26 Acts of Kindness: #17

Name: Bridget
Location: Georgia

"There was another family at Emory when we were all last there with you, Rose--two women with a male patient, their brother--who was in the room next to yours. I'd noticed them on and off as we were there with you; they were obviously worried, to which we could relate. The morning you flew free, afterwards, I was walking from your room to the waiting room, and was moved to reach out to them. I stopped and put my hand gently on their shoulders, and told them that I was sending them love and good vibes for their brother to recover. They expressed their sorrow for us, and said how Dad had stopped to talk with them, too. I shared with them that you, Rose, are love and light and that you'd surely pass some of your strength on to their brother so that he would make it out of there to savor more of life. They thanked me profusely for taking the time to reach out, especially on that day, of all days. Your love and light continues to shine..."

Thank you for sharing, Bridget!

26 Acts of Kindness: #16

Name: Mom
Location: Georgia

"I attended our weekly support group meeting here. There was a gentleman there who was new to our group. His mother had a stroke and they had just arrived here the day before. His mother had a lot of work ahead of her on the road to an uncertain recovery. He clearly needed to vent and express some feelings that he himself said he couldn't to his family. Myself and the only other family member present consciously limited our time to allow him all he needed. We listened with caring hearts and supportive words. Toward the end of our meeting, I assured him that his mother was in good hands; that the staff and doctors here would take very good care of her. I shared that in the last 4 months you had made great strides here thanks to them and shared some of your milestones. He was visibly relieved to hear a first hand account and reassured that things would be okay. Before leaving I offered him a hug(something I don't usually do with people I don't really know) which he accepted and we warmly embraced. We chatted all the way back to our perspective rooms. Since that day we have waved, nodded, exchanged supportive words, inquired about progress, etc. Today as I closed the door to your room I looked and saw his mother walking. Our eyes met, he with a wide smile on his face and me with a big thumbs up back at him."

Thank you for sharing, Mom!

26 Acts of Kindness: #15

Name: Christine
Location: Massachusetts

"I don’t know so much if I would call it a random act of kindness as I would the right thing to do...As I was in the grocery store the other day, waiting in line in front of me was a family of 3 generations from India.  Grandmother, daughter and grandchild with golden brown eyes as full of wonder and sweet innocence.  They were carefully looking over their food items and counting with a strained look on their face; worrying if they would be able to put the necessary food on their table.  I know that look and feeling all too well.  As the cashier was ringing up their order, the Grandmother quickly grabbed the 2 loaves of bread and gave them back to the cashier, before she was through... I took one look at the little girl and it broke my heart to see the loaves of bread being handed over and not making it to the table where it needed to be.  As the cashier was ringing up my groceries; I gave her back some of what I was going to buy, paid for the 2 loaves of bread instead and handed them to the family, as they were still standing nearby checking their receipt.  The Grandmother was surprised and said no at first, but then a smile of relief and joy came over her.  Like I said, the right thing to do... I then bowed to her with folded hands; Namaste."

Thank you for sharing, Christine!

26 Acts of Kindness: #14

Name: Mary

Location: Florida

"Last week my granddaughter Cheyann and I took one of my neighbor to the ice cream parlor who is unable to drive herself due to a hit and run driver. She was so happy to have someone take her. She told us that is her only pleasure she treats herself too, unfortunately her family is to busy to take her to most places she needs to go to. Some days the grandchildren and I will ask her if she just wants to go run errands with us so she can get out of the house for a little while. She is so grateful. After these days the grandchildren  will ask if she can go all the time because she is so happy when she ride with us Grandma."

Thank you for sharing, Mary! 

26 Acts of Kindness: #13

Name: Terry
Location: Virginia

"My younger sister, Mary Jo, has involved me in your quest for better health.  I have been praying for you for some time now.   This blog of yours has so inspired me to continue searching for joy everyday.  My normal positive outlook on life has been overshadowed by my husbands unexpected death.   I smile at everyone I meet or pass and continue to find joy in all the small things in life."

Thank you for sharing, Terry!

26 Acts of Kindness: #12

Name: Sue

Location: Unknown

"Broke a rule today and let a family bring in a very ill patient's cute fuzzy white little dog to visit her.. She signed up with Hospice today and I'm not sue she'll make it home to see her little pup again.. She could barely speak or open her eyes, but you could tell she knew her dog was there"

I am an LPN at a local hospital and over the weekend my patient's family had come to the realization that she was near the end of her beautiful life. She had been ill for a few months and we had done all we could medically, so they had chosen Hospice and to make her as comfortable as possible. They asked me if they could possibly get her into a wheelchair and take outside to visit with her dog which she loved very much. I explained to them that she probably couldn't tolerate being in a wheelchair due to her condition, but if they could bring the dog up and we would sneak it in her room for a visit, that nobody would be the wiser..so later that day they brought in this adorable white poodle. i walked in and both the dog and my patient were comforted as her dog snuggled on the bed next to her.. It was a touching sight. I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Thank you for sharing, Sue!

26 Acts of Kindness: #11

Name: anonymous
State: California

"At the gas station there was a man inside when my husband went inside. He was holding up the line trying to use a gift card to buy his gas. The cashier kept telling him that it wouldn’t work, but he kept insisting that it had to work and asked them to keep trying. My husband came outside and got back in the car, and I saw him looking inside and around the pumps to a van that was parked at one of the pumps. I asked him what he was looking at or for, and he told me about the man inside. He described the man’s bracelet and how it read 'Daddy,' and he saw that the man’s family was waiting outside in the hot van as they tried over and over to get the gift card to work. My husband started to talk about how that could have been him, and that could be us waiting in that van. He pulled the car back around and went in to see if the man was still inside. Still unable to use his gift card, my husband put $25 next to him on the counter and quietly told him to take it and use it for whatever he needed. The man looked confused and took the money, and my husband quickly came out to the car to get out of the way for the next customer. We saw the man come running out of the gas station as we left. His smile was beaming, and he thanked us profusely as he walked back over to the van with his beautiful family inside. I could get used to this. There is no feeling like helping lift others up in whatever ways we can."

Thank you for sharing, you beautiful being!

26 Acts of Kindness: #10

Name: anonymous
State: California

"My husband and I saw a man sitting in the grass by Best Buy as we waited at the stoplight. He was disheveled and dirty, but it was his eyes that I can still see as I put these words on the page. He had the kindest eyes, the way I imagine Jesus’ eyes to look. That old song What if God Was One of Us  popped into my head as he looked toward our car. Rolling  the window down, we quickly asked him if he was hungry, the answer to which was an emphatic, 'Yes!'

"We handed over our leftover chicken and cornbread from Boston Market that I had been holding as we drove around looking for someone to give it to. On the opposite side of the highway was a man with a sign, but as we turned the car around to take it to him, we saw this man. I’m calling him Jesus in disguise. There he was, sitting in the grass and obviously in need of knowing that someone else cared about him. He was so thankful, and his eyes and face shone with his gratitude for the kindness. He ran back over to his spot in the grass and started to devour the food. We started searching the car frantically for a bottle of water, or something to give him to drink. We only had my husband’s beloved insulated and very expensive water bottle which was only half full of water, but immediately we rolled down the window as the light had now turned green. Not wanting to leave him with nothing to drink we asked him if he could use a refillable water bottle. He ran to the car as traffic grew impatient behind us. Our hearts overflowed with such immense love and I felt the joy of what it means to love others as yourself. There is no greater feeling than that. Truly. The exchange that day was seemingly small from an outsider’s perspective, but so deeply meaningful in every sense of what it means to be human."

Thank you for sharing, you beautiful being!

26 Acts of Kindness: #9

Name: Jenna
State: California

"My act of kindness was to introduce a young science history professor (studying coral reef science) to a group that could potentially get him out to see the coral reef scientists in action, and to experience the reefs for himself. He was really happy!"

Thank you for sharing, Jenna!

26 Acts of Kindness: #8

Name: Jen
State: NY

This act of kindness is a bit different in that it happened to Jen, not the other way around. But it is just as beautiful and just as worthy of being shared. So thank you anonymous man, and thank you Jen for sharing his kind act with us:

"Today when I left for work, I realized at the station that somewhere along my walk to the train I had dropped my Metro Card. Tears in my eyes, four bags in hand, I fumbled through my belongings to no avail. Instead of being pushed to the side as the train approached the station, a man in coveralls handed me a Metro Card and motioned for me to swipe in. Thinking it was mine and he recovered it, I grinned and took the card, only to realize that he had just paid my fare. I thanked the man profusely and offered him cash, but he refused it and told me simply, 'Have a great day today, miss.'

"Train kindness, I hope, will become a part of my daily routine."

Thank you for sharing again, Jen!

26 Acts of Kindness: #7

Name: Bridget
State: Tennessee

"The kids and I were at Kroger earlier this week doing our grocery shopping. We turned onto the main aisle from the cereal aisle, and were making a beeline for the peanut butter when we happened behind this adorable older woman. You've seen the kind--dressed in layered clothing, a slightly disheveled, librarian-type look, hair pulled into a loose, gray bun atop her head, rosy cheeks and cherub nose supporting a pair of spectacles (surely she would call them spectacles). She reminded me of how I always pictured Mrs. Whatsit from A Wrinkle In Time. Walking slowly and pensively in front of us, pushing her cart and looking every which way, she suddenly did an about face, nearly crashing into our cart. Mrs. Whatsit looked at us, startled, tense, perhaps a little embarrassed, and started to walk away. I smiled and asked if she was alright; she sighed and replied with a flustered 'Yes,' while I continued to smile at her. She looked at me, then at the kids, then back to me and returned the smile, as her tension seemed to almost melt away. She then asked me if I knew where the pasta was, and I told her she'd find it at the far end of aisle #3, on the right. Mrs. Whatsit replied with a warm, bubbly 'Thank you, Honeys!' and was on her way."

Thank you for sharing, Bridget!

26 Acts of Kindness: #6

Name: Jen

State: NY

"Anyone who's ever been to New York knows that there is an incredible amount of kindness here, it just never occurs during rush hour in the subways. I decided I would target this time for a random act of kindness to a stranger. On Wednesday afternoon, I was waiting (albeit impatiently) for the 4 train at Atlantic Ave. It was crowded, elbow to elbow, noisy, and humid. Instead of complaining quietly to myself, I happened to notice a couple standing by the map looking puzzled and arguing in a language I don't understand. It was safe to assume they were tourists. Most people, including myself, ignore tourists during rush hour, often pushing past them, shoving their luggage out of the way, and bemoaning their alleged idiocy aloud. Instead of mindlessly joining the grumpy commuting masses on the approaching train, I approached the frazzled couple and offered to help. The woman stared at me, squinted, and asked if I spoke Farsi. I said, 'English or Spanish?' She shook her head and named a couple more languages in thick broken English. I shook my head.

"After a common tongue could not be agreed upon, I took to pantomiming the basic tourist commuter questions, 'Where are you going? What street? A hotel?' She showed me a printout with an address and I plugged it into my iPhone. I found the best train for her to take and pantomimed the station name and 'get out of the train here.' She asked, 'You go here?' I shook my head, and pointed to the approaching train. She looked discouraged and sighed to her husband. Instead of hopping on the 4 train, that I had now waited 12 minutes for (that's an eternity in rush hour commuting time) I motioned for them to follow me and brought them to a neighboring train (really, it wasn't that far out of the way). I rode with them to Manhattan and made sure they knew where to get out before making my exit. The woman and her husband smiled genuinely at me and said, 'Thank you' more times than I could count. I smiled back and said, 'Welcome to New York'.

"This may not seem like a huge deed, but it made me smile to think my rush hour commute typically characterized by shoving and groaning and sweat was that much more pleasant because I sacrificed a mere 12 minutes out of my day to help two people that most other commuters were unlikely to give the time of day to."

Thank you for sharing, Jen!

26 Acts of Kindness: #5

Name: Angelica
State: FL

"So I work in a restaurant. The other night I was working and I had two people at my takeout counter. One was a lady that had just paid for her food and the other was a gentleman that had raggedy clothing. And it was obvious this gentleman did not have a home or a job. He approached my counter and asked me how much breadsticks would be. He then pulled out a $10 bill, and I could just tell he was clinging to the money as if he really did not want to give it up. The lady I had just helped watched on, curious as to what I was about to say. I then told the gentlemen not to worry, that I would gladly give him some breadsticks. The lady looked on and then walked over and said she didn't need her breadsticks, that he could have hers as well. I grabbed him a drink to-go as well. The gracious look on his face was incredibly priceless. I've never felt so good about doing something so wonderful yet so simple. I will never forget the woman or the gentleman. I hope one day he can pass on the good deed as well."

Thank you for sharing, Angelica!

26 Acts of Kindness: #4

Name: Jim
State: Tennessee

"Today I went through the Starbucks drive-through and bought the car behind me their order. It is really fun to give a surprise gift to a stranger!"

Thank you for sharing, Jim!

26 Acts of Kindness: #3

Name: Tyler
State: FL

"On my way home from work yesterday, I noticed a car pulled off to the shoulder on the county road. Hazards blinking, hood up. I pulled off to see if the man was okay. He was fine, but his car was broken down. No cell. I let him use mine so he could call his family. He seemed grateful for my time and I was happy to assist."

Thank you for sharing, Tyler!

To participate, read the details here: Welcome to my birthday project...
Help spread the love! ♥

26 Acts of Kindness: #2

Name: Tara
State: Massachusetts

"Here is my good deed for today! We heard a creature stuck in my grandma's gutter. Thought it was a bird. I took the hose and we brought out the ladder and flushed it out. A tiny (soaked) chipmunk came whizzing out the bottom, rolled a few times, and took off running as far away from us as he could!"

Thank you for sharing, Tara!

To participate, read the details here: Welcome to my birthday project...
Let's start spreading the love! ♥

26 Acts of Kindness: #1

Name: Mary Jo
State: FL

"Since my own father was diagnosed with Parkinson's 10 years ago, I make it a point to always open doors for caregivers pushing their loved ones in wheelchairs, or anyone having challenges getting through a doorway. I have seen my parents struggle with this in years past when my mother would take my father to an appointment. We take these little things for granted, but these folks always give me a smile and really appreciate this simple, small gesture. It's such an easy thing to do, opening a door for someone, yet brings with it so much satisfaction knowing I have helped in my own heartfelt little way."

Thank you for sharing, Mary Jo!

Let's keep spreading the love! 

1) Look for opportunities to act in kindness. (The possibilities are ENDLESS!)
2) After your experience, write about it in an email to me at we.are.one@inbox.com
3) Then I will add it to our archive of loving acts, right here!

Join in on the love, share the effort with others, and let's see how far we can spread it!

Peace, thanks, and infinite love to you all. ♥

Welcome to my birthday project...

This is "26 (or limitless) Acts of Kindness!"

Dear beautiful souls: this year, on June 25, I turn 26 years old. And I am inspired to celebrate in a new way, thanks to my beautiful oldest sister, who did "40 Acts of Kindness" for her birthday.

the Idea:
Anyone and everyone is encouraged to join. To participate, perform any act of kindness and love, big or small. Preferably for a stranger; but it can be for loved ones, friends, and acquaintances too. It might be something you plan, or it might happen unexpectedly. But keep your eyes and ears and hearts open for opportunities.
They are EVERYWHERE.

You can pay for someone's order at a drive-thru, help someone in need on the side of the road, carry groceries for the elderly or a single mother, make conversation with someone who looks lonely at the coffeeshop, give a sandwich or blanket to the homeless, pay for a stranger's gas, give someone a flower, or simply wear your beautiful smile everywhere you go. Everything counts, large and small, near and far. Just be open, and seize the opportunities.

And once you've done at least one act, come and share it with the rest of us! Email me a description (with your first name and state or country) at we.are.one@inbox.com and then I will share it with everyone, word for word, right here on this site "We are one." From today, June 1 until my birthday June 25, we will work together to act in kindness everywhere we go. Join the effort, and share with friends! The more who join, the further we can spread our kindness with the world. And hopefully, by June 25, we will have at LEAST 26 acts of kindness. But the possibilities are infinite!

All I want for my birthday, and every day, is to spread love.
Please help me in doing just that. I could not ask for anything more. ♥

Peace and love to all of you beautiful beings.
Now let's shine our light and spread our love!

seeking out the beauty

I confess: I have been stuck in a rut.

Having Cystic Fibrosis, this often happens when I get sick. My body can take a long time to regain strength - sometimes weeks, a month, maybe two or more. But I have noticed lately that my mind and spirit are even slower to recharge. Coming out of a two-month bout of illness, my physical energy is thankfully increasing (though slowly). But my spirit is at a standstill. Stuck between surviving and thriving.

In my most frustrating moments, I feel as though I am an animal: a free bird caged by her dependence, a dog who cannot take a step without someone toting her leash. Like a creature kept inside, breathing in the steely air and soaking up the neon sun.

(Photo by RoseAlma)

Then it occurred to me: creatures live in the wild.

Even if only for a moment. Even if draped in oxygen tubes. Creatures need to breathe the natural air. Creatures need to see the open sky. It teaches their heart to open.

So I wasted no time. Stepping outside, on our front porch: I pulled my two green oxygen tubes and slowly walked myself right out that front door, envisioning the big white wicker chair just beyond. On its cushion was a cute little yellow leaf, blown from a nearby tree. I picked it up gently and sat. Pulled my legs to my chest and cozied up. My eyes flew upward, taking in the beautiful blue sky smeared with white fluffy cloud. Wind blowing through the turning trees, bare branches dancing in the distance, leaves all over the yard.

So much beauty.

And as the feeling filled my heart, I realized my spirit was lifted.

I’m a person of nature. Being close to it brings me home in a way nothing else can. And no matter how troubled I have felt in the past, taking a moment in nature has always brought me back to my center and to humanity. But when you are sick, you often live your life from the inside looking out. And when every move is a challenge and every breath is a pain, nature can seem so far away. And I let it stay that way.

It is easy to lose touch with the things that make you come alive. To slip into the gap of routine and monotony because it seems easier. But really we are making the journey harder. And we are robbing ourselves of all of its beauty along the way.

So today, this moment, I was choosing to change.

Choosing to soak up the light and let the outside in.

I had been in such a rut because I had been going against my natural instincts. Denying a basic necessity for my mind, body, and spirit. And now I have to make a conscious effort to change for the better.

Seek out the beauty. It’s always waiting.

We just have to cross the threshold, and behold it.

It all was suddenly so clear as I sat there in the wicker chair, my heart overflowing with love. And I looked down in my hand, at the little yellow leaf twirling between my fingers. It had been waiting for me. A token for my beautiful journey. And I wondered if it knew in the spring when it bloomed that it would find its way to my hand.

learning to release

(Photo by WJ; edited by RoseAlma)

I recently wrote my first-ever online article, called The Hunt is Over, Happiness is Yours. (Featured on the wonderful writer and yoga instructor Jennifer Pastiloff's website, The Manifest-Station.) In the piece, I discuss different practices that we can do on our journey to experience the authentic happiness we have within. The first practice is that of release, or letting go. Specifically, it entails letting go anything negative in life, or that which does not positively serve us.

I received a message from a reader named Erin who said that she liked the article, but was struggling in her own life with this idea of release. She shared:

"I feel like I can't figure out how to get past the first level, the releasing, the letting go. People tell me all the time to release the pain, let it go... How do I let it go? What are those steps? I feel so stuck in sadness and grief and don't know how to let go... Can you tell me how you've released people and ideas and thoughts that don't serve you anymore?"

Dearest Erin, First allow me to say thank you. You ask such important questions, and I am so grateful you have the courage and heart to come forth with them.

In all honesty I will say, there are no simple steps to lay out for you. The pain you may be experiencing and the struggles you live through are not exactly the same as another's (because you are unique and beautiful you), and the steps to heal that pain will not be the same either. But that is okay - it is all still possible.

An important step before release is to face our pain or our sadness fully. Look it straight in the eye and see it for what it is. Examine what causes it and how it feels in all its fullness. In other words: let yourself feel whatever you need to feel. Grieving is a healthy process. And if necessary (and I encourage this), talk it over with the person or being that may be the source of such pain; and if that is not possible, then a professional.

The ultimate point is to be honest and to share the feelings that may be welling up in you. Once you share them, and share them completely, you can begin to let go. Held in, they can become a heavy weight that hangs on your mind and heart. But once shared, you are free to set those feelings down and move on to fresher and brighter ones.

Another important fact to remember is that this process never ends. We will always have struggles and pain that come in and out of our lives. Our lives are like waves or mountains: there are crests and troughs, peaks and valleys. But this fact is not meant to stress or worry you. On the contrary, it is a comfort. Because you should never be ashamed of your pain or struggles. It is natural, and it is human. But much like how we must be open and honest about our pain, we must be open and honest with our happiness. Life is never simply suffering. There is always sun behind the clouds, and there are always rainbows after the rain. (And sometimes during!) You have to open your heart to happiness. Because it is always there waiting to be discovered.

(Source: LeeAnnEdwards; edited by RoseAlma)

For me personally, my great shift in perspective and heart came at a time when my health was deteriorating greatly. The more I swam in my struggles, the more I found myself quietly and peacefully observing the outside world, and noticing the tenderness, humanity, and love within it. Looking outside slowly helped me find strength inside.

I also stumbled upon a beautiful book by Richard Bach called One. It opened my eyes to the fact that all beings are connected. And personally, realizing this truth helped me refocus my life on love - inspiring me to love everyone and everything in the world around me. Once I started to let love in fully, I slowly found it easier and easier to let go of what held me back in life: grudges old and new, heartaches, personal mistakes, negative thoughts, and certain people with whom I may not have seen eye to eye in some way. When I was ready, I internally told myself I no longer needed or wanted each of these things that weighed me down. Though, they were not all at once; and each release was only after I allowed myself to fully experience the emotions tied to it.

For people with whom I had differences or grudges, I made a list for myself and found a way to politely contact each individual. And in contacting them, I briefly but sincerely said that though they may not recall or understand, I wanted to release them from all upset in my heart. And that I genuinely wished them well. Some responded, some did not. But either way, it is perfectly fine. Because the ultimate point is to clear away the negativity and put forth love. And not because we have to, but because we want to.

This practice of identifying and releasing what does not serve us will continue on in life. But always know it is healthy and natural. As long as we continue to work towards being positive and loving, we will experience a brighter and more love-filled life. We are all in this together, and we are all one. Take strength in knowing you are never alone. And remember the love around you and within you.

I hope this helps in some small way, dear Erin.
And anyone else who may need help letting go.
My love is with you always. ♥