be more thoughtful

I have a sweet friend who is going through Chemo (again) and I really want be there for her.

I am still working on being more thoughtful. I haven’t been feeling too well and it is hard to be nice when your hurting.
But -I have emailed a note of encouragement to a new acquaintance from bible study who is going through a failing marriage. I also have been trying to do little extras for family like washing up others dishes and such. I called my grandmother and chatted for hours -not easy as I HATE talking on the phone, but it made her very happy. Also, I am collecting some happies to send my daughter at college.
I want thoughtful actions to just come naturally -become habit. Hopefully one day!

I think about being thoughtful fairly often, but unfortunately it is usually when I can’t do what I am thinking (and when I can, I forget) I’ve really got to get better. I want to share joy and love and general goodwill (mush, mush, mush, mush)
There are so many opportunities, I’ve just got to recognize them & take action. A cup of ice water offered when it is hot, a have a nice day phone call, a happy note in my daughters’ notebook, cleaning up a mess I didn’t make, giving up the best parking space, ...

I am geting out thank yous for everyone who help me get my house ready for the home tour. (So many people really helped so much -I am so blessed!) Goal -have then all in the mail or hand delivered by this coming Monday.

I had been meaning to call my brothers & grandmother for weeks. It kept getting too late in the evening before I’d think about it. Well, I wrote myself reminders last night and stuck them on the kitchen island, in my purse, and on the computer screen so I wouldn’t forget. I didn’t! Talked to everybody on the list. The timing was perfect -no call was less than an hour (I do have unlimited long distance thank goodness) This is pretty big for me as I really do not like to talk on the phone that much. Next up write & mail a thank-up note to a friend for taking me & the family out boating for the weekend.

I’ve been up to the hospital to visit my estranged(?) husband’s mother. (several times) She has always been very difficult, depressing, and a real issue in many ways, but to see her so helpless and trapped makes you realize that in the end, petty differences really don’t matter. If I can make her final days easier then it is worth it. I will keep this up. I will try and ease her transition into the next life. I will be comforting and as supportive as possible with my husband and his sister even when it is hard to do. I will not bring up anything that could cause pain. I have been trying to do this -it is not as easy as it sounds. I will continue to pray for Nana, Peter, and Lilah.

I drove to Mississippi to visit my Mom last weekend, she just had surgery and needed the pick me up. This week I spent extra time listening to a co-worker’s problems, wrote & sent a “feel better card” to my Mom, wrote & sent a “Hi!” card to my grandmother, and took each of my daughters individually shopping for some one-on-one time. I also let an acquaintance who was going through some tough times know I’d been praying for him.

I’m great about thinking of nice thoughts, but I have trouble acting on them. Probably because I’m basically lazy. I am working on remembering birthdays (my Mom’s coming up soon), as well as encouraging and complimenting others.