truth of the matter is if you marry for the right reasons and have similar morals and values with your significant other, and you both vow to make it work, then it will work. Love is the ultimate happiness. Whether you love a significant other with everything you have, or you love your children, your parents, your friends, your pets, or yourself, as long as you give 100%, then you will find love will conquer all. It might be a bumpy road getting there, but don't give up. Don't stop believing in love. It will all be worth it in the end. 

Day 12

One of my friends, every year, posts on Facebook that the first five people who comment below her status will receive a random gift from her. It is a complete surprise as to when and what they get. She could send them a candle, gift card, jewelry, kitchen stuff, home decor, the list goes on. In addition, those five people who post first on her status, have to do the same on their Facebook (or at least that's what she recommends and hopes everyone follows it). This is a great pay it forward game. It's fun, friendly, and could spread like wildfire is everyone participates as instructed. 

Don't pass up the next time you are given the chance to pay it forward. And yes, I say chance because it should be considered an honor to do something for someone else. Don't do it because you feel compelled or because you feel like you will have bad karma if you don't do it, do it because you want to!

Day 11

A lady and her sister were driving home from Northern California, Pleasanton, to be exact. They stopped at a Chevron station to get gas and to walk their dogs. They saw there was a homeless man sitting on the ground on the grass area with a dog next to him holding a sign that said something along the lines of "Hungry, Homeless. Will work for food". They finished getting gas and pulled the car up next to him and the man came over to their car. He realized they had a chow (a specific dog breed) in their backseat. He instantly started talking about how when he was a kid, his dad used to raise chows, and then started talking about chow behaviors, temperaments, and characteristics. The lady said you could tell he really knew his stuff because he was right on about the dogs. Both the ladies show dogs, so they also knew a lot of information about that breed. He told them that his current dog was his whole world and he would he lost without her. Being that the two ladies are dog lovers themselves, that really hit home for them and touched them. They chatted with him for a bit longer and then gave him some money. He was very appreciative and thanked them numerous times. He told them to drive safe and to have a good day. The lady mentioned to me that she really liked talking to him because he had a story and felt really bad for him. She said you can tell he was a guy with a "normal" life and memories, and just somewhere down the road, hit some bad luck. She mentioned that she thinks about him every now and then and wonders how he is doing. Unfortunately she might not ever know, but I think it is safe to say that if she was impacted by him, he was probably impacted by them in return. They could have made his day, not only that they gave him money, but because they were talking about some great memories of his and something that meant a lot to him. 

Everyone, homeless or not homeless, has a story. It's the story that got them to where they are at today. People might have went down the wrong path, people might have lost a loved one, people might have been betrayed and abandoned, people might have been raped or sexual abused, people might have gotten into drugs, people might have had a privileged lifestyle that led them down the wrong path, people might have had big shoes to fill, people might have came out and their parents disowned them, people might have got involved with the wrong crowd, and people might have had a relatively normal upbringing, but then something happened. 

How many of you have stopped to chat to a homeless person? Within safety measures, strike up a conversation with a homeless person. Get to know them. Find out their story. If you show interest in them and acknowledge they are human beings, it might make their day.

Day 10

I legitimately get sad when I see someone overweight. I understand that people are in control of what they eat; however, some people turn to food because they are depressed in other areas of their lives. Yes, it could be genetic, but whatever it might be, if they are not confident in their own skin, then my heart goes out to them. Skinny girls have not walked in their shoes so it is easy for them to poke fun at and say things such as: stop eating, and you can control what you eat, or go on a diet. I never condone talk like that. It is much easier said than done and I don't think anyone has the right to make fun of someone's weight. 

In this day and age, the media puts so much emphasis on being skinny and always looking "perfect", even though I believe perfect is subjective. And we all know guys are visual human beings. If they like what they see, they chase. This might be a broad statement, and I know this isn't always the case, but because most guys want the models they see in the media, overweight females do not know what it feels like to get hit on by guys when they go out. I consider myself skinny and one of those girls who is always saying "I need to loose 5 pounds" but at the end of the day, I know if I don't, I won't be considered fat. I personally don't know how it feels to go out and not get hit on. And if I do go out and not get hit on, I never correlate it with my weight or looks. I just think it was an off night or I had green stuff in my teeth. Unfortunately, someone who is a little heavier, will maybe think guys are not approaching them because of their weight. I'm tired of seeing girls crying over guys and correlating the guys' non-interest with their weight and then affecting their self esteem.  Being raised in Los Angeles, I see this happen all the time. Why is society such a shallow place. 

All girls: skinny, fat, anorexic, obese, white, black, purple, disabled, hearing impaired, etc....do not let anyone make you believe you aren't good enough! YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH! Your self esteem is more important that some guy who is just trying to hook up. Don't let society affect you. Don't compare yourself to the skinny girls in the media. If you have to compare yourself to someone (even though I think comparing is detrimental), compare yourself to people like Princess Diana or Opera, women who have done great things for others. Find your inner happiness and beauty. Beauty lies within your heart. 

To ALL of society: Think twice before you make a comment about someone who is overweight. You never know if they can hear you. Directly or indirectly, it will affect them. Speak up if you hear someone poking fun at someone else because of their weight. If it was the other way around, would you like to be a negative topic of conversation. Always put yourself in the other persons' shoes. Even though you will never fully relate or understand because everyone's life stories are different, make a conscious effort to be compassionate and acknowledge their feelings. Be apart of the good change in the world. 

Day 9

This man was at a drive-thru Starbucks and another man two cars in front of him paid for the lady's coffee and food behind him. When the lady pulled up to the window, she was informed that the man in front of her paid for her coffee and food, so she then paid for the man behind her. When the man pulled up, he was informed the lady in front of him paid for his coffee, so he then paid for the lady behind him. This went on for 4 cars that we know of :) 

Moral of the story: PAY IT FORWARD.

Don't be the reason the chain stops. 

Day 8

There is one thing in my 27 years young that I've realized rings true more than anything else I know, and that is timing is everything. Timing plays a huge role in relationships, commitment or lack thereof, friendships, meeting a specific someone who impacts your life, death, wrong place at the wrong time, or right place at the right time. 

Timing is an outside force in which you have no control over. It makes humans doubt themselves and others, as well as their faith in humanity and belief in love. 

Do you ever wonder why good things happen to good people. Timing. Within a split second, something tragic can happen. When I was in high school, a fellow classmate was on his way to pick up his younger brother when he died in a car accident. It was devastating. He was too young. It is hard not to think that he could still be with us today if only he was running a few minutes behind. 

Have you seen something tragic happen and stopped to help? Were you there to see the helplessness, pain, hope, and desire in their eyes. Don't pass up someone who needs help. You were meant to cross paths for a reason.

Everyone you meet in life can either teach you, hurt you, love you, or inspire you. Embrace the timing and accept that with all great things comes sadness and struggle. 

Day 7

I read this story on one of my friends' Facebook. She posted it about a week ago. She was at the LAX (Los Angeles airport) fly away waiting for the bus when she dropped her iPhone. She didn't realize it right away, but when she did realize it, she tried to retrace her steps to find her phone. Unfortunately, she did not find it. A gentleman picked up her phone and called her mom (probably because he went through her call log or contacts) to figure out the best way to get her phone back to her. Her mom told the gentleman that she was on her way to the Van Nuys flyway to pick up her car. The gentleman drove to the Van Nuys fly away to return her phone at a convenient place for her, which might I add, he lives in Ventura. When she got to the fly away, her phone was there too. She texted him to say thank you again for what he did and he replied by asking her to pay it forward. She promised she would. 

First off, who is that guy? Such a nice gentleman who not only returned her phone but went out of his way to make it more convenient for her. He could have just turned it into officials or to lost and found at the fly away, but he went above and beyond. If you know the Los Angeles area, you know it's very spread out and LAX to Van Nuys to Ventura are not close nor in the same route with each other. This gentleman did a great thing for her. It makes me believe or think he does nice things for people a lot because he asked her to pay it forward. He is making the world a better place. 

Day 6

Two well dressed young professional men were walking into a Subway and saw a homeless guy outside. They said to the homeless guy if he's hungry, they will buy him anything he wants from Subway. The homeless guy didn't take them up on their offer. So the two men walked in, ordered, and sat down to eat. Moments later, the homeless guy walked in and one of the men got up and said "get whatever you want, I'll pay". 

A young lady saw this whole conversation happen and went up to the two gentleman and said what they did was very nice of them.

I loved reading this email. The two gentlemen did a great random act of kindness for the homeless guy and the young lady acknowledged the great deed. If you witness a random act of kindness, make a point to go out of your way to acknowledge it. Amazing people are amongst us. 

Day 5

Question: Dear Civil Behavior: Almost 30 years ago, my older brother gave my parents an ultimatum — disown my little sister, who had just revealed she was gay, or he would cut himself and his family off from the rest of us. My parents refused to do such a thing and my brother made good on his threat and destroyed our family. I stood with my sister and have not seen or spoken to my big brother or any of his family since his declaration so long ago. Neither has my sister. Time has not healed the wounds of our family. On his deathbed, my dad asked me never to forget what my brother did to all of us and I promised him I would not — and I refuse to forgive him. My mother has forgiven my brother — and I’m glad for her. I also know my mom dearly wishes to have her family together before she dies. My question: Should I honor my father’s deathbed request or my mother’s final wish? 

— Straight Sister in the Middle

 

I read this a few weeks ago, published by the New York Times. I found it very powerful and felt I should address it. Regardless of what I say, I think everyone must make note that it will be easier said than done. It is easy for me to say what I think because I am not in the situation, carrying around 30 years of hurt, anger, and resentment. 

I believe in order for the family to be reunited, someone is going to have to swallow their pride. And that is NOT a bad thing. I actually commend the person who does. They would be reconciling for a greater good. They would be doing it for the future generation..their kids, their grandkids, for society, for the wellbeing of humans. Everyone is stubborn in their own ways and are sticklers for things that some might not understand; however, the whole family lost 30 years together not only because the brother made that ultimatum, but because the sisters and father also refused to speak to him. It appears in the passage neither party reached out to the other. They need to meet halfway. They do not have to be the best of friends, but at the end of the day, they are family and blood, whether they like that or not. It is stressful and hard to be mad at someone for 30 years. That sounds like a full time job, and they need to quit that job sooner than later. Because one day, it might be too late, and then they could be living the rest of their life wishing or hoping it was different. Don’t wait around for the other person to come around and take that first step towards reconciliation..they might not. Take control of your own happiness and fate. If you try to do what you believe is best in your heart and free yourself from anger and hurt, then you will live a more loving and happy life. Forgiveness is the best remedy. 

Day 4

Let me take today to talk about my sister. She is my best friend and she means the world to me. She is almost 3 years younger than me and if you know us, you know we look completely different. We are from the same mom and dad, but we just don’t look alike. She looks like our grandma and I look like my parents..to a T. Not only do we look completely different, but we have had different life experiences, and because of that, we have different views about everything. I used to think to myself “how is she such a crazy monster at times, and I am so normal”. I laugh when I think about this because I have realized 1. Normal is very subjective 2. We were young and dumb. 3. She is actually very normal. She is an amazing young lady. She went through some hard times though and as her older sister, I just wanted to protect her, help her, give her whatever she needed. Something happened when she was in high school that changed our relationship. We went from being sisters to being best friends. She was in a rut (in which I will not disclose), and I felt like I needed to get her out of the situation she was currently in. So I did. She started hanging out with my boyfriend (ex-boyfriend now) and I all the time. Might I add, before all this, we never hung out. She was the little sister who would rat me out to my parents and I would get so annoyed and not tell her anything or want to hang out with her because of it. But we grew very close. She thanks me to this day for being there for her and stepping in, helping her when she needed someone, and not letting my parents get involved or find out what was going on. And as time went on, we only got closer and closer. She went to the same college I did because she wanted to follow in my footsteps. She rushed the same sorority I was in because we wanted to be sisters squared. There was a point when I wanted to go to law school. So she started studying for the LSAT too. Well, as it turned out, I changed my mind and did not go to law school. But she still went. My parents never compared us, because we were so different, but she was always in a friendly competition with me. She always told me I pushed her to do better and try harder in school and in life. She tells me all the time how much she looks up to me, that I have helped her grow into the person she is today, that I inspire her to be a better person, and be more caring, considerate, and compassionate towards others. That makes my heart happy. It could turn my whole day around. I want the best for her always. Reflecting on my friendship with my sister, helped me realize I want to help others more. I do not care if we do not know each other, I am always open to meeting new people and making new friends. I am here for you. Email me, I will listen to you.

Day 3

I received my first email (besides a couple stories that my sister told me about). I was ecstatic. As I was reading the email, it brought tears to my eyes and it warmed my heart. The story went as following: a young woman was with her cousin when she was walking into a grocery store around Christmas time. As they were walking in, they passed by a gentleman who was in obvious need of help. When they were in the store, they decided to buy some things for the gentleman and decided on their way out, they would give them to him. They bought a hot chicken meal, potatoes, coleslaw, a 12 pack of soda, water, a chocolate candy bar, granola bars, socks, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a blanket, and deodorant. After they completed all their shopping, they walked outside only to find the gentleman not there. They thought to themselves how far could he have gotten, so they figured they would drive around to look for him. They drove around all the surrounding areas. 20 minutes later, they found him walking. They pulled over and jumped out of the car and gave him all the things they purchased for him. Her exact words in the email were: "he was so genuinely happy, he cried and we cried" and then he said "my family really needs this, thank you so much". She stated in the email this was the best gift she gave herself.

Helping others helps you. It helps you feel good about yourself and what you have done for another human being. You will go to sleep knowing you did a great thing for someone else today. I loved reading this story. They didn't just walk right by him and forget about him. They purchased all these necessities for him and then didn't give up when they couldn't find him right away. What a great good deed to do for another human being. They are AMAZING!

Day 2

As many of you may know, New Year’s resolutions are hard to keep sometimes. It takes a lot of will-power and dedication to accomplish one. I used to make the resolution that I will work out 5 days a week, well that didn’t happen. Have you realized the gym is always much busier towards the beginning of the year. It is kind of humorous actually. One year, I said I was not going to fight with my sister, but let’s face it, how impractical is that. When you are really close to someone, you are bound to have ups and downs. So in 2005, I decided to do something different. Instead of making a long list of possible but impractical New Year’s resolutions, I would make only one that was more practical but still challenging. So I decided to not eat fast food (not including Subway, Chipotle, El Polo Loco, and In and Out) and I would also eliminate soda too. I am strong willed, but it was hard the first couple of months to not drink cream soda and Mr. Pibb (my 2 favorites), but I adjusted to drinking iced tea instead. My plan was to just do it for a year, but 9 years later, I still haven't had fast food or soda. Another year, I gave up chocolate. I went two years without eating chocolate and recently decided it was time to start eating chocolate again. I missed butterfingers and chocolate with caramel too much. One year, I gave up cheese. That was semi-hard because I love pizza. I started ordering pizzas without cheese. It was weird at first, but after a while, my whole family, my roommate, my coworkers, and my friends, were all eating it too. I did that for the whole year and decided as the next new year approached, I would start eating cheese again. I tried giving up ALL sweets one year and that didn’t go over that well. I lasted 5 months; I couldn’t do it any longer. Dessert is my favorite meal and I remember growing up, I didn't care how full I was, I always had room for dessert. Overall, I have found it interesting, fun, new, and successful. Everyone knew giving up one food was "my thing" and as each new year approached, everyone would ask me what I'm giving up. But in 2013, I decided to not give up anything. I needed a different change of pace and I realized New Years resolutions were overrated. 

I decided to make a goals list in 2013, which I completed all but one of my goals. Goals are a great way to have something to work towards and look forward to. And if you don't accomplish all of them, just know you are not a failure. You tried and that is all that matters. This year, while I think it is important to be constantly growing and working on yourself, try to incorporate other people into your resolution and goals. Think about it, sleep on it, try to help to make 2014 not only great for yourself but for someone else too! Make their year!!!

Day 1

First and foremost…welcome to my page and welcome 2014. I appreciate that you took the time out of your day to check this out. You might be wondering what humanity365 stands for. Well you are about to find out, but let me just give you a little back story to how I’ve gotten to where I’m at today to inspire me to write this blog.

​I was born to my loving parents and years later, my baby sister was born. I’ve been blessed and lucky in my life. But I do not think I’m any better than anyone else or the homeless people I see. I might have a roof over my head, but that is not to say the homeless person who doesn’t is a bad person. We are all humans. We have had different life experiences that have brought us to where we are at today, which have caused people to take different paths and routes; however, at the end of the day, we are still one species living on the same planet. We all have feelings. We all are fighting for something in our life, but on various spectrums.

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Throughout my life, I’ve had my ups and downs. But I was not expecting the down I had at the beginning of 2013. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever went through. I did not see light at the end of the tunnel. I gave up..not on life (I'm still here)...but on everything else. The days felt like years. I distanced myself from the world, which if you personally know me, you know I am a very social, outgoing, love being around people kind of person. Time went on and on, but then one day, everything changed. Something got through to me. I needed to get out and live my life. I decided to travel. And that’s exactly what I did. I went to Miami, which helped me realize I did not have to stay in Los Angeles (which is where I have been my entire life). I realized there are many cities I could live in. For a while, I wanted to move to Miami and there were some cool people I met when I was there who I still keep in touch with to this day. I went to Israel for Birthright, which was an amazing experience. I can't even describe how awesome Birthright was. I do recommend if you fit the criteria to definitely go. I decided to stay in Israel longer and extend my trip, which I'm so happy I did. It was the trip of a lifetime. I had everything planned out so that when I got back from Israel, I would have two weeks to pack and move out of my apartment, put all my stuff in storage, and tell my boss that I was quitting my job to travel. Little did I realize Birthright was the start of great change in my life. I met so many amazing people and I feel connected to them for life. On birthright, I was free- like I felt when I was a little girl. I was sad to leave, but I knew I had Greece planned two weeks later. After I returned from Birthright, I set my plan in motion. I did exactly what I said I was going to do. And now that it is all said and done, many people have told me: “I didn’t think you were actually going to do it. You moved out of the apartment you loved and considered your home and left with no plan”. I just take that as a compliment that they felt like I stuck to my word.

So I went to Greece for two months and on my way back to the states, stopped in Paris. I was in Greece for the majority of the time. I met so many amazing people. People who went out of their way for me. People who always made sure I was having a great time. People who did not speak any English (and my Greek is okay, not fluent though), and even with the language barrier, they still included me. My family in Greece opened their home to me. They gave me a place to stay and always made sure I was okay. I was very sad to leave Greece but excited for Paris, which was awesome. What a great city. Two weeks after I got back from Europe, I went to New York and I fell in love with the city. New York is so different from Los Angeles and I loved it. I got to spend time with some new and old friends when I was in New York, which also helped me realize a lot about what I am really "chasing after" so to speak. So when it was time to leave New York, I was sad for numerous reasons. I knew I would be coming back to LA and having to listen to people ask me..what are you doing with your life? Are you going to start working? Even though that question is a valid question, it gets repetitive at times but I do know it comes with the territory of what I was doing. 

The truth of the matter is, by traveling, I have found myself. Everything is very clear to me now. I have a plan, a dream, a purpose, and I know exactly what I want. I lived out of a suitcase for months and months. I went to all my destinations with an open mind. I wanted to take it all in. I wanted to live and act like a local. I wanted to really get a feel for what it would be like to live their life. And that’s exactly what I did. I have a few more trips planned, but nothing as long as before. I knew I was traveling to get away, not necessarily to run away, because I like to address and face any issue I have, but I definitely was longing for a change and needed to get out and expand my wings, my mind, and my heart. Positive life-changing things were on my path. Looking back, I did not realize how lost I really was, until I returned and saw the young woman I had grown into. I am now more in tuned with other people’s feelings, my feelings, the random person down the street’s feelings, etc, than ever before. I realized I do not need to have lots of material "things" to be happy. Happiness comes from the heart. And in order to fully experience happiness, you have to chase and go after what you really want. You have to take control of your life. You have to follow your dreams and passions. 

This leaves me to my purpose for writing this blog. I used to believe that good humanity was decreasing. People watch the news and hear all these terrible things going on in the world. It’s depressing and people fall into this habit of thinking there is more bad than good out there. I know this because I used to be one of those people. I was disturbed with what I would hear and see. But I realized from traveling, there are many great people out there. People do care about others and do go out of their way for people they barely know. So I’m going to bring the stories, life experiences, daily reminders, and positive encouragement to you. I am going to write every day for a year, starting today, January 1, 2014.  In addition, I would love to hear your stories and incorporate them into my daily writings. Email them to goodhumanity365@gmail.com. I know sometimes people do not like to brag or boast about a nice thing they did for someone, so that's where I come in. Email me what you have done or do and I will write about it. You deserve the recognition. Good things and people should be on the news and I'm determined to show people that the world isn't as bad of a place as people think it is. There is great people out there, so let's spread the word and love together.  Until tomorrow, thank you for reading day one. Let’s start this year off right. Try to do something nice for someone today. Pave a good path for yourself and for others this year.