"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day." - H. Jackson Brown Jr.

"During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz.  I breezed through the questions until I read the last one:  "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"  Surely this was a joke.  I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name?  I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.  Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade.  "Absolutely," the professor said.  "In your careers, you will meet many people.  All are significant.  They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello."  I've never forgotten that lesson.  I also learned her name was Dorothy."  ~Joann C. Jones

I love this little story because it explains so much we need to know about life, no matter where we end up, in just a few sentences. As I have evolved as an individual, I have learned many lessons about life and friends and people I have met along the way. I feel so lucky that I grew up with parents who always taught me to never look down on someone unless I was helping him up, and that everyone truly is fighting a different battle. Often, we get so caught up in our own stresses and trials that we overlook those around us. We are so consumed by our own lives that we forget to offer a hand to those who may need it more than us. More importantly, when we do offer a hand, we expect something in return or we feel we need to be thanked over and over to justify our good deeds.


Here's the thing: we should not do for others because of the way others are; instead, we should do for others because of the way we are. Once you figure that out, you will realize that when you have done something that counts, it's less important to stop and count what you have done. 


I have made it a point to get to know the lady's name who waters my plants in my office and to tell her thank you each time. I remember the mans name who delivers our packages, and I do my best to offer a smile to the people in the elevator even when I'm having a bad day. The little things really do matter the most, and everyone does have their own story. Others around us truly are significant in more ways than imaginable, and often it's better to be kind without expecting anything in return. And if your character says so, you will have done for someone else because of the person you are, and people will remember you just for that.

My closet is craving more red. How about yours?

You begin to learn that kisses aren't a contract and presents aren't promises. You begin to accept your defeats with your head up and eyes open. You learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrows ground is too uncertain. After a while, you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much of it. So plant your own garden instead of waiting for somebody else to bring you flowers.