A Year of Good Things

Well, believe it or not, it has been a year since I started my blog! On June 1, 2010 I promised to write about something happy every week day for one year. Sometimes I had to dig deep to find happiness on a gloomy day. Some days were not happy, but I was always able to find a positive to talk about. Sometimes, I had to fit writing my blog into the end of a very busy day or the early morning prior to a busy day. Somehow I managed to do it, and I think I proved that you can “fool” yourself into being happy just by pretending you are. Along the way, I received many comments and I appreciated each and every one. I am amazed that I have had over six thousand views on my blog! When I check the stats, I find it incredible that people from all over the world have been reading my blog.
I will continue to write in my blog, but not every day. I will try to update it often, and I will continue to find positive things to write about. For those of you in the Prince Albert area, I now have a weekly column in the PA Shopper called (of course) “Through Rose Coloured Glasses”. If you are not in the Prince Albert area, you can access weekly editions of the Shopper at http://princealbertshopper.com. Between my blog and my column, I hope to continue to provide positive and happy thoughts and hopefully create an alternative to the bad news we seem to hear daily.
Looking at life through rose coloured glasses. . . it's a good thing!

Why Good Things Happen To Good People

I came across a book today called "Why Good Things Happen To Good People" by Jill Neimark and Dr. Stephen Post. Neimark is a science journalist, novelist and poet. Post is a bioethicist. They wrote the book together because they believe that giving is good for you. They claim that giving protects your physical and mental well-being. They profess that while you can't change the things that happen to you or the unkindness of others, you can create your own happiness and take care of your health through acts of generosity!

Together, they interviewed dozens of people who had suffered unimaginable fates including paraplegics, Holocaust survivors, and people who had had horrific childhoods. Those survivors who found a way to help others overcame their hardships and lived happier, more fulfilling lives than survivors who were not as generous. After interviewing people who had rebuilt their own lives by giving to others, Neimark and Post are more convinced than ever that we can make our own happiness and the best way to do so is by being generous to others. Being happy by giving to others, even is life has dealt you a difficult blow. . . it's a good thing!

The Brave and The Not So Brave

Sometimes things happen that make you feel braver than others. That happened to me today in the dentist’s office. Those who know me, know that I am not a very brave “go to the dentist” type person, and today was no exception. I had to have some weird dental surgery done (which is another story, but not a happy one so it has no place in this blog). As I was sitting in the waiting room, breathing slowly and convincing myself that everything was going to be ok, a muscular tall man in a Corrections Canada uniform walked into the clinic. The receptionist handed him a form to fill in and he brought it to the waiting area where he sat in the chair next to me. As he filled in the form, I noticed his hands were shaking. I naturally assumed he had just had some type of life-threatening event at the penitentiary and he was still recovering from an adrenal rush which was causing his hands to shake. I was then called into the office and as I sat in the chair waiting for the dentist to come in, I heard the corrections officer being brought into the room next to mine. He said to the dental assistant “I haven’t been to a dentist since the last time I was here”. She replied, obviously looking at his chart, “That was a few years ago”. “Yeah, I know”, he said “I don’t like coming to see you guys.” “Yes, we’ve been known to make grown men cry” she replied, I suspect only half-jokingly. The corrections officer went on “My teeth are probably in really bad shape because it’s been so long, but I keep putting it off.” in a voice that sounded shaky. “Well” she said, let’s have a look. Open your mouth” She then said “No, really, you have to open your mouth so I can have a look”. It was slowly beginning to occur to me that perhaps he had not just had a crisis involving an outraged inmate high on some type of inhalant. Was it possible that this man who was obviously in top physical shape and who deals every day with the worst criminals in our system – people no one else would be brave enough to deal with – is afraid of a little dental work? I found that hard to believe, but he certainly caught my interest and my ears perked up listening for more details. As a side benefit, it took my mind off my own fear.

A while later, I heard the dentist declare that his teeth were fine and he would require a cleaning and nothing more. The dental assistant, obviously having dealt with many children and grown men in her career, said, “OK, this is what I’m going to use on your teeth first, it doesn’t hurt it just kind of vibrates. Hold out your hand and I’ll show you how gentle it is”. A couple seconds, later, she said “C’mon, hold out your hand. I promise it doesn’t hurt”. He obviously allowed her to show him because she said to him, “See, it’s ok” to which he quietly replied “I guess so”. By this time, the Novocain in my mouth was working very well, and that, along the conversation in the next room, was causing me to feel braver and braver by the minute.

In the next room, the dental assistant was still cleaning the teeth of the corrections officer and asked him “You doing ok?” There was silence for a couple beats. Then she said “It’s ok to say no”. Silence again, then a quiet “No”. She chuckled and said “You know what, we are almost done here, I’m sure you will be just fine”. By this time, I had a huge smile on my face, albeit a crooked one because of the freezing. I wondered what the inmates back at the penn would think if they only knew.

My dentist came into my room then and asked me “Are we ready to go in here”. I said “Yes” and thought to myself, “You bet – bring it on. I am probably your bravest patient in the clinic right now”. Realizing that being afraid of the dentist is ok (even if you are a six foot, muscular, athletic corrections officer) . . . it’s a good thing!

A Good Day

I was driving to work this morning when I stopped for a red light in front of a school. A young girl walked across the street holding hands with a young boy who no doubt was her little brother. There was just something nice about this big sister caring for her little brother in that way. They both had smiles on their faces, and they put a smile on my face as I am sure they did for the other driver beside me. The older sister was making sure that nothing happened to her baby brother and he was happy having her take the lead. Somehow this show of love between brother and sister – the two of them walking together hand in hand – started my day on the right track. Looking at the two of them on their way to school as they walked in front of my car, I just knew I was going to have a good day. Taking time to appreciate little things like he love between a little girl and her brother . . . it’s a good thing!

Bringing Joy - One Picture At A Time

The people in the southern US who have survived the many terrible tornadoes this year have lost so much. Many no longer have homes or possessions. While the world has responded with donations and money for shelter, clothing and food, which is of course much needed. However, one person has done an amazing thing. It is a small in comparison with all that has been lost, but it is also huge. Patty Bullion lives in Lester, Alabama, which has escaped the storms of 2011. One day, in the aftermath of the April 27 storm, Patty noticed a piece of paper in the yard of a relative’s home. She picked it up and realized it was an ultrasound picture of a baby. Patty was adopted at the age of two and has no baby pictures of herself, and she immediately knew that she wanted the woman in the picture to have this souvenir back. She then began to look under trees, along roads and in fields and collected more and more pictures. There were old pictures, pictures of grads, weddings. . .so many memories, lost in the winds of the storms. She started a face book page called “Pictures and Documents Found After the April 27, 2011 Tornadoes”. She posted the pictures she had found and invited others to do the same. Eventually over 3,700 pictures were posted. Families who had lost everything began to identify the pictures on her site and gratefully claimed them back. Through these families, Patty now knows that some of the pictures she collected flew over 130 miles. What an amazing person Patty is. She has given back to people some of the memories which were lost and which they will now once again be able to pass on to future generations. However, when they pass on these pictures, as well as the story of the image itself, they will also tell of the journey of the pictures in the tornadoes of 2011 and of the woman who saved and returned them. Special people who go out of their way to make the lives of others just a little better . . . it’s a good thing!

Water Babies

My boys were water babies. They both loved the water and spent hours either in pools or at the lake. We spent many week-ends at the family cabin enjoying sun and water. For them, it didn’t matter if the water was cold or not. That did matter for me, and I spent many hours on the beach, wrapped in a blanket, while they played in the water. Why the stroll down the watery memory lane? I just read an article which said that according to studies done, babies who were allowed to splash around in a pool when they were two to seven months old develop better motor skills – and keep them. These children have better eye-hand coordination and better balance in kindergarten than those who had not. My kids did not swim at such a young age, but I found the article very interesting. The study also showed that babies who swam at an early age establish a strong relationship with their parents. There is no doubt that is true. As parents we spent a lot of time in the water with our kids and created many good memories. Raising water babies . . . it’s a good thing!

Zeus

Last week, my son TK got a puppy – a Rottweiler he named Zeus. We always had a family dog throughout TK’s childhood. Though he always loved the family dog, he always wanted a Rottweiler, and many times tried to talk me into allowing him to have one. I told him I did not want a Rottweiler in my house, that I disliked that breed of dog and that he would have to wait until he had his own home to have a Rottweiler. Well, that is exactly what he did. He now has his own home and, sure enough, a new Rottweiler puppy was in his plan. In fact, renos in his new home have been put on hold so that he can fence his yard for Zeus. TK planned the arrival of his new pet with days off of work so that he could spend time with him. On Saturday, he returned to work for a twelve-hour shift and worried about leaving the puppy alone for that long. He asked if we would “dog-sit” for him, which we did. As I have gotten to know this little dog over the past week, I have slowly but surely been falling in love with him. He is so intelligent that you often only have to teach him something once and he knows it! I think one of his most endearing qualities is how stubborn he is. When TK first tried to walk him on a leash, Zeus showed his dislike for the leash by simply flopping down on the floor and refusing to move (all ten pounds of him)! TK literally dragged him across the floor and he still refused to walk. I secretly thought to myself, “Oh, my son, you so deserve each other!” (Well, ok, not so silently – I mentioned this fact to my son – several times). Zeus has come to know each of us already in one short week, as we have come to know him too. His personality is becoming more apparent as each day goes by. I think we have found a new member for our family. Falling in love with a dog you were sure you were going to hate . . . it’s a good thing!