Things I learned from Toby:
Patient Persistence – sometimes you have to sit patiently and stare at someone to get what you want. People are easily distracted, so a little snort or sigh may be required to get their attention. Routines are good. When you smile, it should show on your whole body, from your nose to your tail. Love with everything you have. Don’t hold back. It’s worth it. Always greet people with a smile. Look for the shade on a hot sunny day. Play in the snow. Romp and run. Go all in. Kisses are mandatory at bedtime. Always get excited when you see someone you love. When your connection is strong, you don’t need words to understand. Give people a little of yourself whenever you can. Sometimes a little yellow rope makes all the difference in their world. People aren’t perfect, but if you love them like they are they’ll try really hard! When people tell you you’re beautiful, smile and believe them. Little kids are scary but don’t bite them, they can’t help it. Try to keep your nose and ears up so they can’t reach them. Life is too short to dwell on the bad stuff. Live for now, be present where you are – that’s the key to happiness. It’s important to have someone you trust completely. That’s your safe spot. When you find that, everything else is ok. Things I hope Toby learned from me: I love you... more than anything. You were worth it.
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Sometimes a really little thing makes a great big impact.
Today a friend of mine, I'll call her "Amy" (mostly because that's her name) stopped by my desk shortly after lunch. She confessed she'd had a rough morning, feeling down and a little sorry for herself, having a pity party for no good reason at all. Perhaps she had decided some frozen sugary caffeine would improve her mood, maybe she just had some time to kill (I didn't ask her how she got there), either way Amy found herself in the drive thru at her favorite coffee shop. When she pulled up to pay for her frozen decadence she was greeted by a broadly smiling cashier. It was almost as though he couldn't wait to share the good news with his next customer as he declared "your order was paid for by the car ahead of you!" And that was it. Her order was under $5. Not a financial burden she couldn't afford, the previous patron hadn't blessed her with a life changing gift, it was simply a yummy coffee. Just like that, though, Amy felt her spirit lift. Just like that a tiny act of kindness from a stranger she will never meet started a ripple effect of positivity. So what's the big deal, right? One nice guy, one coffee, one happy lady, how is that ever going to change the world? Let me explain… I mentioned the $ wasn't a huge deal, and it really wasn't. In fact, with a smile on her heart and a new attitude about her day, Amy instructed the young man to give her the bill for the car behind her, paying for an order that was double what hers would have been. So let's follow the trail. One guy paid for the car behind him. We don't know him but let's assume he received at least a little satisfaction from passing along a small gift. Then we have the cashier, whose smile as Amy approached belied his pleasure at being able to play his part in this gifting. Amy herself, in an emotional funk all morning, we can arguably say benefited the most. Not only did she receive the gift but she was able to pass it along, two-fold, and feel the warmth that comes from gifting as well. Would you agree that we can also assume the occupants in the car behind her were delighted to have their order covered? I'm certain they were, and maybe continued the gifting themselves! But the ripple didn't stop there. Amy returned to work and promptly shared her story with me and several other coworkers. I'm sure I wasn't the only one uplifted by her story and pleased to see her so happy following the event. She told us she had looked toward the sky and smiled, feeling like this was God's way of telling her to chin up, keep going, and let go of the heavy stuff (He will carry it, you know, but you'll have to let Him have it!). So here I am, passing Amy's story along to you all, and hoping the ripple will continue. I know we've all read the "pay it forward" stories, so that part is nothing new. I'm always warmed when I read about the ways such kindness impacts others. Want to see God in action? Next time you're in a funk, look for a way to do something small for someone else. Pay for the order in line behind you. Go out of your way to hold a door. Let someone have your seat on the bus, get in front of you in traffic or in line at the store. When you toss that tiny pebble of kindness into the pond you start a ripple effect that extends farther than you can ever see, but God sees it. He sees it and He uses it to touch those who need it most. Don't be surprised when that ripple you started comes right back to touch your spirit, too. For, afterall, we are the body. |
AuthorTucker (pomeranian) is an author of marginal famou'nicity. Catch his Tucker Tuesday farm pupdates here and on the Toby Way Farm facebook page. Archives
April 2023
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