Kindness in Competition

December 5th

Yesterday my sisters and I participated in A Christmas Story Run in Cleveland and I witnessed a lot of kindness. There was a gentleman who stood on his balcony and wished all the runners a Merry Christmas and cheered us on as we completed the last stretch of our run.

One of my sisters had surgery on her knee and has not been cleared to run. She has run A Christmas Story Run every year since it started 3 years ago. She decided she would still do it but walk instead. Every year the race runs out of medals so my other sister and I had to run in order to ensure we would receive one. So when we were finished, we went back to walk with her and finish all together.

 

After the race, as we were walking back toward the buses we noticed how many runners were falling and almost hitting their faces on the asphalt over a bump in the road so we stayed to warn people prior to crossing it.

 

 

 

As runners were waiting in line to get on the bus to shuttle us back to our cars, our line noticed a four month old baby waiting in back. It was 30 degrees and windy so the line let the baby on first. Then when there wasn't space or the stroller, a woman volunteered to move in order to get the stroller on. We also let the baby off first.

 





December 6th

My mom, sister, and I went to cheer on my other sister and brother in law at a cyclocross race this morning. They seemed to appreciate our support and I brought a smile to my sisters face as I quoted lines from A Christmas Story to cheer her on. I heard competitors congratulate each other on a good race when they finished. A good Samaritan brought a huge smile to my face when I lost my phone at the race. I looked everywhere! I even searched through a trash can in case I accidently threw it out with my trash. Then I heard the announcer announce someone had turned in a cell phone that was found in the parking lot. Thank you good Samaritan!! You definitely made my day!!

Who did you make smile today?

Why sit around and wait for a miracle to come when we can be one?

It's been a while so I will start with as many Random Acts of Kindness as I can remember from the past few months!

-A random stranger stopped and helped a friend of mine change her tire as she waited for AAA. Then she no longer needed AAA.

-My grandmother came to stay with my sister after her surgery so I could go back to work

-My sister sent my grandmother flowers for helping her so much

-My sister paid for the car behind us in the Starbucks drive thru

-Friends invited my dad over for Thanksgiving dinner when they realized he would be alone for the holiday

-A friend of mine worried a lot of people when he was having a rough time in his life. He left some worrisome messages and then we lost contact with him. When police located his car, 20 of us traveled 90 min to join the search. Thankfully he was ok, but it's great how a community can come together so fast in a time of need and it meant a lot to my friend to know that so many people cared about him

-High School students went to bring feed the Ronald McDonald House at Riley Hospital for Children

-My church is in the process of getting a comfort dog. The woman in charge has taken on a huge role by organizing this ministry and is doing an amazing job. I have always wanted to be apart of something like this and I'm thankful we have her to take on this project.

-For my job, I take a little girl with medical needs to school. When walking in, I have my hands full as I am holding her hand and carrying an overstuffed book bag with her medical supplies and a suction machine. While trying to open the door, there have several instances where children have run up a head of us to open the door for me. Sweet kids!

-Last night I had minimal time to get home and eat before heading to a concert. My sister knowing I'd be short on time, let the dogs out for me before I got home. When we got home, she also fed the dogs.

-Yesterday my sister and I also decided to split the cost of sponsoring a child in Malawi. Last week I was talking with the mother of one of my patients about the differences between the United States and her home country. She was explaining how it's difficult for her to understand this countries culture of entitlement. In her home country, her family has enough to survive. In this country, everything is a "want" and not a "need" and we have a hard time realizing the difference between the two. Last night, we heard more stories other cultures fighting for necessities to survive. They travel two hours by foot to a watering hole. Once there, they actually physically fight each other to get water for their families because if they don't their loved ones will go without. This is all for 5 gallons of water. 5 GALLONS for an entire family. We use 5 gallons of water per minute when we shower. Between my discussion with the mother last week and learning a more in depth perspective of these hardships, I really felt moved to cut my own expenses in order to make sure a child with nothing has a better chance of survival. We were assigned a boy named Angelo and I will keep you posted on his progress!

 

 

Who did you make smile today?

 

 

A lot to blog about!

There has been a lot of random acts of kindness in the month of July that I have failed to take the time to blog about. I know there will be some I will forget to include but here are the ones I remember:

-Friends from the church I belonged to in Ohio brought Rosie, their comfort dog, to my current church. This was to spark interest in having our own comfort dog. Rosie was a hit and there seemed to be many church members interested in volunteering for the comfort dog ministry. Huge thanks to my mom for arranging this.

-My sister took a staycation to help me watch a friends child for 3 days. Because of medical needs someone has to sit next to her so Julie was our chauffeur and we had a blast!

-A friend of a widows husband called to check in her and the call moved her to tears (happy tears of course)

-The same widow was talking to me about how she doesn't receive a lot of encouragement as she continues to find normalcy in life again. I sent her an uplifting text message that included this verse:

 

Philippians 4:6-7New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

She was extremely appreciative and told me that was exactly what she needed that day as she was having the first meeting regarding her husbands headstone. I also sent her  the book When God Winks at you. She probably hasn't received in yet but I think she will appreciate and enjoy it.

-My sister was involved in a car accident when a truck pulled out of a gas station and t-boned her. I let her borrow my car while her vehicle was in the shop and she hadn't gotten her rental car yet.

-When I worked at Riley Hospital for children, I was part of an incredible team that worked in the infant ICU. After working there for two and a half years, IU Health decided to shut down the unit. This forced us all to separate. Some nurses were laid of, some transferred to other units within the hospital, some forced into early retirement. Despite being scattered, we have all remained in contact with one another. The unit has been closed for a year and a half now and we were all able to get together for an Infant ICU reunion. This is incredibly rare in the nursing field. Because there are so many different areas of nursing, employees will come and go and simply lose contact. I feel so blessed to have been part of a group that has refused to let time and distance separate us. I had a lovely time at dinner and since my sister had my car, a friend drove me home.

 

-I was at a picnic and saw a father daughter that had an awesome bond. I took the time to tell them they were inspiring and to not let go of that bond

-A friends child had surgery and she had several supporters that traveled to see her. Her grandfather also bought me and the child's parents lunch.

-My sister came to cycling class with me (she hates it but I like it) so the next day I surprised her by showing up at her turbo kick class (I hate it but she likes it)

-I've been collecting boxes for a friend that is moving

-A friend had my sister and I over for dinner. It was delicious!

-My sister injured her knee at volleyball and is unable to drive so a friend drove her home. Many people have also been texting her and sending messages of quick healing

-My dad was in town for work so he stayed with me to save money on hotel expenses

-I left work early to take my sister to the ortho doc. I've also been helping her out a little around the house

-my mom and I arranged to pick up my sisters car that she had to leave in a parking lot when she was injured

-My sister and I went to a concert and as we were walking in (or in my sisters case, hobbling in), the handicap parking security said they would let us in without a sticker. So I went to pick up the car and parked in the handicap area. It was much easier on my sister after the show and we were able to get home in 11 minutes since we didn't have to sit in much traffic!

-While at the concert we noticed that a group of 3 friends had been separated, leaving one friend to sit alone. My sister and I had a friend that was unable to go so we had an extra seat. Even though it was nice to have the extra room for my sisters, we decided that we would want people to let us sit together if possible. So we moved down and squished in so they could enjoy the concert together

Who did you make smile today?

Racing brings family together

I am really slacking on my blogs and I apologize. I will try to be better. Here are some things that made me and others smile in the past couple weeks:

-I left the gym last week to find this note on my car

My sister saw my car in the parking lot as she was walking in for a class and placed the note on my windshield.

-I continue to feel blessed to have an amazing job where I meet extraordinary people.

-While I was at work last night, I received a message that the case I was supposed to work today was cancelled. I asked the mom whose case I was currently working if she had a nurse the next day. When she said she didn't, I offered to come back the next morning to help. She was ecstatic. The client had 2 hours of therapy the next day so she was very thankful for the help. She was also able to get a lot of errands done. I think it's safe to say that I made her smile and made her day a little better.

-My family has been racing karts for 15 years. I'm very thankful that our family has been able to stay close because of our love of the sport. My dad has been able to turn his karting expertise into a living. Even though he has paying customers that require his attention, he has still been able to provide a kart for me to race. It always makes me smile when I hear him say "Good luck kiddo. Have fun kiddo. Love ya kiddo" every time I sit on the grid. I also see him cheering me on from the sidelines. My sister and mom also come out to the track. It means so much to have their support. My sister often brags about my performance on facebook and includes #proudsister in her posts. This always makes me smile. When the races are over, my dad frequently tells me that I'm always his favorite person to watch race. Simply being at the racetrack, puts a smile on my face.

An incredible family, an inspirational woman

Wednesday:
A friend asked me to lunch. She reached out to me because she thought she hurt my feelings a few weeks ago and wanted to make sure everything was fine between us. I was so glad that she felt like she could talk to me about this and get it resolved. It made me smile to know that she valued our friendship enough to straighten things out.

I went to get my oil  changed following lunch and a valvoline employee made me smile. I have a "resting bitch face" so he thought I was unhappy. He starting joking around with me telling me I needed to smile. No frowns! lol He was funny and he succeeded in making me smile.

Thursday:
The girl I care for returned home from being out of town for medical reasons for 10 days so I went to her house in the morning to decorate the house.. The family loved it and thanked me. I made them smile and in return it made me smile as well.

I was sent to a new case for work and I met an incredible family. A few months ago, a terrible tragedy stuck this family and their lives changed forever. I was so impressed by their faith and determination to carry on. They are so sweet and nice. After experiencing such loss, it is easy to turn on God and become bitter to the world. This family refuses to be broken. The mother even told me "I've lost everything, I can't lose God too". Wow. I feel like this woman may be the most inspirational person I have ever met. While this situation doesn't make me smile as I would not wish this to happen to my worst enemy, it makes me feel very blessed to have a job in which I can meet so many extraordinary people. Extraordinary people that motivate me to be a better person and force me to put the little things in life into perspective. Please pray for this family as their difficulties are far from over. After meeting them, I know it will be a long and difficult road but I also know that if anyone can make it through this, it will be this family.

A long day of work

Today I worked a 14 hour shift. Normally, I have to turn down these lengthy shifts because I have two dogs at home that have to be let out. However, I really wanted to do the shift because my hours are cut during the summer so I try to get as many shifts in as I can. So my sister stepped up, yet again, to watch the dogs so I could work this shift.

I bought the client a lego star wars set that he has been wanting and he was very happy. He thanked me numerous times without being told! That is a big deal for him! lol This also made me smile to know that he was enjoying his gift.

When I returned home the bathroom was clean! and there was a watermelon cake waiting for me! Thanks sis!!

Who did you make smile today?

Smiles in Cincinatti

For the last few days I've been in Cincinnati to be there for the girl I care for during one of her numerous surgeries. Here are the smiles during the trip:

-in order to be there my sister agreed to watch my dogs for me. I'm very grateful for her offering to this for me as it saves me money and stress!
-her parents allowing me to be there during these important surgeries
-a family friend allowed us all to stay at there house to save money on a hotel
-her dad bought me a milkshake and her mom cooked me dinner last night
-i brought a gift for the girl for always being so brave
-yesterday I picked up medication for the girl and brought back lunch for her parents
-CVS was crazy busy and the employees were looking stressed. I told the cashier I hope it slows down and to have a good day
-At Kroger, the cashier was so friendly he made me smile just watching him. He truly loves his job and people. He is a person that can make people smile by just being in their presence
-the grandparents of the little girl bought the family a humidifier for her room at night to help prevent bleeding from any dryness
-the mom was up most of the night suctioning the girl so when I woke up this morning the mom was able to get some good sleep for a few hours while I watched her daughter

It is great to see so many people support one another in a time of need.

Who did you make smile today?

Smiles even in the darkest of times

I'm sorry for my blog hiatus. I had several difficult situations going on in my life recently. Even through my dark times, while I did not outwardly smile, many people still made my heart a little lighter during it all.

In May of 2014, I rescued an abused dog, Axle, that was unable to be adopted. Over this past year, I have worked extensively to rehab this dog to free him from his anxiety. I spent thousands of dollars on behavior modification training, ran him on a treadmill every day, gave him mentally stimulating toys and feeders, and eventually put him on anti anxiety medication. After a recent bite to the neighbor's ankle and an attack on one of the other dogs in my home, I had to concede that my efforts were simply not enough to rid him of his demons. Struggling with such intense anxiety was affecting his quality of life. He was constantly panting, incessantly licking, and unable to sit still for more than two minutes at a time. I had to make the very difficult decision to humanely euthanize him. While this was one of the worst experiences of my life, there were so many supportive people to help me get through this. Here are some smile-worthy kindness that shined through the darkness in my life:

-My older sister called everyday to give me support and encouragement
-A friend allowed me to take Axle in her fenced in yard the morning of the appointment to allow him to run free
-My twin sister helped me make paw prints. After my dog was gone, she gave me a very nice card and a gift from Axle. She and my mom were also there to hug me when I was crying inconsolably following the appointment
-The veterinarian made the experience as easy as possible for me. She gave me many hugs and words of comfort. The vet also made a collage of pictures of him for me to take home
-Many of my friends and family sent me messages and texts of support
-My mom came over to drive me to the vet. She also went into the room with me. It meant a lot to not have to go through it alone.
-Many of you know that I work in home care for a little girl with several medical needs. The day after putting Axle down, the family took me on a surprise trip to the zoo during my shift.

While the situation was still a very painful experience, knowing that so many people cared enough to help me get through it, made it a little more bearable.

Dogs Saved 2-4 Lives

My dogs participate in a blood donation program. Every 8 weeks I take my pups to IndyVet to donate their blood and each donation saves 2-4 animals. I definitely think this makes people smile when their pet is saved because of blood donors like Jenson and Massa.

A nice gentleman made me smile today. When he saw that I was waiting in line with a 40 lb bag of dog food on my shoulder, he offered to let me go in front of him.

When I got my nails done today, my manicurist had new pictures up of his wedding. His wife is absolutely GORGEOUS. I tell him this every time I am there and today he said that I make his day every time I say it. He also made me smile when he gave me a little souvenir from Vietnam (he recently went there).

I have no clue what it is but it made me smile to know that he thought of bringing something back for his favorite clients.

 

 

Who did you make smile today?

Volunteering and Coworkers

I hope everyone had a great Wednesday!

My dad made me smile today. He sent me a link with information about The Yellow Dog project (www.theyellowdogproject.com) Having a "yellow dog" myself, I was excited to see this global effort to educate society on dogs that need space. It is a productive way to keep the public and fearful/anxious/painful dogs safe. I will be applying to volunteer as an area representative to help this global initiative.

I also had a chance to catch up with some old coworkers at dinner tonight. It's great to have friends that are still willing to keep in touch after your careers have taken you down different paths.

Who did you make smile today?

A Simple Thank You

Happy Tuesday!

I seriously have the greatest job. There is not a day that goes by that the little girl I care for doesn't make me smile. She made me smile big time today. As I was leaving, she thanked me for going to school with her. She is the sweetest 3 year old on the planet. Lately I have been experiencing care giver fatigue so this was something I definitely needed to boost my spirits! Again, don't forget to tell people you appreciate them. It makes a huge difference.

Who did you make smile today?

Sometimes life knocks you down...

I'm sorry for my lack of posts lately. Sometimes life knocks you down and it takes a while a to pick yourself back up. I have been experiencing some difficult situations in my life  and the wind was temporarily taken out of my sails. It was very hard to find the motivation to keep others smiling when I felt like there was not much to smile about myself. I am trying to get back on track. The world can be a tough place that hardens our hearts and I refuse to give in to it. Here are some things that made me or others smile in the couple weeks since my last post:

-My sister and I drove over an hour to support our friend as he performed in his first play

-My sister drove back from her trip early to come watch me race.  She even drove 85 mph and made it JUST in time for the green flag!
-My sister even made this and posted it on facebook with the caption "2nd in the rain today! I'm a proud sister!!"

It made me smile, it made me feel loved, and it boosted my spirits after a rough couple days

-A friend of mine was honored by a past student for being a teacher that has made an impact on her life.
-After James Hinchcliffe suffered a life threatening injury in a practice session for the Indy 500, there was an outpouring of love and support from his fans. Also, his parents called all the safety crew and first responders together and personally thanked them for saving their sons life

-My dad and I cleaned the floor and bathroom at my grandmas house because it's hard for her to get around
-When I was going through my difficult situations, I had a ton of support from friends and family
-A friend took me out to dinner

I know there are probably several more examples! Who did you makes smile today?

Blast from the Past

Life has been crazy busy so I have missed several days but I will write about them all. First, I'd like to start with today's smile because it really meant a lot to me. As a nurse, you sacrifice a lot in order to care for your patients. Many times you go without lunch, you work well past the end of your shift, you miss holidays with your family, and exhaust yourself on a daily basis to make sure your patients get the care they need. It is not often that you are thanked for the care you have provided.... even less often that you are remembered and thanked six years later. When I worked on an adult med-surge unit, I had the privilege to care for an amazing man. There are always patients that you just "click" with and he was one of them. He definitely made an impression on me and I learned today that I also made an impact on him. Here are a couple comments I received from him today:

Tracy it's been 7 years (4/1) since you took care of me! What an impact you've made on my life!!

You are awesome! You cared for me off and on for 9 days! Kept me positive, and kept me motivated, oh yea and pain free! I'm friends with one of the other nurses too but I don't see her on here much anymore! Can't think of her name! Young African American girl! you were so amazing with my family too! I will never forget you're smile!! Brightened the entire room! Love you always!

Words can't even express what this means to me. It definitely makes me feel as though I am fulfilling what God has put me on this earth to do! Any time I feel under appreciated, I will have to look at this and remember that even though it doesn't seem like my efforts are recognized, they make more of an impact than I will ever know. HUGE smile for me today... probably the whole week!!

Saturday smiles:
My grandmother invited me over to her house for the indycar race and dinner.

Sunday Funday:
I saw many people pay tribute to their mothers. I saw pictures and words of praise on facebook posts, I saw shoppers buying gifts, and families taking their mothers out for lunch. I made my mom a picture frame which she really enjoyed. My aunt and uncle brought over a mothers day lunch for the entire family.

Monday:
A man at the gym liked my shirt and we shared a smile. I picked up some apples at the grocery store for my sister because she forgot them when she went shopping the previous day. When I was checking out, a woman let someone with only one item go in front of her in line because she had a lot of groceries and knew she would hold him up.

Who did you make smile today?

Happy Friday!

Thursday:
Here are a few memes people posted on my facebook yesterday that made me smile

 

 

Friday:



Today has been a good day so far. I smiled when I got my nails done because my favorite guy was back from his month long trip to Vietnam to marry his fiancé. I hope he smiled in return because he showed me pictures and they were absolutely stunning. His bride is also incredibly beautiful. So of course I told him all of these things. I also told him how happy I was he was FINALLY back! I gave him a higher tip than usual as well. He made me smile by telling me I've done a great job with Axle and that I'm "too nice" because I won't give up on him. He added that I've probably saved his life. This comment really felt good to hear because I often wonder if all the work I've put into this dog is worth it. It takes two hours of my evening to tend to my dogs. When I get home from work,  my two well-behaved dogs get a two mile walk. I feed them and administer both of their allergy medications. Then it is Axles turn. He is so wound up that I have to run him a mile on the tread mill first thing. Then we run outside for anywhere between 2 and 4 miles depending on time. I have to give him his anxiety meds and then feed him through as slow feeder to help slow his mind down.  It's usually after 8 by the time I can shower and actually feed myself. Sometimes I wish a stay-at-home dog mom was an option! lol After hearing Anthony say I've probably saved Axles life, I know he is right. It is absolutely worth the work to know that being with me is the best chance this dog has at a good quality of life. Anthony definitely made me feel like I am doing something to make a difference.

After getting my nails done, I went to Chick-Fil-A. Sitting next to me was a 5 year old boy who LOVES policemen. So of course, he was excited that two tables away were two police officers enjoying their lunch. Having noticed the boy, the two officers stopped to talk with the boy on their way out. It made me smile and it definitely made the boys day!!

Who did you make smile today?

Happy Nurse's Day!!

Happy Nurses Day to all my fellow nurses!!

First thing this morning I received a text from my father wishing me a Happy Nurses day. My sister brought me Starbucks and some candy to work today as a nurses day treat. She also surprised me with cheesecake when I came home. Thanks sis!

I met a family during my days with Riley Hospital for Children and have been able to stay in touch with them through facebook. Their facebook post today made me smile big time:

 

"Just saying thanks to all our nurses who have spent hours with (my child) at her lowest of lows, isn't enough. They have gone above and beyond for our sweet girl so many times and it takes a special person to be able to watch a child endure so much. But they do it, and they do it so well. So thanks to all of our Riley Nurses, Lutheran nurses and our awesome home health care nurses. (Especially Ellen) for all that you do time and time again. Without all of you she would not get the care she needs!! -- Happy Nurses Week!!"

I love that through facebook I can watch some  of my patients grow once they've been discharged. Nurses care for these kids for months and it was always bitter sweet when we finally see their families take them home. Being able to watch their progress and know that I was part of a team that made it possible is beyond rewarding.

 

 

Who did you make smile today?

 

Circle of smiles

I started this blog because I wanted to show how kindness can spread. If we can make ONE person smile that will make a huge difference. However, if that person then makes another person smile, and that person makes another person smile, etc. the world could be a much better place. Here are some examples of how smiles have the ability to come full circle.

After my post yesterday, here are a couple of comments I received:

"Thanks to your family for giving us lots of smiles! Your dad letting me practice with Alan gave us all a lot to smile about!!!!"

 

"Tracy your driving today made Jim and I smile. Your driving was fantastic. You made an amazing come back! Then your blog entry made me smile because I felt similar feelings today. It was nice to hear that other drivers can have similar frustrations and overcome them."

 

I love that my blog has made some people smile. Then when they post comments such as these it makes ME smile and gives me more encouragement to keep the random acts of kindness going.

Another friend who raced with us this weekend posted this to his facebook:
"I want to thank a few people for an awesome weekend! I truly enjoyed myself on and off the track!!"

We are so glad to provide so many people with the opportunity to have these great experiences. When we receive comments like this it makes me smile because I know how hard my dad works to put a great program together. I know it makes him feel good to know that his hard work is paying off!

I also received this comment for a fellow racer:
"Tracy was killing it yesterday" I know I write this all the time but I can't stress it enough. If you like something, see someone do something great, admire someone, etc. please TELL them. We don't do this often enough and it makes that person feel so great! This comment definitely brought a smile to my face.

After receiving that compliment and realizing how good it feels for someone to recognize what you have accomplished, I realized that I did not give credit where credit was due. We had a racer join us that had no experience karting on a road course and in only his second race with us, he placed in the top 10 in a very difficult, competitive class. So when his dad posted some pictures of his race-long three way battle, I made sure that he knew what a great job he did:

Me: "Alan did great!!"

Alan: "Thank you Tracy! It was a pleasure learning from all of you and I greatly appreciate the time with AFK, so thank you!"

Alan's dad: "Tracy please pass along our sincere thanks to your Dad! We enjoyed our time with all of you and are looking forward to doing it again. We will see where we stand at the end of our dirt season and maybe we can get a road course kart."

So, of course their reply to my comment made me smile again. A perfect example of a smile going full circle.

Who did you make smile today? 

A great group of racers

Today at New Castle Motorsports Park I seemed to notice smiles everywhere I looked. Specifically, I saw the group of people racing in the LO206 classes having a great time doing what they love to do most.

I qualified well in both of the classes I race and several people came to congratulate me and wish me luck. I also had a couple of people tell me that they  enjoy my blog. This was great to hear because I often wonder if anyone is reading this!! It definitely made me smile.

Ever since my family started racing we say 'zoom zoom' before the race. When I looked on the gopro attached to my kart, it had 'zoom zoom' written on it. This definitely brought smile to my face as I was suiting up for my race on the grid. Thanks Dad!

We also have a good friend, Grant Pendrey, who comes out to NCMP to help us out. If a kart is available, he races but in many cases we already have all the karts occupied. Grant still comes out and lends a hand in any way he can. Thank you Grant for helping! We appreciate it very much!

My sister is out of town for work again. Even with her hectic weekend schedule, she  still always tries to find a way to watch my race on her computer. I love that she is still cheering me on from the other side of the country! Thank you sis!

I am proud to be a part of a class that can race side by side without incident. There was a great 4 way battle for 4th place for the entire race. We could race each other hard and know that no one is going to do something stupid (at least not on purpose). When the race was over there were plenty of smiles and animated talk of how fun the race had been. It really feels like 20+ friends getting together and having a blast racing rather than being just about winning and confrontation. We joke around with one another and just have a great time.  We do have our frustrating moments as well but we forgive quickly and look forward to the next race. In one of my races I qualified 6th out of 21 and was looking forward to having a good battle up front. However at the drop of the green flag, I was pushed completely off track and fell to last. Initially, I was fuming inside my helmet but I had to focus on making my way through the pack. I worked my way back up to 13th but this was definitely not the result I had hoped for. As soon as the race was over, I had barely stepped out of the kart when the guy who pushed me off track had come to apologize for ruining my race. At this point, I had cooled off enough to know that it wasn't intentional and stuff like that happens in racing. The apology was much appreciated though and he promised he wouldn't do it again! LOL Now, on to the next race with a great group to race against!

Who did you make smile today?

Friday & Saturday Kindness

Yesterday:
A friend made me smile yesterday by posting a video on my facebook that he knew I would enjoy. It's a great feeling when something makes someone think of you. It's also great when they want to show it to you because they know it will make you smile.

For those of you who don't know me, I am a race fan and have been racing karts for 15 years. I was testing at the track yesterday but the restaurant they have on site was closed. However when staff went to get lunch for themselves, they made sure to get our orders as well. It was great that we didn't lose valuable testing time to go get food. We greatly appreciated it!

Today:
In a previous blog, I posted about my sister giving me an "I kissed a pit bull and I liked it" shirt and I had a chance to wear it today. I went in Panera for lunch and as soon as the cashier saw me she had a huge smile on her face and exclaimed "I just love your shirt!" A lot of times we think these things to ourselves without complimenting the person. Take the time to let them know what you are thinking.... they will love it!

My best friends invited me over for dinner tonight. It's nice that even though their family continues to grow they still always include their forever-single friend. I am very blessed to have best friends that I consider family. Many friendships fade away when their life paths are so different but my friends and I have stayed just as close as we were before marriage and kids.

Another friend informed me of an incident last week that made her smile and gave me permission to post it.

Just a personal experience from this week to encourage you of God`s great power for each of us: Come back w/ me if you will, to Tuesday.... The wind was horrendous that afternoon w/ 50 mph gusts @ times & I needed to go into Target to pick up some medicine for a friend. When I got out of my car, the wind was blowing & gusting so much that I was literally afraid I was going to be blown completely off balance! For those of you whom I haven't had recent physical contact, I have some pretty major mobility issues that require me to use a cane & still w/ that am not exactly what you would call stable on my feet. Anyway, when I got out of the car I had to hold onto my door handle for stability from the wind. As I stood there for a minute or so I grew even more fearful of falling until I heard a soft whisper in my ear saying "This wont be the 1st time I`ve ever calmed the wind"! I stood there for a little while trying to process what I`d just heard. The wind was still gusting fiercely as I cautiously let go of the door handle. The exact minute I let go, the wind calmed to the point that I was not afraid to walk into the store! Now granted, the wind had not died down completely but was calm enough that I was no longer afraid. This experience for me was just exactly the reminder that I needed of God`s constant nearness to His kids. That He will ALWAYS give us what we need exactly when we need it! Not necessarily when THINK we need it! All we have to do is admit our dependency on Him & He will take care of the minute details....whatever that looks like. Allow Jesus to help you through the storms in your life, whether they are storm storms or difficulty-storms!

Who did you make smile today?

Happy Thursday!

Hey all! I hope you all had a great Thursday. Todays random acts of kindness:

-Took a video of the girl I care for and sent it to her mom to brightened up her work day.
-Left a goofy voicemail for my sister to lighten up her travel across the country
-When I was leaving the pet store with a big bag of dog food slung over my shoulder, two different people held the doors for me.

Who did you make smile today?

A much needed smile

Lately, I have been in a funk and haven't been feeling very kind. I haven't been feeling well so I have come straight home from work so I haven't had opportunities to make others smile. I was thinking this evening that I needed someone to make me smile to bring me out of this bad mood I've been in. When my sister came home this evening, she made that happen.

For those of you who don't know me, I am an animal lover and dog rescuer. Specifically, I have a huge heart for pit bulls as they have unfairly received a poor reputation. I have two pit bulls myself and prior to my sister living with me, she had her reservations about them. However, not too long after spending some time in the same living space with these loyal dogs, she realized what wonderful dogs there truly are. So tonight when my sister came home, she handed me a bracelet that reads 'say no to dog fighting' as well as a pitbull t-shirt. The best part is, even though she was a previous pit bull skeptic, she got some for herself as well :)

 

Who did you make smile today?

Kindness in the midst of Nepal Tragedy

I know a girl who is currently living in Nepal. She is safe but had to spend her first night after the earthquake in an open field. Here are her recent facebook posts

 

This group of people have been displaced from their homes themselves. Instead of figuring out what is going to happen to them next and how to rebuild their life after the devastation, they are STILL putting others first. It's hard to see the light in the midst of such darkness, but their are many caring people do some extraordinary work in Nepal. Please continue to pray for their recovery efforts and donate if you are able.

 

Who did you make smile today?

Kindness at the Track

Sorry,  I worked late last night and didn't have time to post. I will cover yesterday in todays blog! I'm not very good and keeping up with this! Buuutt I guess it's better late than never.

Saturday:
We had a kart race this weekend and usually my dad stays at the track in a friends motorhome. However, our friends were unable to make it this weekend so I offered my dad a bed at my house (it's about 50 miles from the track). At first he declined, insisting that he could tough out the cold weather for one night and sleep in the trailer.  But after spending the entire day in the cold and rain he decided to accept my offer. I hope that this made his weekend a tad more tolerable as it was super cold for a race weekend.

Sunday:
One of the reasons I love karting so much is the sportsmanship involved in the sport. Although we all want to win and be competitive, we want to see our fellow racers be competitive as well. What is the fun in winning if there is no challenge? From lending tools to speed secrets, everyone really helps each other out. There was a karter who posted on our facebook group that he was in need of a tire mounting ring for the race and asked if there was any he could borrow and of course several people stepped up to offer help. Then as we were packing up to leave, my dad was struggling to push a kart stand holding two karts up the ramp and into the trailer. A fellow racer came sprinting over from across the pits to assist him. There are numerous examples of kindness displayed at the track every weekend. It always makes me smile.

 

Who did you make smile today?

FINALLY!!

I'm so sorry for missing another blog yesterday but my computer wouldn't let me get on BlogSpot!! Ok, so here is another two posts on one blog:

Thursday:
Yesterday at work I learned that a grandmother of a 4th grade student makes lunch for the entire school faculty every Thursday!! As someone who hates to cook even for herself, I find this amazing! The teachers at the school seemed to greatly appreciate the effort.

Friday:
A woman in my weight watchers meeting was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer 8 months ago. This week she learned she was officially in remission. Our weight watchers leader brought in a celebratory balloon for her today. I also saw that there were gifts left on the chairs of the woman's close friends. I soon found out that she had sewed each of them a gift for all of their support. Wow!! Every moment she felt well enough to do something, she worked on sewing the gifts. I think it is so incredible for someone who is enduring so much to still think of others. It made me smile this morning to witness such love, support, and kindness.

This afternoon I took my mom out to lunch. Hopefully this brightened her day a bit.

Tonight I went to a Riley Dance Marathon. It was great to see high school students have compassion for the needs of children they have never met. The mom of the girl I care for also spoke at the event. The students were very attentive and respectful during the speech. They were all so good with the little girl as well. Everyone seemed to be having a great time all while raising money for a great cause.

Who did you makes smile today?

Do what you love

Today is another two post blog. Yesterdays post was postponed because I wanted to make sure I had permission from my patients mother before posting so much information about her daughter. I'm glad I waited because it ties in  perfectly with todays blog: Do what you love. When you love your work, it's easy to be uplifted and to lift others up in return.

Tuesday
In my opinion, I have the best job in the world. 3 years ago I had the pleasure of caring for a sweet baby in the ICU and it changed my life forever. After caring for her for 2 out of the 4 months she was in the hospital, she was able to go home for the first time since birth. I knew that this baby girl could not leave my life forever and I decided to be her home care nurse. It was the best decision I have ever made.

At 3 years old, she is still the sweetest little girl I have ever met. She makes me smile every day and I love that I look forward to going into work each morning. I could write a blog about her everyday because she brings so much joy to those around her. I am so blessed and honored to be a part of her family. Her parents have graciously welcomed me into their home and into their daughter's life. I have been able to watch her milestones and accomplishments right along side them. I know it is difficult for some parents to watch their child bond with another adult but her parents have been so supportive of our relationship. I love this girl as if she were my own but I am always cognizant to not overstep my boundaries. I am forever grateful that they have accepted me into their family.

As I stated in a previous blog, she recently started school. I love that I get to be a part of this journey with her. Her sweet nature and kind heart has never been more evident than when she is surrounded by her peers. Because of her medical needs, she does a lot of things differently from her friends. For example, she does not eat by mouth so when if comes to snack time, she will sit with her friends but only pretends to eat. Today at snack time she was pretend eating some plastic cookies while her friends were eating fruit snacks and chips. She wanted to make sure they all had a plastic cookie as well so she gave every kid one of her cookies.  It amazes me that even though she is restricted from eating , she still wants to ensure that everyone is included in her "meal".

This precious girl is the perfect example of how we should all treat one another.... with love, forgiveness, joy, and hope.

Wednesday
Today is Administrative assistants day. As the church secretary, my mom received a card and gift card from the Pastor and a couple of coworkers treated her to lunch.

A friend of mine also got a nice message from one of her clients today

 

Too often we don't let the people we admire know what a difference they are making. Please take the time to tell them!

Who did you make smile today?