Kindness~ there is no substitute

yesterday a friend of mine said the nicest thing to me. she told me that she loves my beautiful shiny red hair and that she thinks my skin is also beautiful. her comments took me by surprise. they also made my day. i felt really good the rest of the day because of her kindness. i am going to try to remember this--how a kind word or sincere compliment can make someone's day. maybe they are feeling low and my comment could be the thing that lifts them up. i always try to be kind to everyone but now my goal is to be especially kind to at least one person every day---to pay them the compliment that has been lingering in my head, that i never seem to get around to sharing, to tell them how much they mean to me, or how much i enjoy being with them. we shouldn't underestimate the power of a kind word or gesture.

Questions ???

In spite of having lived overseas for so long and traveling all over,
I find the world increasingly perplexing. For example,

Why do hotel maids fold the toilet paper into that little point? I don't particularly want
to use toilet paper that has been fondled by some unknown person into some strange
tissue origami.

Why do we have to pay for ketchup at McDonald's in Europe? Is ketchup
such a rare and expensive commodity here that the tablespoon of
tomato sauce in that little packet must be accounted for?

Why is it that there is a direct correlation between how old we get
and how many pairs of clippers we own? The more we age the more we
seem to accumulate fingernail clippers, toenail clippers, hedge
clippers, nose hair clippers, etc. (P.S. In case you are wondering, I don't own any nose
hair clippers)

Why do they call it "French dressing"? I've been to France numerous
times and had many salads there and I have never been offered that
strange neon orange dressing. (What's it made of anyway?….carrots on steroids?)

Why do airlines even bother with the little peanut packets? What are
5 peanuts supposed to do for me? I feel so frustrated and even more
hungry after I eat them that I am ready to chew off my own arm.

Why haven't I seen these products yet?---"Backhair Be-Gone" (like Nair
for the back), or "Panties-in-a-Can" (spray on when wearing those
super tight fitting jeans), "Butt-deflectors" (special pants with
strategically placed mirrors sewn on the hips to make the appearance
of your butt smaller), "O-So-Soft Fuzzy hats and gloves" (Made out of
dryer lint---there ought to be a use for that stuff!) or my favorite,
"Make-a-Toupee Home Craft kit" (save your armpit and leg hairs after shaving and weave
them into a completely natural and real looking toupee!)

Well, enough of this nonsense…I need to get back the really important question of
today---who is going to unpack the last few boxes that I never seem to have time to get
to?! (Afterall, I am the Queen of Procrastination)

thoughts....

pain and challenge are both good. they lead to growth and change. the things in life that hurt us the most, that challenge us, that make us think and ache and feel---those are the events that make us who we are. that show us who we can be and what we can do. i have learned to ride out the bad times, knowing that without them i wouldn't learn the lessons life has to teach. after the storm there is always calm. today i feel this calm.

my heart feels so full --almost bursting. and i feel so kind and so giving that even when the darkness tries to consume me, it can't. it can't make me angry, resentful, hateful, or frustrated. peace---real peace engulfs me and keeps me safe from the demons.

some days, like today, my spirit feels like it has wings.

i hope you have a day like this soon.

Delirium

I'm a little delirious right now (from lack of sleep, excess stress, and well...I'll spare you the details of the rest). But I feel like writing anyway.

I have now lived overseas for 18 years. I have been to 40 countries and learned so much from my (mis)adventures. I would like to share some of my newly acquired knowledge with you...

Ever wonder where the worst drivers in the world are? I found them-----in ...Egypt! And of course the seatbelts in the taxis do not work. So you find yourself gripping the seat with your fingernails (those that you haven't bitten off). But they are very clever salesmen. The constant efforts to get me into their shops were getting tiresome. So when one guy kept pressuring me and asking me what I wanted, I said "I want nothing". He very promptly replied, "I've got that! I've got nothing in my shop! Come into my shop!"

Ever wonder where the worst food is? I found it---in England. I mean really…black pudding?! It is not pudding at all (but it is black) and totally disgusting---and blood sausage ranks at the top of my list of things I will never eat. First of all, no food should ever have the word blood in it. Second of all, well there is no second of all…that's enough of a reason to keep it off your plate. (And remember—it was the English who also came up with that "figgy pudding")

Ever wonder what the strangest country is? I found it---Russia. They just don't quite get it yet. They are really giving the whole market economy/capitalism thing a shot. But it isn't quite right. You no longer have to wait in line to buy bread, but water is more expensive than Vodka. Cigarette vendors make more money than teachers and doctors. The Moscow subway stations built during the Stalin years look like palaces, but the people live very poorly and most make a salary of 50 dollars a month. I flew to Russia on the Russian airline, Aeroflot. I got to the airport for my midnight flight only to find that my reservation and ticket (paid for) had been cancelled. As I stood at the "customer service desk" (and I use the term loosely) I noticed their customer service flyer. It proudly stated, "AEROFLOT---WE VALUE OUR OPINION". On the flight the attendant asked if I would like a meal. I asked, "What are the choices?" She replied, "Yes or No". That pretty much sums up Russian attempts at tourism.

(I am so tired …I stayed up the last 2 nights until very late. So now I am exhausted and a bit delirious. This morning I washed my face with hair gel...hey c'mon, the bottle for my face soap was very similar)

Afraid of the dark

it can be gone in a flash, in a moment---like the flip of the switch, the light is out and you find yourself in the dark. i try to embrace these flickering moments and to keep them in my head, just behind the eyes. so even when they are gone, they are still with me.

Good for the soul

it's snowing now.....so beautiful.

it's late but i went for a walk in the soft snow. the darkness wrapped around me, feeling warm---even in the night's cold. looking up, the falling snow --like a blanket of lace against the shadowed sky. snow tickling my nose, wetting my lips-- and the silence soothing my soul. i wish it could be like this every night.