I’ve noticed a lot of loss around me lately. Life is predictable in that way. You roll along without a care and then you hit a pocket of something. Sometimes it’s joy, sometimes it’s struggle, sometimes it’s loss. It isn’t a permanent situation, but it’s something that you must pass through and hopefully learn from before coming out on the other side. I don’t mean to trivialize it; some of these “pockets” are huge lumps of space and time that seem to never end, and some are just days or even hours. Some take everything that we have to stay upright and keep walking through, while others are just a hop, skip, and jump to the other side. We never know which it’s going to be, but they will always be there and therein lies the predictability.

Today, I am just rolling along. I am doing okay. My family is okay, my dog is okay. I appreciate these moments. It’s simple days like these that we long for when things are going badly. I know people who are currently going through some very tough things. I know they long for easier times, and they will come again, once they’ve passed through the storm. We are all in different places at the same time. Some of us are doing okay, and some of us not so much. I truly believe that in the moments that we are on cruise control, we need to look around. If things aren’t too difficult for me at the moment and I happen to notice that it’s harder for someone else in that some moment, then maybe it’s my turn to help. It’s my turn to allow them to lean on me, if even in the smallest way. It’s my turn to share a kind word, to give them a smile, to reach out in some way. This is the rope that we all hang on to. It keeps us afloat when we may be flailing and unsure. If I am stable then I have something to offer to someone who isn’t. Maybe some day, when I am not so calm and sure of my way, that rope will be there for me to hold on to as well. We all have days when we feel that we’re in over our head. Having something to grab on to can be the difference between drowning and rising above.

This is one of the ways we love people. Lately, I am reminded how important it is to love one another. I am reminded by loss of loved ones. We’re all guilty of living day to day thinking we have more time, but sometimes we don’t. Taking a moment to stop and share a kindness could be the last memory you have. I am also reminded to love one another in other smaller ways. The way we treat each other from day to day is so important. Just acknowledging, respecting, and greeting one another with good intention is so important. Be thoughtful. Have no ulterior motives. Don’t expect the worst in people, but rather encourage the best. Misunderstanding can arise from pre-conceived notions. We all have them, but as hard as it may be, sometimes we need to let them go. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been pleasantly surprised by an unexpected kindness from a stranger. A word or action that I didn’t expect, didn’t think was possible, came to be and my day was all the better for it. I want to try harder to do that for others. If you look nice, I want to tell you. If you said or did something that made me smile, I want to thank you. If you gave of yourself to make my day a little easier, I want to acknowledge you. It doesn’t matter if I get anything in return or not, I just want you to know that you helped. You made a difference.

We’re all here for such a short time. How lovely would it be if we all tried to make each others’ journeys just a little easier? There’s already so much dischord and turmoil in the world. I want to try harder not to add to it, but to alleviate some of it. I am human, and I fail at this regularly. I know I can do better, I can be better. When I do fail, I can try again. I have to believe that it’s in our nature to love and to care for one another. Each of us has something to contribute to one another, let mine be positive.

We all have to start some where. So today, I wish you all the best. I hope your day goes well. I hope you find joy in something and you smile, at least once. I hope your thoughts are uplifting. Believe in your worth. Know that you are needed by someone. Then take that good feeling and spread it around. What’s the worst that could come of it? Or, better yet, what’s the best that could come of it?