Onward & Upward

Is everyone still speaking to me? So sorry to have been MIA for so long. It's been a crazy few weeks. Of course, that's not really fair. I'm sure everyone has had their share of crazy.

There's a book I'm looking forward to reading. My friend just bought it...it's "Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist" by Michael J. Fox. And I don't want to read it just because I was a big Alex P. Keaton fan when I was a kid.
I'm amazed that his story--his book--can be called "Always Looking Up", when he's living with a debilitating, life-ending disease.

Our family's cross seems to always be health problems. Someone in one of our families seems to always be burdened with the worry of health problems. My grandma and my father-in-law both had strokes/spells in this last two weeks.

And I've seen what chronic pain and health problems can do. It can make it just a little harder to smile every morning. Slower to laugh. Sometimes you just feel washed out. Other times completely flattened and defeated. It's hard to see the future clearly. To be buoyed by hope. So I admire Mike for doing the unthinkable, and being positive, and even grateful, even at the stage of his life.

I was also intrigued by the title of this book. I've always considered myself a positive person, a perpetual optimist. But as I get older I'm realizing that that's not completely true. It's not like I can pride myself on making a choice of seeing the positive in every situation. Because I don't always do that. But what I do is cling to the positive like a lifeline. I've learned that I can't function if I'm focused in what's going wrong. I'm motivated the positive, and when I'm buried in the bad times, it's only by holding on to the bits of good around me, that I can pull out of the mire. So I'm interested to read Mike's views on "incurable optimism." Hope it's good...I'm going to steal it from Dawn as soon as she finishes it. :)

Here are a few quotes from Mike:


"If you were to rush into this room right now and announce that you had struck a deal - with God, Allah, Buddha, Christ, Krishna, Bill Gates, whomever - in which the ten years since my diagnosis could be magically taken away, traded in for ten more years as the person I was before - I would, without a moment's hesitation, tell you to take a hike."
— Michael J. Fox, from "Lucky Man"

""Happiness is a decision.""
— Michael J. Fox

""When prescribing one of the drugs I take, my doctor warned me of a common side effect: exaggerated, intensely vivid dreams. To be honest, I've never really noticed the difference. I've always dreamt big.""
— Michael J. Fox

Mission NICE

I've got to share a bit more about Operation NICE. This is a great blog for lifting your mood. They frequently share stories about people reaching out and doing something, well, nice. There's also a nice link with tips on interesting ways you can spread the NICE:

http://www.operationnice.com/2008/09/nice-tips-readers-suggestions.html

And a seasonal NICE tip...help out the Easter Bunny!

I'll occasionally share interesting stories from NICE. :)

Spreading the Happy

Two posts in one day...I'm making up for missing most of the weekend. ;)

You know, there are really no shortage of blogs like this on the web. Every few days I run across another one. Each has their own little spin. Operation NICE is an especially great blog, for example. Seeing these various blogs remind me of a couple of things. First, that we're all truly hungry for some hope, especially right now. We're bombarded every day with what's wrong with the world. But also, I think it shows how rewarding it is to do this, as a blogger. To spread the happy. It's not just some kind of public service--it's personally fulfilling. It uplifts my spirit to find these little tidbits of silliness or hope, and it's just icing on the cake to get to pass them on.

Here's a story (which I first saw on Operation Nice), that is another inspiring example what an impact we can have, just by trying to do some small gesture for someone else.

http://lovely-little-things.blogspot.com/2009/03/random-acts-of-kindness.html

Really, I should be thanking all of you who read this blog...it gives me a reason to focus on these happy little things every day. You all are making my day better, too. :)

Fresh Perspective From an Old Tale

This is one of those email forward stories. I don't usually pass these on, but today this one struck me for some reason. Typical, maybe, I may even have read this one before...but I like the reminder that our perspective is everything. Two people can look at the same thing, and see two completely different views of the world. Trying to force myself to find another way to approach my thinking, or even just one particular problem, is usually the best way to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've found that I think doing this blog is helping my own outlook considerably--it forces me to find the good, even when it's a trial.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, the would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.
Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade pass ing by.

Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it i n his mind s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.
She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Building Hope

This is a story that reminds me there are still kind people in this world--no matter how many horrible things we do to each other. Most days the news is full of how we're tearing each other down--but this one gives hope--for this generation and the next.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/gallery/022309dana_farber_beams/

The back story on this article--this started originally with one child, and one construction worker. The child wrote (I believe it was a little boy) wrote his name and posted it in his hospital window, for the construction workers to see. The next day, he saw his name written on a beam outside his window. Now it's become a tradition that each child looks forward to. Each day, those construction workers now take the time to add that day's new names.

What I love about this is the creativity. We really can find happiness anywhere...if we're willing to put ourselves out there--open to finding it. Those children put their names on the window, inviting hope in. And those construction workers find a way to deliver.

Gotta love this one.

One Good Tapioca Deserves Another

Well, I still sound like a frog. And when I laugh, I sound like a frog in pain. But what the heck...it's Friday night. We ordered pizza (my personal favorite Friday night splurge). And it's warm enough to have the window open. I can even hear the killdeer and frogs singing outside. Spring might actually be just around the corner. It almost makes springing forward tomorrow worth it. No, I take that back. I'm not enough of a morning person to make my peace with losing an hour. Sigh.

By the way...all the city folk out there are thinking "what the heck is a killdeer?". Well, I'm going to keep the mystery alive and not tell you. But no worries...no deer were harmed in the making of a killdeer.

Okay, let's move on to today's official happy. It's probably cheating, but today I'm going to share someone else's happy thought. (No, I'm not already out of ideas. And if I was, I wouldn't admit it anyway.)

This one's for all my work buddies out there. There is apparently a growing fan club at my work...in celebration of our cafeteria's tapioca pudding. In one day, I've heard about the joys of that pudding from two different people. Ah, the simple joys of comfort food. Some days, they even put a dash of whipped cream and a cherry on top. Really, it has to be experienced to be understood. You'll just have to imagine enjoying your own little guilty pleasure...I'm sure you have one. Maybe it's even tapioca pudding. Mine is actually my mom's homemade tapioca...served warm and fluffy. Mmmm. But the cafeteria pudding runs a close second.

I have a prediction. As long as there is no unexpected pudding shortage, I believe the weight loss industry will continue to boom during the economic crisis. It's time to break out the comfort foods, people.

I actually have one more happy thought to share today. I want to share another blog with you. A friend of mine is doing one good deed for each day of Lent, and is recording it on a blog, "40 Days/40 Deeds". It's clever and quirky and funny...you'll love it. My favorite entry is from last Wednesday. It involves tapioca pudding.

Here's the link: http://40days40deeds.tumblr.com