Shady – Emmanuel Eticka – “Planet Positive” – Substack – @planetpositive
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Emmanuel Etika hosts this column on Substack called, “Planet Positive”– “A collection of kindness-driven stories with compassionate reflections designed to help readers process emotions, find clarity, and feel less alone.”
I just love this column. I hope that you will follow him. Planet Positive
Filed under kindness
Andrea Tummons – krewellah87 – Unsplash
“You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Make it a priority to be kind. If you have to think about it, you’re not doing it enough.
Andrey K. – Unsplash
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
Kindness should be so natural you don’t even think about it. You just do it. An example of this is holding the door open for someone, or letting someone who only has a few things in line behind you at the grocery go ahead of you.
Jonas Vincent – jonasvincentbe – Unsplash
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain
You offer to return someone’s cart in the parking lot. You hold the elevator door open so a person doesn’t have to hurry to get in. Every once in a while, you pay the person’s bill behind you in line, or pay for the person’s order in a fast food drive-through lane.
Sunshine House Early Learning Academy
“Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers.” – Kahlil Gibran
You compliment someone on the pretty thing in their hair, or their blouse, their smile, or… It will make their day and they may smile from time to time just thinking about it later.
“Kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give.” – Unknown
You never know what others are dealing with in their lives. If you see someone is struggling and there is something you can do to help, do it.
“Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.” – Charles Glassman
Listening, caring, and time all cost nothing, yet mean everything.
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Kelly Sikkema – Unsplash and Tim Burnett – Mindfulness Northwest
Besides being so amazed at all there is to see in Thailand, the thing that stands out beyond all else in the 6 months I have lived here is the KINDNESS of people. I have never lived in a place where people went out of their way to be welcoming and kind to complete strangers.
Example: when Brian and I were walking today, we passed a man sweeping the street in front of a building. We immediately changed our path so we wouldn’t be in his way. As we passed, we smiled and bowed slightly to each other. He said something and Brian answered. Later Brian said the man said he was happy to see me in good health and happy. (A month or so ago I had opted out of the walk. The man had noticed, and Brian had told him I was a bit under the weather.) Imagine him remembering us, inquiring as to why I hadn’t been there, being HAPPY that I was there this time, and caring enough to say something to Brian.)
Example: we were calling a Grab to take us to visit Harvey. A woman from the office in the building asked about Brian’s dad, listened with great interest to what Brian told her, then came and put her hand on my shoulder. And then bowed, smiled, and wished my husband health and us a good visit.
Bangkok Post
Example: We were starting to get into the elevator. A woman came running over, thrusting a sack into Brian’s arms. She apparently picked and brought a kind of fruit that grows on branches here locally and thought we might like them. And then bowed, smiled, and wished us a happy day.
BoomBoom
Example: Whenever I go into a shop – either just to look or to have something done (manicure/pedicure/haircut/massage) whoever is inside rushes over, grabs my hand and leads me around, making sure that I don’t stumble, and then bows, smiles, and wishes me a good day.
Sometimes I find myself a bit teary and my cheeks hurt if we go many places. What a LOVELY “hurt” to have!
Filed under kindness, Wonderful Things about Thailand
Freepik
I had the most delightful evening with my new family here in Thailand who ‘adopted’ Harvey and me as honorary grandparents for their family. Their mother is visiting from the states and is staying in a condo right next door to mine, so we’re neighbors, too, for about a month!
They came after dinner, bringing me a ‘treat.’ I’LL SAY! It was an exquisite tiny chocolate piece of cake that was ‘low carb!’ With it was a small container of homemade chocolate avocado mousse made by Brian’s friend’s wife.
I carefully divided the piece of cake in half, plus used half of the mousse before bed. I HAD to text her to say that it was absolutely delicious!!!!!!!!! Her daughter loved an avocado chocolate bowl they got for her recently and so she MADE some for her. It only has a small bit of syrup in it, so I don’t have to feel guilty. AND – I get to enjoy the other half tonight!!!!! YUM.
The grandmother is a delightful lady, full of energy and easy to talk to. We had a really good time talking, and will try to get together soon to do something. (She’s a real dynamo, though, so I warned her that I’m old, just finished with some back pain, and low on stamina right now. That didn’t seem to bother her a bit!😁
We’ll go to the family’s place for dinner sometime this week, so I’m really looking forward to that.
The dad (Brian’s friend) brought his son for a few minutes, so I took the opportunity to give my adoptive grandson the dinosaur I painted for him. I have no clue whether he liked it or not – he’s 3 years old and very shy – but I hope he did.
I’m still smiling about the wonderful time we had. What a lucky woman I am!
Filed under kindness
Freepik
As “lovable as I am,” I have to admit that I am a trial to my son.
We are in Thailand now, as happy as possible with Harvey having had a stroke and being almost totally uncommunicative now in the nursing home.
I am happy living in the first place I have ever lived by myself, arranging it to my tastes, delighting in having the shades up when my husband would have insisted they always stay closed – with blackout curtains, as well. My puzzle table is out in the middle of the living room, my art alcove is ready to use, my computer is ready to me to use, my sofa and blanket are ready to me to snuggle down and doze awhile.
The latest problem Brian had to deal with is when he texted me from work, yesterday, asking if I wanted him to order a coffee for me. When I said, “That would be wonderful,” he soon texted me again that it was downstairs on the community delivery table with the order number. I went down and got it, brought it back up and pronounced it delicious, and tried to text him so. I couldn’t get my message to send! I looked at it, didn’t see anything wrong, but I got an error message when I tried to send it. He sent another message asking if everything was okay. I tried to answer, but no dice. I then tried to send him an email, but I couldn’t get THAT to work, either. I finally used another chat program, so he knew not to leave work, but he couldn’t figure out why I was getting an error message. Finally, he suggested I delete the message and try again. It worked. I had inadvertently typed a character at the beginning of the message that meant something to the chat program that made it not work. UGH.
I prove to him so many days that I am technically challenged. And, added to that, is the fact that my muscles mysteriously started cramping and spasming for no reason we can discern. I am now taking a pain pill morning and afternoon, drinking a glass of electrolytes and taking 3 magnesium pills daily, and this morning, he spent a lot of time finding a source of hospital grade distilled water to mix with a potassium concentrate he got for me. He gave me that in the states when I had restless leg, and it worked, so he read a deficiency of potassium could cause muscle problems and finally found a source and had it delivered. He just left from bringing it to me, mixing up the concentrate, mixing me a dose of the supplement, and watching me drink it. Now he wants me to text him at work that I’m all right in another 10 minutes or so.
I am definitely a trial to this sweet young man. I’m so lucky he puts up with me.
Filed under kindness
Having been in Thailand since the very end of March, and having the whirlwind of activity in trying to get settled and all the details of living in a new country handled while also trying to get the best care possible for Harvey, who suffered a stroke soon after we moved and is now in a nursing home, I’m struck by the incredible kindness of the people here.
I’ve already told you about the security people who helped us get an ambulance here in the middle of the night, plus actually helping us get Harvey onto a stretcher for the ride to the hospital. The staff at Bangkok Hospital in Chiang Mai did very quick diagnosis and emergency surgery within 3 hours to try to give him the best chance of recovery. His complications after that resulted in placement of a pace maker and treatment for ultra low blood pressure and high blood sugar.
The nursing home he is in has a wonderfully kind staff trying to meet his needs for care, attention, and treatment. From his griping, we know they put up with a bunch while we encourage him to get with the program and cooperate with their efforts.
The people who work at our condo building continue to ask Brian how his dad is doing, giving me a hug because they know I don’t speak Thai. The few who do speak a bit of English also are kind knowing that I have a significant hearing loss. They care, and that is really special.
People who don’t know us are extremely kind, as well. It just seems to be a part of the Thai people. The smiles, the kind words, the bows, the hands that reach out to help are simply overwhelming.
Maybe kindness is contagious?
Anyway, I have been particularly lucky in Brian’s housekeeper agreeing to clean my condo as well as his. I apparently offended her sensibilities by having a fake green plant that someone had spilled some white paint on, on a table. I figured that SOME green was better than NO green. Kuhn Nong threw the offensive plant away, replacing it with gorgeous real flowers – along with a spotless house. I am trying to show her how much I appreciate her. Last week I just put a happy face on a piece of paper and said, “Thank You.” I left it with her money. This week I made a silly little drawing that I hope will make her smile.
Then, I’ve told you that I have been very kindly ‘adopted’ as an honorary grandmother by Brian’s friends. They have a very young son who was wearing dinosaur shoes when the whole family came to visit me recently. I made a drawing to take with me to give to him the next time I’m invited to join the family –
There is no way to thank people enough for reaching out when it’s so important, but I will try to do what I can.
Filed under kindness
While we were at the hospital, Brian ordered several things to be delivered to the condo receiving area, including some dinner for us.
He was primarily ordering things to give to the two men who work in the parking area of the building who he had to wake up for help the night my husband had his stroke and needed an ambulance. They called for one, got the people up to our place, helped get Harvey on a stretcher and into the ambulance. How do you ‘thank’ people for going above and beyond like that, in the middle of the night when they are not on duty?
We got home and hauled everything upstairs to his condo. We came down to our air bnb and ate dinner, then went back up to divide the gifts between two big bags. We got things like three kinds of fancy nuts, some soup, some tomato type drink in an 8 pack, fancy coffee, and a big heavy box Brian says is a food Thai people love, plus cans of tuna. We also got a music playing thing for both of them to share. I think that’s it.
We went down toward the parking area and found the first man doing duty in the office/control area for the building. We thanked him profusely, Brian speaking Thai, and me trying to pronounce ‘thank you’ in my awful, but sincere, Thai accent – “cawp coon, CA!” bowing and putting my hands together. The man seemed to be saying the equivalent of ‘I was just doing my job,’ or “it wasn’t much,” but we knew differently. We left him starting to open the big bag.
We found the 2nd man on duty at his post at the front and to the side of the parking area and repeated our actions.
We felt good to be able to personally thank the two men face to face so they knew how special we think they are. There is simply no way to thank someone when they help through a traumatic situation to get help for someone you love.
Filed under kindness, Thoughts on a ________
I think there might be room for ONE MORE signing on his cast…
Filed under Amazing Animals, kindness
“This man was forced to give his dog to the Humane Society due to undergoing lengthy hospital stay. This nurse found out and immediately went to the shelter and adopted his dog. She brings him to visit daily and will return him as soon as the man is released!”
This was posted by @_B_S on X today. It made me cry. What a wonderful nurse.
Filed under Blog Repost - Wonderful Posts, kindness
Unsplash
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Yesterday my sister-in-law (and more importantly, friend) told me about an incident where she exercises. A lady in the class was really ugly to another lady my SIL likes. The really sad thing is that it wasn’t necessary. My SIL was able to defuse the situation, but you can’t ‘unhear’ ugly, hurtful things.
When a person is being ugly for religious or political reasons, I just don’t understand the motivation. Being ugly will certainly never change anyone else’s mind on a subject. Being ugly to someone else can only be done to hurt the other person, and I don’t see a good reason for that, either.
Maybe I’m missing something, but life is too short for this. Keeping your mouth shut, unless it’s in the defense of someone else, is a good skill to practice – I think of it as a character-building exercise.
Filed under Challenges, character-building exercises, kindness
My husband called me over to his computer last night and showed me what he had just ordered for me –
Brush Rinser, Paint Brush Rinser with Drain
It’s usually $30, but was on sale for Memorial Day weekend for $6! You fill up the ‘tank’ and push the button with the spring to ‘flush’ the water reservoir to get fresh, clean water while you’re painting.
Right now I go to our master bathroom to wash out the small bowl I use, fill it with water, then use it until I need to refresh it, and then do the process over and over as I paint in my art room. It’s no big deal, but this will be wonderful, making it possible to concentrate on what I’m trying to do, rather than the mechanics associated with trying to get my brush clean when changing colors.
I’m amazed that this caught my husband’s eye, or that he realized what a pleasure this would be. What a nice, thoughtful gift!
Filed under kindness
Houston Recovery Center
A surprising thing happened at our routine doctor appointment yesterday.
I noticed that the nice lady who updated our information on the computer in the exam room was an RN. Her name was Bailey and the first thing I noticed was her tennis shoes. They had a really sassy leopard print sole. :0) I had never seen ones like this and I thought they were neat. I mentioned them and she said they were new. I asked her how long she had been working with Dr. Hays and she said 6 months. When I asked her how long she had been an RN, she said since 2020. I told her I was impressed that she got her credentials during that period of time and that she must have a lot of grit and stamina to do all of this during the pandemic.
We finished updating my husband’s info and mine, she asked if it were okay that an intern attend our exam and our doctor came in shortly. When the appointment was over and Bailey brought back our paperwork, she suddenly gave me a quick hug. I must have looked surprised because she said that I was the only one in the six months she’s been here who asked about her background and made her feel special. I gave her a quick hug back and thanked her for HER treatment of US.
This shouldn’t be something that makes us notice. Kindness should be as normal as what USED to be known as “common courtesy.”
Strive to promote ‘common kindness.’
Filed under kindness
