Growing Good Corn

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.
"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbuors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."
He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour's corn also improves.

So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbours to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbours grow good corn.

It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself (Proverbs 11:24-25)

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Gulping Down That Lemonade

Now this picture may seem like nothing to you, but to me it means the world!!! The ugly bathroom of the past is gone!!! It also means that burning ache in my shoulder blades is for a reason, and a damn good one!! I wish I had a picture of the old bathroom to highlight what a signifcant transformation this is. Little things like changing the inside of the house, is a reminder to me that moving forward is hard work, but well worth it in the end. That you can take a lemon, remove that bitterness...add a little sugar, and drink up some sweet lemonade.

Although there has been some rough spots in my life, I've managed along the way to find that lemonade. In doing so something I've learned is it really doesn't matter what other people may think of my walk in life, as long as I know I am walking the steps I need to. This past weekend was another time where "Everything Happens For A Reason" smacked me in the face. I was on my way home from Walmart in Tomah with my paint in tow, and I told my youngest we needed to stop at the Goodwill there. I am not really sure why I wanted to, just did. He grumbled, "but Mom, Blake is waiting for me to get home and play." I told him it would just take a moment or two.

He went off his merry way when we walked into the store. I really wasn't sure why I was there, so I just strolled the aisles looking. I ended up by the curtains, and decided maybe I should look for some that may match the paint sample of the paint I just purchased. So there I was holding up that cardboard paint sample next to the curtains and drapes, and it was then a woman walked by and said, "Oh that one! That one will work!" I laughed and thanked her for her opinion, and told her I agreed. The next thing I knew this stranger started opening up to me. She told me how she wished she could redecorate her home, but her husband wouldn't let her....that he was very "strict" with her.

Tears formed in her eyes, and she told me how he tells her she doesn't do anything right. I told her I understood, and that one of the reasons I was redecorating was because I finally could without hearing much of the same from my ex husband.I could tell she was hurting, it's that type of pain you have when you've been emotionally battered...parts of her was bursting at the seams to tell someone...purge it all out, and then other parts of her were saying,"what does it matter it wont change anything." Her eyes conveyed this to me...it was a look I was familar with, and one I often saw staring back at me in my own mirror.

I don't know if she sensed my understanding, but all of a sudden she purged her emotions to me. She told me about the abuse her and her child lives with. She told me about her fears, and how much she loved this man. This stranger told me her story...right there...in Goodwill....We stood there talking for about 15 minutes. I told her that I understood how isolated she must feel, that I had once been there myself. I explained to her about what I now do...the survivor network I am trying to get off the ground, and how "Everything Happens For A Reason."Before I knew it I was giving her contact info for the group, my email and number...she gave me hers. That is when I realized why I had that urge to stop at Goodwill...call it what you will..intuition.. or God's will...that moment in time happened for a reason, and for both of us.

I don't know if I will ever hear from that woman again...maybe I will...maybe I wont. I do know this, neither of us will forget that time we shared together...two strangers bonding over something we both were surviving. Yes, I believe she is on that road to surviving ...she reached out, and that's a first step. She may not be ready to take the next step for a while...but one day she will, and I know she will remember our conversation much like I remember it as for me I got to see just how far I've come from just a few short years ago...when things seemed bleak.So as I painted that bathroom and my living room this weekend, I thought of that woman. I thought one day she will know the freedom of being in control of herself, and her actions. She will know how freeing it all is to actually change and move forward in life...and one day...she will meet a stranger and together they will share some lemonade.

Befriending a Bully With Kindness ~ By Sparticus

During the first week of my second semester sophomore year, the first thing I happen to hear is that there's a new kid at school. From what was being spread around, this student was being portrayed as a big mean bully, someone that was expelled for getting in a fight at a school nearby.

In my mind, though, I could only think how awful and how uncomfortable I would feel as a new student with a reputation already set out for me.

So the next thing I did was I searched for the new student. I ran all over campus to find and locate him, until I found him, head sulked down and with a weary expression upon his face. Without hesitating, I approached him, introduced myself and asked him if he was new to the campus and if he needed any help getting around.

With a relief, he replied that he was new and was looking for the computer lab for his next class. He showed me his class schedule. I then offered to walk him to the room, and as I walked with him, I could feel the tension built up inside him begin to fade. Before I left him to his class I told him to let me know if he ever needed anything else. Looking at his face, I knew that he would not have any more trouble or problems at this school, and if he ever does I'll still be there for him or any one else that needs it.

And still today he's been one of my best friends.

Old Man on a Bicycle ~ By Rashmi

Kindness acts are a great excuse to believe in ourselves and our world.

Once I had been invited for the lunch at one of my relative’s house. My aunty gave me the address and told me to come to her house for the meal, until I got settled into the new city. In trying to get to her house, I got lost and was desperately looking for help on the lonely roads for more than half an hour.

In a bit, I saw an old man on bicycle. I didn't want to stop him but I had no choice so I asked him for the address; he explained the route but it just didn't sink in; I was so tired of hunting around for the place and at this point, I was super hungry and thirsty too.

Well, that old man was a dear soul. Seeing the frustration and helplessness on my face, he accompanied me all the way to my aunt's house. When I reached my aunts house, I thanked that old man for guiding me till the house. He smiled and left.

When I shared my story with my Aunt, she mentioned that he was the "watchman" for their community and that he was going home for his lunch break. And that because his lunch breaks are only 15 minutes, he basically skipped his lunch to help me today.

That was the day I realised the value of kindness. Kindness is divinity personified.

Sunglasses in the Custodian Closet ~ By Aurelia

I'm new to the Smile Cards, but here's my first experience with the cards.

I work in a school and after all the kids are gone for the day a sweet young lady Claire comes in to clean the school classrooms and offices. I'm there late once a week and I often chat for a few minutes with her.

She always makes me feel so good because she's not full of herself and instead she wants to hear about me or will talk about her children. Our conversations are always great.
Last week she wasn't her happy self and told me how her husband had lost his job of 15 years and that she didn't know what they would do without his income.

I wanted to cheer her up some how, but couldn't think of anything at that time. Later that week I was in a department store I noticed all the pretty summer clothing and racks of sunglasses. I tried on several pairs and finally found the perfect pair, and I smiled at my reflection in the mirror, then I thought, "Wow Claire would look great in these!" I already had a pair that would be fine again this year, so I bought the glasses for Claire.

I was too excited to wait until my one late night that I worked, so I put them in a pretty bag and left them in the custodians closet for her!
When I came in the next day a fellow employee told me that she was talking to Claire as she went to the closet and opened it. When Claire saw the bag and took out the sunglasses and read the Smile Card her face lit up! She put the glasses on and smiled a BIG grin. She said she hadn't had anything to smile about in a few days and it felt good.

She left me a note about how she was having a rough day and that my act of kindness meant so much to her. It made me feel good knowing that I got her the sunglasses instead of myself. I wish I could do more for her, but at least she knows I am thinking of her even when I'm not at work. I look forward to creating more Smile Moments.

The Joys of Being a Waitress By Babygirl

As a waitress you meet and see all types of people. I guess you could call it the melting pot of the highway because the food connects us all.
I was about to end my shift one afternoon when a group of people came in. As they sat down, they explained that they were trying to make it home and just had enough to buy their children a small snack and that all they needed was water. So I showed them a few things on the menu and asked them what they would like.

As I walked away to turn in their order, I just couldn't see this family leaving hungry with a snack and some water! So I asked some friends to join me in helping this family and they agreed because they know how I am when it comes to helping others and it gives them the fuzzy feeling of making a difference too.

So I went back to the table and quietly let the parents know that they could order what they wanted because it was taken care of by some strangers. At first, they didn't know what to say but with a smile and a glance at the menu, they kindly accepted.
When they left all you could see was smiles, and with a tear in my eye, I wished them a safe trip and asked them to stop by if they were ever in the area again.

I learn that with every kind gesture you connect with that person and the emotion it gives flows both ways. I guess you could say they brought me home to my heart that day and every day.