12daysofkindness_600

Often we go about their day concerned with only one agenda in life: our own. I should know – I have been in such a whirl wind lately I forget to pay attention to anyone except those I deem necessary.

Tonight I was invited to attend a holiday function with my children. When we arrived I noticed all the other families and couldn’t help but wonder how their day had been. We almost stayed home, but I decided to venture out into the lovely rain storm.

While I was standing in line to check in at the party, my thoughts continued and my mind started to ask weird questions:

How is it you can sit inches away from another passenger on an airplane and not say a word to each other for the entire three hour flight?

Why do we always seem to avoid making a phone call that might obligate you to say “Hello, how are you doing today” but instead send a text message because we are just “too busy” to have a friendly conversation?

How come everyone looks so serious and angry when standing in line at the grocery store?

Why do you walk by people and look the other way so you can avoid eye contact?

As the thoughts continued, it dawned on me that I was guilty of some of my own questions! I decided I was going to be bold and – once again – do something I  normally would not.

While standing in line, I transformed into a vivid communicator. I began asking questions to the folks in front of me and to the ones behind me. I openly shared my day with them and in return quite a few moms shared their busy day’s too.

The more I opened up, the more reponses I recieved. I could sense the calmness taking place in everyone I greeted. It was rewarding to hold a sincere conversation with a complete stranger yet have so much to talk about. All I had to do was smile and someone smiled back at me.

Rather than let my true exhaustion show on the outside I found it in myself to take the first step and actually smile and say “Hello”.

Don’t be afraid to open up and make a new friend.  In giving more of myself tonight my own frustrations seemed to have vanished away.

The only question I have now is ” Where did my busy agenda go? “