Throw a Little Kindness to Your Neighbors.
It can’t hurt and it might help you as well!
Photo by jose aljovin on Unsplash
When I was first starting out, I had a life plan. It involved hard work and a little luck. The plan was that once I finished my education, I would get a job and save money. I would go on numerous holidays, would have an active social life and then I would meet my soul
mate. We would eventually have children and live happily ever after.
As you can imagine I was rather young when I made those plans. Yes, I did work hard and save money, I did go on a few holidays and I did meet my soul mate. That was as good as it got for a long time. I know I was blessed to achieve what I did.
But now I am retired. My time is my own. We are not worrying about money. So what are my plans now? I want to be a writer. I have written my first novel and am completing the editing process. I want to blog about life as a senior.
Life is good as a senior. I am busier than I have ever been. And believe me, as the mother of three active boys, working full-time and being a partner with my husband, I know busy!
I always volunteered while the boys were growing up. I figured it was good role modeling. I was on the Parent Advisory Council at school, I collected funds for both the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Cancer Society every year and I even had the illustrious job of being the
lice checker at their elementary school!
Now as a senior and retired my time is my own. I am busier than ever but I look at volunteering opportunities in my life now.
I see a lot of lonely seniors. I was always too busy to stop and say hello or just exchange a few words. Now I make sure I say something to most people I meet if I am in a line, on the bus, at the grocery store or just walking on the street or the trails.
Recently I was out running and tired, slow and going uphill. Suddenly, someone is walking by and they say “you go, girl”. I felt so good! I am not so tired and feel I can finish this hill. I am still slow, that won’t change but all it took to change my attitude was one little gesture. It cost nothing and was less than five seconds. It is now my go-to for my little hello while running.
I believe that charity begins at home and that includes one’s friends and neighbors. I started a craft group at our complex this last year. It was just to get the more senior woman out and socializing. Funny thing, I am learning to knit and have fun with a great group of women every other Tuesday.
This week I taught the basics of the AED -Automatic External Defibrillator. I chaired the committee that investigated the different types of AED’s one can buy. We bought one for the clubhouse. The plan was to give a talk on how this works last Tuesday and Thursday. I used to give talks to the public on poison prevention when I was at work. It was never an issue and I was always comfortable speaking in public but it has been close to two years since I have done this.
Tuesday night’s talk went well but I wasn’t happy as it lacked polish. Everyone there thanked me. Fortunately, one woman came up and asked if she could offer some tips.
She critiqued my talk and gave me some valuable pointers that I had forgotten. She was used to reviewing speeches at a high level.
I have been asked to present at a writer’s conference and speak on the types of poison one could use to “kill off characters”. I am so excited. I like to speak in front of audiences and would do this as much as possible. I have asked the woman that critiqued my AED talk if she will do the same for me before I give my poison talk. She has agreed!
These are three little examples of me trying to help my neighbors and I have benefited each time.
No one is too busy to say hello as they pass someone on the street. No one is too busy to give a little help. I believe in Karma and I already have payback. I did not do it for that. It’s just one of life’s little benefits.
Think about what life has for you that you may not even know you want or need.
