In case you have not been following along, 12 for 40 is designed to spread news of the good deeds that people like us are doing every day. It is a shift in the mindset to focus on everything good, because good infects good, and everyone is always welcome to celebrate God's goodness through the beauty in humanity.
Let me add, however, that this is not only for those who are religious. People of any faith, or none at all, are welcome to join in on all the good that is being done every day. I crafted this idea after what Jesus did--he got 12 people to join him in his mission to spread God's love, to help those who are often neglected, and to bring joy and hope to anyone. Right now we have 15 people on the e-mail list, so we are not limited to just staying at 12. People don't always post every day...we all have days when time is very limited and perhaps there is not enough time to sit down and write. This is okay, of course! But those I've talked to have said that although some days have been overwhelming, the mindset is still there. And that is a beautiful thing. :) Feel free to join in at every time. Thank you!
Day 10
--Today someone called me an angel. This doesn't happen every day you know. My husband and I were at church during junior high Wednesday evening group. We were the designated parent roamers. Our job was to roam the church campus making sure all the 6th - 8th graders were staying where they are supposed to be and not getting into any mischief. At one point, I came upon this woman who was looking very lost and heading back from the church office to the parking lot. I said "Hello!" and was there anything I could help her with? Turns out she was recently widowed and looking for a single's coffee group our church has. Long story short, she was there on the wrong night, but I talked to her for about half an hour about her situation, and gave her a tour of our church. I made sure she had the information she needed about the different things she might be interested in at our church. She was very grateful, and being very lonely, she was very glad to have made a friend. We exchanged phone numbers and I will definitely check up on her next week and make sure she was able to get connected with some of the groups at church we talked about. She told me that God had put me there as an angel that night to help her. As much as that makes me feel happy, I'm just stoked God would choose to use me in that way when I thought I would just be "policing" the halls that night.
--My 8 year old is playing Little League right now. One of the kids on the team has a little brother who is just the cutest thing ever. And you can tell he so badly wants to be a part of a team like his big brother, but he's only just turned 5 and isn't playing baseball yet. He loves to wear anything that remotely resembles a jersey and baseball cap to all the games and practices. Anyone who knows our family knows that our 8 year old was EXACTLY like that when his older brother was playing and our 8 year old was too little to play. I remember our 8 year old, who when he was 3, 4, and 5 absolutely was in heaven if anyone gave him an extra hat, jersey, etc.
So I went into my boy's closet and found a baseball shirt and Dodger hat in his size that my boy had outgrown and gave it to that little boy yesterday at the game. The look on his face was priceless. He immediately threw off his shirt and put the baseball shirt and hat on. And then insisted his mom wash the shirt last night so he could wear it again today. I love little kids!
Day 9
"Today at the grocery store I was in a HUGE rush to get in and out, but from afar I saw a mom I know from my neighborhood who had mentioned and days earlier she was having problems w her kids' preschool. So although I was in a rush, I approached her and asked her how things were going. 20 minutes later I had spent my whole time listening and not shopping. I rushed to get a few necessities and figured I'd get back to really shop tomorrow or the next day. She even thanked me for listening to the details. :)"
Day 8
"Today I was at the dog park, and on my way out I saw a dog tag on the ground, and I kept walking. A few steps later, I stopped, turned around and went to pick it up. I decided to call the number on the tag, and a man answered, sounding weirded out he didn't recognize the number coming up on his phone. I told him I had found Apollo's dog tag, and was just leaving the dog park, so if he wanted me to drop it by I could, or I would be happy to send it to him. We discovered I didn't live far from him, so I drove by on my way home to drop off the dog tag in the mailbox. He told me how nice he thought the gesture was, and he seemed so appreciative for the sake of his dog, he said he had not even noticed the tag had fallen off. I can't even imagine if my dog went missing without tags, so I figured I put out some good karma, hopefully it'll come back to me!"
"Today I was having a conversation with one of my friends who is also doing the 12 for 40 and we were talking about getting back in touch with people we haven’t spoken to in a while, and the overwhelming feeling sometimes when you suffer the thought that you owe a long response, and so the anxiety causes you to put off the letter/e-mail/phone call until another day…but usually we all know that day will never come, at least not with that attitude. So we both talked about making a better effort to just send the shorter hello’s or to just suck it up and re-communicate.
So tonight I remembered that I had meant to send my friend and old roommate a letter congratulating him on winning CIF in boys’ basketball. The guy inspires me with how he coaches and how we works hard and how he gives his kids the best chance to succeed. I think that’s worth a letter. I had asked for his address about a week and a half ago, got it right away, and still hadn’t written the letter, until five minutes ago.
I can’t wait to send it off tomorrow morning. I know how happy it makes me feel to have someone acknowledge my hard work in something I’m passionate about. I know my friend feels the same way, so I am excited to know that he’ll be getting his letter soon. :)"
"-A student I used to work with contacted me a few days ago asking for some career advice. She suggested a phone call, but I knew she had been feeling lonely, so I suggested she come over for dinner with my wife and I. We had a really nice evening together and I think she really appreciated the change of pace from her daily routine. It was tempting to just treat her request for help as another "to do," but I'm really glad I took the initiative to make it something more than that."
Day 7
Since I was young, I have volunteered at a summer day camp for special needs children. Because I have had to leave for school early the past two summers, I have not been able to volunteer at the camp. I decided to change that today, as I emailed the person who runs the camp, asking if I could once again volunteer this coming summer. The week that I will be working is the last week that I will be home before I have to report to football camp in mid August. The years in which I have worked at this camp have always been very rewarding experiences for me. I have such a great appreciation for these kids and their families, not just because of how hard they work or their ever optimistic attitudes, but also because of how much I have learned from them. They are so grateful for everything that they have and epitomize what it means to be a leader by example. I feel blessed that I will be able to spend a week of my summer with them."
"Today my fiance moved into my apartment. We had movers coming at 8:30
am and began finishing the packing a little before 7am. I knew today
was going to be a challenging day, as her apartment was home to so
many great memories. I made a commitment to myself that I would shine
today in being a supportive and dependable partner. This began with
an offer to pick up coffee to energize for the morning. Her face lit
up "that sounds so nice, thank you." It's amazing sometimes at how
much an impact a simple act of kindness can provide. I seized on the
momentum and dropped off a carload full of charitable donations at
Goodwill, and all the people there were so appreciative of my
generosity. I stopped by the local market on my way back to the
apartment and picked up two bottles of water for the movers....they
were sweaty and working hard when I handed them the water upon my
return -- "you just saved my life, thank you!" was the reply from one
of them. I felt that today I really capitalized on the momentum of
this quest...it's really not that hard to give and bring a little bit
of happiness to someone's day/life. And the added bonus is that
helping another really makes me feel a lot more upbeat and happy.
What a gift! Off to cook my girl some dinner :)"
Day 6
"Today I went on a field trip (prelude to the Revolutionary War) with my 4th grade class. What was neat about this field trip was that it was aboard a ship, and the fourth grade classes were split up into different crews. Along with each crew us teachers had to assign a" mate"- someone in our class who would have to take directions from the captain, and basically be in charge. The other fourth grade teacher and I picked two of our boys that kind of get misunderstood by other teachers and parents- mostly because they are creative, energetic, nine year old BOYS.:) Anyway, it was AMAZING to see these boys act so mature, and to see their classmates trust them and follow them. It was one of those times where you just wished that their parents could be there to see it.
After we got back to school today, I told one of the moms how incredible her son's leadership was on our trip. She then asked me what else I liked about him...( which I thought was precious.) I told her, and she in turn told me that this is the first year he's liked school. When I got home tonight I emailed my student thanking him for doing an amazing job. Today reminded me to slow down and to not miss opportunities to encourage the "mates" of the world. We need them. :)"
Day 5
So everytime I'm at court, there is this homeless vet that stands by the parking lot I use with a cup out asking for spare change. I used to always give my change to people such as this gentleman, who seem so in need, but a few years ago, I started donating to non-profits instead knowing that the money would most likely be more beneficial there as opposed to being used most likely to feed an addiction. (My three years volunteering at a general assistance program pretty much confirmed this)
The problem with that thinking for me however, has always been that I was stereotyping homeless people and failing to provide anyone with a few dollars or quarters due to my pessimistic attitude that it may not go towards a hot meal or a shower, but towards a beer, a pack or cigarettes, or drugs. My additional heartache with refusing to give homeless people a handout has been what I was taught as a Catholic. I vividly remember the Bible stories and teachings growing up about the Good Samaritan, and Mary Magdalene washing Jesus' feet. You never know when that one good deed, that one small step of assistance might be helping someone, and when I was young, I remember being taught that that person in need might be Jesus. So, as silly or corny as it sounds, every time I've refused to give money to a homeless person, in the back of my head I have felt this enormous amount of guilt that I just refused Jesus in His time of need. (My guilt is further emphasized whenever I walk past this particular homeless man by the fact that the parking lot I use is for the Cathedral downtown.)
So, on Friday, I stopped, turned around and gave that homeless Vet my change, shook his hand, and talked to him about his upcoming dialysis appointment. I have no idea what he did with the few dollars I gave him, but I think/hope that looking him in the eye, having a conversation and treating him with respect started his day off a little bit better
Day 4
"Today all 3 of my kids were at ski lessons and i have to say the teachers/instructors were amazing with the kids. not just my kids, but all the kids there. anyway, later in the afternoon, i happened to run into the manager of the ski school. i thought about telling him how fabulous i thought the instructors were and then hesitated, thinking "i dont want to waste this guy's time" ...he was enjoying his quiet cup of coffee at starbucks. all of a sudden, i was that stalker, trying to see what his name tag said from work. haha. anyway, this quickly turned into my good deed for the day. i introduced myself and immediately cut to the chase, telling him how great his staff was today -- with my kids and all the kids i observed. i said i had no idea what to expect and it was such a nice surprise that my kids learned how to ski from such polite, well equipped, trained college aged students and that the whole experience was such a pleasure. He was really nice and thanked me for telling him. I feel like he deserved to know he hired good people."
Day 3
--This morning I went for a run and saw this gorgeous rose standing by itself. I took some time to stop and smell it and below it there were all these empty beer bottles, so I picked them up and put them in a nearby recycle, something I don't think I would've thought to do aside from the realization that I am trying to find ways to do good deeds for this 12 for 40. Then, my former co-worker texted me last minute that she needed a ride to the airport and even though I had a lot going on today, I know it really helped her out to get the ride. I feel that being conscious of finding ways to serve others is helping me to be excited to help out in these ways instead of seeing it as a drain.
--My two youngest kids and I watered the neighbor's flowers. It's not really a big deal, but the kids like feeling like they are helping out the neighbor and being good stewards of the beautiful flowers that God created. I like the feeling of knowing my neighbors trust and like us enough to let my clumsy toddler potentially fall into their hibiscus plant and not be annoyed :) We are happy to have such nice neighbors and blessed to have that friendship.
Day 2
"When I was planning our wedding, it was a very overwhelming time. I felt frustrated and frantic, trying to make everyone happy with what seems like insignificant details now. However, I am very blessed to have parents that were not only willing, but wanted to pay for the things to create a memorable wedding day for my husband and me.
Tonight, I went to the Ducks game with my husband for a work gathering of his. I chatted with the fiancee of one of his close friends at work, and I had not seen her since becoming engaged, so of course I asked about wedding details. She told me they were keeping it on the smaller side and more simple, mainly due to the fact that they are paying for it themselves. As she spoke, I admired their dedication to ensuring it was a beautiful day, but realizing that they had their limits and would make the best of their situation. Seizing my opportunity to do a good deed, I told her I did calligraphy and would love nothing more than to help them with their invitations, placecards and table numbers, asking her to consider it a wedding gift. Her face lit up and she was so thankful and appreciative, I really felt the joy she was emanating.
I know how lucky I was to have financial support from my parents for our wedding, and it gives me a great amount of respect for those who go it alone. I felt sharing my talent with them was a perfect way to start off this Lenten season. It's not anything extravagant or life-changing, but I know I eased a touch of their stress and a little of the burden of creating the perfect wedding!"
Day 1
--I had the opportunity to shoot a City Championship Basketball game for Ryan, and I knew there would be no pay. I've also heard that many of the students on the team come from non extravagant upbringings. I also knew that the coach, Q, a friend of mine had gone through some tough times lately. While the game was last Friday, I compiled the footage yesterday and I think it will be presented to the team tomorrow. Every player will also get a disc with the footage I've compiled. I think the video came out well, and I really feel that I gave something to the kids and Q that they will cherish forever. At the same time, the reward I felt from doing this, also will be cherished for a lifetime.
--One of my students missed the entire first semester because of cancer. I met and saw him only once during that semester at a football game, the rest of the time I just handed off assignments to the office for him, and he did them from home, when he wasn’t getting treatment in the hospital. Today I held him after class (he’s only been back for a couple weeks, and we did applaud for him his first day back), waited till most of the crowd left, and told him, “It’s good to have you back.” And he said, “It’s good to be back.” We proceeded to talk about some of his ordeal, and the chemotherapy, and he told me how nice it was to be in school rather than sitting at home all the time. And so one more time I said, “It’s good to have you back,” gave him a fist pound, and he said again, “It’s good to be back.” I could sense a little more swagger in his walk on his way out the door. It’s nice to know that I was able to make him feel at peace in the classroom.
-- A student's family approached me with their idea on creating Easter baskets for US Naval troops on the USS Regan.. They have a son aboard that ship and it's on an 8 month tour. Funny enough, their son is also married to a former student of mine. They wanted my help rallying students to the cause. I approved the idea and gave them some thoughts for getting it off the ground. After some idea exchanges, I sent out an email to all my AVID 9 students asking them to participate. This event will take place later this month at this family's home from 3PM to 7PM. My goal is to get at least 20 students to participate (not for the full 4 hours but for perhaps 90 minute shifts). I feel this goal can be met by talking it up in class, asking students individually to participate and by emailing a couple of more times to remind everyone. The family hosting this event is doing the heavy lifting on this for sure, but I feel like my contribution will add a needed boost.
-- Today I texted a friend who has been struggling with loss and addiction. A simple text of "how are you doing today? I am thinking about you, bud!" -- I felt very thoughtful and considerate in reaching out to a friend in need. A 10-second act that easily could have been brushed aside during my busy day of moving, planning a wedding, working, etc -- if I'd passed up the opportunity to give to a friend, then I wouldn't have received: "I'm doing much better! I feel great dude. Thanks for your calls, texts and support man". My day just got better by reaching out to a friend, and I know it meant a lot to him as well.
-- I used to bake cookies pretty regularly for kids at school - for birthdays, big games, sympathy cookies, good luck cookies - I was a veritable baking machine. But towards the end of last year I pledged to stop with all the superfluous baking (trying to restore a little work-life balance.. So, this is only the second time I've baked this year. Our boys basketball team has two huge games tomorrow, arguably the biggest of the season. It's the start of the International School Sports Tournament (the closest thing we have to a league championship, but even more intense since none of the regular season games have any impact on the final standings). Thus, it all comes down to the next three days, and tomorrow will set the tone - and more importantly the bracket! The competition will be tough, and we're frankly the underdog in both games. So, I figured the boys might appreciate some baked goods afterwords (either to celebrate or console themselves. =) I feel like a little bit of a cheat, counting this as my good deed for today, since obviously I won't be doling them out until tomorrow. But I actually had a lot of grading to work on tonight that I put off in lieu of the baking, so I say on that basis it counts! And I must say I did enjoy the baking... nice, relaxing way to end a rather busy day.
--As someone that is constantly being watched by both students and other adults I want to set a good example. So I always try to not walk by trash on the ground when I see it but there are times when I see something and still choose to not pick it up and throw it away. Today however, I simply made sure to pick up every piece. I know this is a small gesture but I feel that it not only beautifies the campus, but is a model of "leading by example" and simply showing that I am just as responsible as everyone else to keep this campus/community/world clean. I felt good about what I did today and am hoping that it turns into a habit I am better at in the future. As i reflect on it this experience reminds me of the story about the man and boy walking down the beach and throwing a starfish in the ocean. The boy states that there are too many starfish to save and that his actions won't make a difference. The old man then picks up another starfish and throws it into the ocean and says to the boy that he made a difference to that one. I know that I can't pick up and throw away every piece of trash but the ones I do get and throw away make the world a little better.
-- Today I went down to my dad's office in Torrance to have lunch with him, my grandfather, and my uncle. Because I am away at school, I rarely get to see them all together, and I feel like by having lunch as a group, we become closer. I always enjoy seeing the representatives of different generations whenever we're together, because despite our age and different experiences, we are family. I feel like its very easy to lose contact with different family members, especially when one is away from home. However, family has always been very important to me and not only staying in contact, but maintaining close relationships with them is something I hold very close.
--Since we are leaving for mammoth tomorrow our nanny has the next two days off so today I paid her for two days even though she won't be here. I feel like to keep good people you have to treat them well. She is so important! She takes are of my kids for goodness sake. So i feel good paying her extra for the week. I value her and this is a small way to show her--a little added bonus to make her week.
-- Today was just a little thing, but a good start, I think. I woke up extra early and made a big, hearty breakfast for my roommate since she's been sick and super tired lately. We got to spend some time together before work and I got to serve her which was a nice way to help her out since she's had a lot going on recently.
--Today someone called me an angel. This doesn't happen every day you know. My husband and I were at church during junior high Wednesday evening group. We were the designated parent roamers. Our job was to roam the church campus making sure all the 6th - 8th graders were staying where they are supposed to be and not getting into any mischief. At one point, I came upon this woman who was looking very lost and heading back from the church office to the parking lot. I said "Hello!" and was there anything I could help her with? Turns out she was recently widowed and looking for a single's coffee group our church has. Long story short, she was there on the wrong night, but I talked to her for about half an hour about her situation, and gave her a tour of our church. I made sure she had the information she needed about the different things she might be interested in at our church. She was very grateful, and being very lonely, she was very glad to have made a friend. We exchanged phone numbers and I will definitely check up on her next week and make sure she was able to get connected with some of the groups at church we talked about. She told me that God had put me there as an angel that night to help her. As much as that makes me feel happy, I'm just stoked God would choose to use me in that way when I thought I would just be "policing" the halls that night.
--My 8 year old is playing Little League right now. One of the kids on the team has a little brother who is just the cutest thing ever. And you can tell he so badly wants to be a part of a team like his big brother, but he's only just turned 5 and isn't playing baseball yet. He loves to wear anything that remotely resembles a jersey and baseball cap to all the games and practices. Anyone who knows our family knows that our 8 year old was EXACTLY like that when his older brother was playing and our 8 year old was too little to play. I remember our 8 year old, who when he was 3, 4, and 5 absolutely was in heaven if anyone gave him an extra hat, jersey, etc.
So I went into my boy's closet and found a baseball shirt and Dodger hat in his size that my boy had outgrown and gave it to that little boy yesterday at the game. The look on his face was priceless. He immediately threw off his shirt and put the baseball shirt and hat on. And then insisted his mom wash the shirt last night so he could wear it again today. I love little kids!
Day 9
"Today at the grocery store I was in a HUGE rush to get in and out, but from afar I saw a mom I know from my neighborhood who had mentioned and days earlier she was having problems w her kids' preschool. So although I was in a rush, I approached her and asked her how things were going. 20 minutes later I had spent my whole time listening and not shopping. I rushed to get a few necessities and figured I'd get back to really shop tomorrow or the next day. She even thanked me for listening to the details. :)"
Day 8
"Today I was at the dog park, and on my way out I saw a dog tag on the ground, and I kept walking. A few steps later, I stopped, turned around and went to pick it up. I decided to call the number on the tag, and a man answered, sounding weirded out he didn't recognize the number coming up on his phone. I told him I had found Apollo's dog tag, and was just leaving the dog park, so if he wanted me to drop it by I could, or I would be happy to send it to him. We discovered I didn't live far from him, so I drove by on my way home to drop off the dog tag in the mailbox. He told me how nice he thought the gesture was, and he seemed so appreciative for the sake of his dog, he said he had not even noticed the tag had fallen off. I can't even imagine if my dog went missing without tags, so I figured I put out some good karma, hopefully it'll come back to me!"
"Today I was having a conversation with one of my friends who is also doing the 12 for 40 and we were talking about getting back in touch with people we haven’t spoken to in a while, and the overwhelming feeling sometimes when you suffer the thought that you owe a long response, and so the anxiety causes you to put off the letter/e-mail/phone call until another day…but usually we all know that day will never come, at least not with that attitude. So we both talked about making a better effort to just send the shorter hello’s or to just suck it up and re-communicate.
So tonight I remembered that I had meant to send my friend and old roommate a letter congratulating him on winning CIF in boys’ basketball. The guy inspires me with how he coaches and how we works hard and how he gives his kids the best chance to succeed. I think that’s worth a letter. I had asked for his address about a week and a half ago, got it right away, and still hadn’t written the letter, until five minutes ago.
I can’t wait to send it off tomorrow morning. I know how happy it makes me feel to have someone acknowledge my hard work in something I’m passionate about. I know my friend feels the same way, so I am excited to know that he’ll be getting his letter soon. :)"
"-A student I used to work with contacted me a few days ago asking for some career advice. She suggested a phone call, but I knew she had been feeling lonely, so I suggested she come over for dinner with my wife and I. We had a really nice evening together and I think she really appreciated the change of pace from her daily routine. It was tempting to just treat her request for help as another "to do," but I'm really glad I took the initiative to make it something more than that."
Day 7
Since I was young, I have volunteered at a summer day camp for special needs children. Because I have had to leave for school early the past two summers, I have not been able to volunteer at the camp. I decided to change that today, as I emailed the person who runs the camp, asking if I could once again volunteer this coming summer. The week that I will be working is the last week that I will be home before I have to report to football camp in mid August. The years in which I have worked at this camp have always been very rewarding experiences for me. I have such a great appreciation for these kids and their families, not just because of how hard they work or their ever optimistic attitudes, but also because of how much I have learned from them. They are so grateful for everything that they have and epitomize what it means to be a leader by example. I feel blessed that I will be able to spend a week of my summer with them."
"Today my fiance moved into my apartment. We had movers coming at 8:30
am and began finishing the packing a little before 7am. I knew today
was going to be a challenging day, as her apartment was home to so
many great memories. I made a commitment to myself that I would shine
today in being a supportive and dependable partner. This began with
an offer to pick up coffee to energize for the morning. Her face lit
up "that sounds so nice, thank you." It's amazing sometimes at how
much an impact a simple act of kindness can provide. I seized on the
momentum and dropped off a carload full of charitable donations at
Goodwill, and all the people there were so appreciative of my
generosity. I stopped by the local market on my way back to the
apartment and picked up two bottles of water for the movers....they
were sweaty and working hard when I handed them the water upon my
return -- "you just saved my life, thank you!" was the reply from one
of them. I felt that today I really capitalized on the momentum of
this quest...it's really not that hard to give and bring a little bit
of happiness to someone's day/life. And the added bonus is that
helping another really makes me feel a lot more upbeat and happy.
What a gift! Off to cook my girl some dinner :)"
Day 6
"Today I went on a field trip (prelude to the Revolutionary War) with my 4th grade class. What was neat about this field trip was that it was aboard a ship, and the fourth grade classes were split up into different crews. Along with each crew us teachers had to assign a" mate"- someone in our class who would have to take directions from the captain, and basically be in charge. The other fourth grade teacher and I picked two of our boys that kind of get misunderstood by other teachers and parents- mostly because they are creative, energetic, nine year old BOYS.:) Anyway, it was AMAZING to see these boys act so mature, and to see their classmates trust them and follow them. It was one of those times where you just wished that their parents could be there to see it.
After we got back to school today, I told one of the moms how incredible her son's leadership was on our trip. She then asked me what else I liked about him...( which I thought was precious.) I told her, and she in turn told me that this is the first year he's liked school. When I got home tonight I emailed my student thanking him for doing an amazing job. Today reminded me to slow down and to not miss opportunities to encourage the "mates" of the world. We need them. :)"
Day 5
So everytime I'm at court, there is this homeless vet that stands by the parking lot I use with a cup out asking for spare change. I used to always give my change to people such as this gentleman, who seem so in need, but a few years ago, I started donating to non-profits instead knowing that the money would most likely be more beneficial there as opposed to being used most likely to feed an addiction. (My three years volunteering at a general assistance program pretty much confirmed this)
The problem with that thinking for me however, has always been that I was stereotyping homeless people and failing to provide anyone with a few dollars or quarters due to my pessimistic attitude that it may not go towards a hot meal or a shower, but towards a beer, a pack or cigarettes, or drugs. My additional heartache with refusing to give homeless people a handout has been what I was taught as a Catholic. I vividly remember the Bible stories and teachings growing up about the Good Samaritan, and Mary Magdalene washing Jesus' feet. You never know when that one good deed, that one small step of assistance might be helping someone, and when I was young, I remember being taught that that person in need might be Jesus. So, as silly or corny as it sounds, every time I've refused to give money to a homeless person, in the back of my head I have felt this enormous amount of guilt that I just refused Jesus in His time of need. (My guilt is further emphasized whenever I walk past this particular homeless man by the fact that the parking lot I use is for the Cathedral downtown.)
So, on Friday, I stopped, turned around and gave that homeless Vet my change, shook his hand, and talked to him about his upcoming dialysis appointment. I have no idea what he did with the few dollars I gave him, but I think/hope that looking him in the eye, having a conversation and treating him with respect started his day off a little bit better
Day 4
"Today all 3 of my kids were at ski lessons and i have to say the teachers/instructors were amazing with the kids. not just my kids, but all the kids there. anyway, later in the afternoon, i happened to run into the manager of the ski school. i thought about telling him how fabulous i thought the instructors were and then hesitated, thinking "i dont want to waste this guy's time" ...he was enjoying his quiet cup of coffee at starbucks. all of a sudden, i was that stalker, trying to see what his name tag said from work. haha. anyway, this quickly turned into my good deed for the day. i introduced myself and immediately cut to the chase, telling him how great his staff was today -- with my kids and all the kids i observed. i said i had no idea what to expect and it was such a nice surprise that my kids learned how to ski from such polite, well equipped, trained college aged students and that the whole experience was such a pleasure. He was really nice and thanked me for telling him. I feel like he deserved to know he hired good people."
Day 3
--This morning I went for a run and saw this gorgeous rose standing by itself. I took some time to stop and smell it and below it there were all these empty beer bottles, so I picked them up and put them in a nearby recycle, something I don't think I would've thought to do aside from the realization that I am trying to find ways to do good deeds for this 12 for 40. Then, my former co-worker texted me last minute that she needed a ride to the airport and even though I had a lot going on today, I know it really helped her out to get the ride. I feel that being conscious of finding ways to serve others is helping me to be excited to help out in these ways instead of seeing it as a drain.
--My two youngest kids and I watered the neighbor's flowers. It's not really a big deal, but the kids like feeling like they are helping out the neighbor and being good stewards of the beautiful flowers that God created. I like the feeling of knowing my neighbors trust and like us enough to let my clumsy toddler potentially fall into their hibiscus plant and not be annoyed :) We are happy to have such nice neighbors and blessed to have that friendship.
Day 2
"When I was planning our wedding, it was a very overwhelming time. I felt frustrated and frantic, trying to make everyone happy with what seems like insignificant details now. However, I am very blessed to have parents that were not only willing, but wanted to pay for the things to create a memorable wedding day for my husband and me.
Tonight, I went to the Ducks game with my husband for a work gathering of his. I chatted with the fiancee of one of his close friends at work, and I had not seen her since becoming engaged, so of course I asked about wedding details. She told me they were keeping it on the smaller side and more simple, mainly due to the fact that they are paying for it themselves. As she spoke, I admired their dedication to ensuring it was a beautiful day, but realizing that they had their limits and would make the best of their situation. Seizing my opportunity to do a good deed, I told her I did calligraphy and would love nothing more than to help them with their invitations, placecards and table numbers, asking her to consider it a wedding gift. Her face lit up and she was so thankful and appreciative, I really felt the joy she was emanating.
I know how lucky I was to have financial support from my parents for our wedding, and it gives me a great amount of respect for those who go it alone. I felt sharing my talent with them was a perfect way to start off this Lenten season. It's not anything extravagant or life-changing, but I know I eased a touch of their stress and a little of the burden of creating the perfect wedding!"
Day 1
--I had the opportunity to shoot a City Championship Basketball game for Ryan, and I knew there would be no pay. I've also heard that many of the students on the team come from non extravagant upbringings. I also knew that the coach, Q, a friend of mine had gone through some tough times lately. While the game was last Friday, I compiled the footage yesterday and I think it will be presented to the team tomorrow. Every player will also get a disc with the footage I've compiled. I think the video came out well, and I really feel that I gave something to the kids and Q that they will cherish forever. At the same time, the reward I felt from doing this, also will be cherished for a lifetime.
--One of my students missed the entire first semester because of cancer. I met and saw him only once during that semester at a football game, the rest of the time I just handed off assignments to the office for him, and he did them from home, when he wasn’t getting treatment in the hospital. Today I held him after class (he’s only been back for a couple weeks, and we did applaud for him his first day back), waited till most of the crowd left, and told him, “It’s good to have you back.” And he said, “It’s good to be back.” We proceeded to talk about some of his ordeal, and the chemotherapy, and he told me how nice it was to be in school rather than sitting at home all the time. And so one more time I said, “It’s good to have you back,” gave him a fist pound, and he said again, “It’s good to be back.” I could sense a little more swagger in his walk on his way out the door. It’s nice to know that I was able to make him feel at peace in the classroom.
-- A student's family approached me with their idea on creating Easter baskets for US Naval troops on the USS Regan.. They have a son aboard that ship and it's on an 8 month tour. Funny enough, their son is also married to a former student of mine. They wanted my help rallying students to the cause. I approved the idea and gave them some thoughts for getting it off the ground. After some idea exchanges, I sent out an email to all my AVID 9 students asking them to participate. This event will take place later this month at this family's home from 3PM to 7PM. My goal is to get at least 20 students to participate (not for the full 4 hours but for perhaps 90 minute shifts). I feel this goal can be met by talking it up in class, asking students individually to participate and by emailing a couple of more times to remind everyone. The family hosting this event is doing the heavy lifting on this for sure, but I feel like my contribution will add a needed boost.
-- Today I texted a friend who has been struggling with loss and addiction. A simple text of "how are you doing today? I am thinking about you, bud!" -- I felt very thoughtful and considerate in reaching out to a friend in need. A 10-second act that easily could have been brushed aside during my busy day of moving, planning a wedding, working, etc -- if I'd passed up the opportunity to give to a friend, then I wouldn't have received: "I'm doing much better! I feel great dude. Thanks for your calls, texts and support man". My day just got better by reaching out to a friend, and I know it meant a lot to him as well.
-- I used to bake cookies pretty regularly for kids at school - for birthdays, big games, sympathy cookies, good luck cookies - I was a veritable baking machine. But towards the end of last year I pledged to stop with all the superfluous baking (trying to restore a little work-life balance.. So, this is only the second time I've baked this year. Our boys basketball team has two huge games tomorrow, arguably the biggest of the season. It's the start of the International School Sports Tournament (the closest thing we have to a league championship, but even more intense since none of the regular season games have any impact on the final standings). Thus, it all comes down to the next three days, and tomorrow will set the tone - and more importantly the bracket! The competition will be tough, and we're frankly the underdog in both games. So, I figured the boys might appreciate some baked goods afterwords (either to celebrate or console themselves. =) I feel like a little bit of a cheat, counting this as my good deed for today, since obviously I won't be doling them out until tomorrow. But I actually had a lot of grading to work on tonight that I put off in lieu of the baking, so I say on that basis it counts! And I must say I did enjoy the baking... nice, relaxing way to end a rather busy day.
--As someone that is constantly being watched by both students and other adults I want to set a good example. So I always try to not walk by trash on the ground when I see it but there are times when I see something and still choose to not pick it up and throw it away. Today however, I simply made sure to pick up every piece. I know this is a small gesture but I feel that it not only beautifies the campus, but is a model of "leading by example" and simply showing that I am just as responsible as everyone else to keep this campus/community/world clean. I felt good about what I did today and am hoping that it turns into a habit I am better at in the future. As i reflect on it this experience reminds me of the story about the man and boy walking down the beach and throwing a starfish in the ocean. The boy states that there are too many starfish to save and that his actions won't make a difference. The old man then picks up another starfish and throws it into the ocean and says to the boy that he made a difference to that one. I know that I can't pick up and throw away every piece of trash but the ones I do get and throw away make the world a little better.
-- Today I went down to my dad's office in Torrance to have lunch with him, my grandfather, and my uncle. Because I am away at school, I rarely get to see them all together, and I feel like by having lunch as a group, we become closer. I always enjoy seeing the representatives of different generations whenever we're together, because despite our age and different experiences, we are family. I feel like its very easy to lose contact with different family members, especially when one is away from home. However, family has always been very important to me and not only staying in contact, but maintaining close relationships with them is something I hold very close.
--Since we are leaving for mammoth tomorrow our nanny has the next two days off so today I paid her for two days even though she won't be here. I feel like to keep good people you have to treat them well. She is so important! She takes are of my kids for goodness sake. So i feel good paying her extra for the week. I value her and this is a small way to show her--a little added bonus to make her week.
-- Today was just a little thing, but a good start, I think. I woke up extra early and made a big, hearty breakfast for my roommate since she's been sick and super tired lately. We got to spend some time together before work and I got to serve her which was a nice way to help her out since she's had a lot going on recently.
No comments:
Post a Comment