So I had something else I was going to do today, but then my mom told me about something that happened to her today and I decided to go in a different direction. Will most likely do my original plan tomorrow instead. Oh and I'll share the story about my mom after my list.
5 little things you can do that will make a huge impact. The Christmas season tends to bring out the best in people. We seem to smile at strangers a little more(despite the stress we all feel). If nothing else it reminds us to be nicer to people.
1. Drop some change in the Salvation Army buckets. Especially if you have kids with you. Hand them a few pennies and let them drop it in. Explain to them why they are doing it.
2. Take some of those cookies you baked and drop them by the local fire station.
3. Spend some time at a Nursing Home. There are lots of older people who get very little visitors.
4. Thank someone who does a job you can't imagine doing. Trash man, fast food worker(I'm sure they get lots of grumpy customers this time of year), Police Man, etc.
5. Smile at a stranger. You never know what a simple smile, something that takes no money, very little time or effort can do for a person.
In January my brother is going to have open heart surgery. He is a 17 year amazing athlete who loves to run almost as much as he loves anything in his life. He found out during cross country this year that he only has one coronary artery. He was passing out in races, which he has never done before. They ran several tests and discovered the lone artery. That was not what was causing him to pass out though, lack of salt and fluids were the cause of that, but because of that they discovered this other problem. He has done a few stress tests and the results baffle the doctors. Last stress test he did the only reason they stopped him was because the EKG machine ran out of paper(24 minutes after he started running). No damage to the heart. The doctor as of now is not allowing him to do any kind of exercise, they are hoping that the surgery will allow him to return to running, maybe not competitively, but at least let him run. He will be having surgery in Michigan(they live in the Kansas City, MO area). He will be at the University of Michigan hospital because the doctor there is not only a pediatric heart specialist, but also a coronary artery specialist. My mom will work her last day at school tomorrow until the middle of January. She told me tonight that the youth group at their church made up 2 baskets one for my brother and one for my mom and step dad. They were full of magazines, candy bars, card games and more, just stuff for them to do at the hospital. However, that is not what changed my mind. My mom is a special ed teacher and this morning she had a special ed "breakfast" meeting. During the meeting at some point they presented my mom with a gift. A gift of over $700 they collected to help with expenses. My mom who is not a crier at least not like I am said she couldn't even talk about it without breaking down and crying. It was a nice reminder of what this time of year is all about.
