EVERY DAY KINDNESS and Saving the World

Recently a blogger, whose posts I read often, referred us to another blog that he enjoys. I went to the link and quickly learned that I enjoyed it too. It's written by a very nice woman who is raising a family and caring for her husband and home, living a good and happy life - the sort for which most of us strive. I had that kind of life years ago. The blogger who referred us there observed that this woman was not trying to save the world. Now, there, I have to disagree. That's pretty much what this woman, and every woman like her, is trying to, whether they realize it or not - one family at a time. It's a good thing.

I loved her blog. It took me back to a very happy period of my own life. But my children are all grown up now. And my husband passed away 32 years ago. People's life circumstances change - sometimes drastically. And - we grow old. I had reached the point at which I was wondering just why I was still here. What purpose did I have? I felt completely useless.

One day, more or less by accident, I began blogging. From my very first post other bloggers stopped by and encouraged me to keep writing, and I thought, Gee! Aren't people nice? My family is gone. Most of my friends are gone. But these people care enough about me and one another to reach out. So I kept writing.

As I continued, and read other blogs, I found that people talked about others who needed help of one kind or another. I am not physically able to do much volunteering, but maybe if I write about it I could help a little too. You see - I'm a mother. That's what I do. If my own chicks have flown the nest, in order to feel that I have some purpose in life I have to find someone or something else to care for. I guess it's a selfish thing. Trying to help others really is helping me. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning. If you look down my sidebar you'll see. There are slogans for causes that I care about, nature photos because the environment we live in is precious to me, silly little things to entertain me, and of course the wedding picture because our life together was and is central to it all. And somewhere in there you'll find the slogan: "Every Day Kindness". That pretty much sums it up. All the rest - the anguish I feel for the suffering and death in Iraq and Tibet and everywhere else in the world, my concern because of global warming and the poisoning of our environment, the struggle of those with autism and so many other problems in the daily lives of our fellow man - all of it could be eased or even made to disappear, if we all practiced every day kindness. That of course is an impossible dream. But I guess I'll go on tilting at windmills, if that's what I'm doing, because you gotta keep trying, don't you?

Thank you for giving me a way to do that.