I usually write my blog on Wednesday. Today, I am going to the beach because it’s my birthday. At 8:02pm, I will turn sixty two. I never thought I would live this long. I have been on life support three times. No one knows why. I have been septic twice requiring a month long hospital stay each time. In 2005, I went on disability. That year, I was in the hospital for 181 days. In August of this year, I had a blood clot in my pelvis that went to my lungs. My dear friend, Bonita, said a cat with nine lives would be jealous of me.

I was cleared for travel a few weeks ago so I am finally back at my home in Florida. I have been here for ten days. I have not gotten to the beach because I have been too damned tired. I am going soon so I promise this blog will be short. No one expected me to live this long. I am truly like the Energizer Bunny – I keep going and going. So I have one birthday wish besides a decadent chocolate birthday cake. In honor of my struggles and yours, and you can’t be alive and not have struggles of your own, I want you to change your life a little bit so you can radically change the world. You will see how easy it is to accomplish this task. For me, there can never be a greater gift.

I am not kidding. All you have to do is think of gestures you can do every day to make the world just a little bit better, one act of kindness at a time. I have three things I try to accomplish every day. The first one is to smile and say hello to every person I pass. Every person. Every day. The second is to take the time to acknowledge people who are doing thankless jobs. Imagine working day after day and feeling that no one notices and no one cares. If I see a gardener pulling weeds or spreading mulch, I tell them how nice it looks. I thank the person who cleans the bathrooms at the airport or fixes the crack in the cement on the sidewalk. When I get exceptional service, I ask for the name and email address of the person’s supervisor. I send a letter or email about the outstanding service I received. On occasion, I get a note back saying the person has gotten a raise or a promotion as a result of my note. Last, when I am out, my goal is to make ten people laugh. I’m somewhat serious by nature, but it’s much easier to do than you think. If you’re funny on an elevator, you can knock off this task in one shot.

There is one last thing. I am by no means wealthy. I know what it is to raise four kids when you are self employed and have a bad month. A few months ago, I was in line at Walmart. I could easily pay for everything in my cart. I suspected the woman in line behind me was worried she could not. She had a daughter who appeared to be about ten. Everything in the cart was for her daughter. She kept picking up items from the cart and checking the price tags. I strongly suspected she was worried she would not have enough to pay for it all.

I have been in her shoes. They are uncomfortably tight. So, I gave a twenty dollar bill to the cashier to help her out. I told the cashier not to let the woman know about the money until I was out of the store. For whatever reason, she gave it to her right away. Before I knew it, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and the woman’s daughter gave me a heartfelt hug followed by a truly sincere thank you.

I know for certain that you can change yourself and the world one step at a time. It doesn’t take a lot of time or money. The funny thing is, you change the world because you change yourself. You will find your sensibilities will change. You will feel lighter and more at peace. Don’t ask me how or why because I have no answer. Remember, it is a universal law that for every action there is a reaction. So, on the last day in February, I humbly ask you to grant me my birthday wish. I promise you will never be the same again. Now I am heading to the beach. At sixty-two, I will not forget my sunscreen!

Previous and next posts...