Drown Out Negativity with Kindness

Last week, someone called me on the telephone and said some very unkind things to me. I was absolutely devastated. Moreover, I was confused why anyone would call me just to tell me harsh words.

The conversation crushed me. For the next five days, I was very upset. I tried to push the negativity out, but the less than ideal words haunted my mind. I prayed. I read Scripture. But nothing could heal such a broken heart.

Yesterday, the pharmacist at my infusion company called me. She notified me she was leaving the pharmacy. I was stunned. The pharmacist has been an absolute sweetheart. She has solved so many issues for me. She has been an advocate on my side. I could not believe she was leaving.

After the phone call, I decided I needed to thank the pharmacist. I wanted to write her a note, but I knew she may not receive the card before her departure from the company. Instead, I wrote her an email. I expressed my gratitude for her kindness and told her what a joy it was to work with her.

To my shock, she responded with a heartfelt thank you. She gave me her personal cell phone number and told me to keep in touch.

I was blown away by this act of kindness. And suddenly, the hurtful words said last week melted away.

If you want to drown out negativity, be kind and the world will show you kindness.

 

9/11 Baby Christina-Taylor Green. A Life Bookended by Tragedy

Twenty-two years ago, tragedy struck the USA when the Twin Towers were struck by airplanes, and ultimately, the buildings collapsed. Far across the nation, in the state of Arizona, the Green family welcomed their newest addition into their lives: Christina-Taylor Green. In a day shrouded in grief, Christina was a ray of hope during such a dark time.

Christina grew up, loving softball. She was a very gifted athlete. She also had an affinity for politics. She saw her birthday of September 11, 2001, as a blessing. She wanted to inspire the nation.

On January 8, 2011, Christina and her neighbor attended a town hall event at a Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. Unfortunately, chaos soon erupted as a gunman shot 19 people. Six of those individuals did not survive. Nine year old Christina-Taylor Green was among the dead.

 

As we marked the anniversary of the fall of the Twin Towers, I cannot help but think of Christina. She would have turned 22 years old. What would her life have looked like? Would she have attended college? Would she have become a softball all-star?

We will never know.

May Christina-Taylor Green’s memory be a blessing.

Stolen in 30 Seconds

Recently, my dad drove to a large metropolitan area to have medical tests and appointments. I decided to not go with him as I am not feeling well.

My dad parked his car in the hotel parking lot. He last saw the vehicle at 10:30 p.m. At 7:30 a.m. the next morning, the rear of the car was damaged and the tail lights were gone. We were devastated.

My dad went to his appointments. That night, he was able to file a police report. There is a hotel surveillance video which most likely shows the crime, but the hotel was not cooperative. They refused to release the film. The police also asked for the security footage. I am not sure if they were able to obtain it from hotel management.

Today, my dad took the vehicle in to the dealership to get an estimate of the repairs. It is just under $5,000. I was flabbergasted!

I went online and researched the topic of stealing tail lights. It seems this is a new trend which is becoming very popular. The tail lights can be stolen in less than 30 seconds. It takes a few more seconds to damage the rear of the car to gain access to the tail lights. In all, it takes less than one minute for the crime to be committed.

This is the third time our vehicle has been the victim of crime in just nine months. In November, someone smashed into the front of our car in a parking lot and drove away. There was security footage, but the business refused to release the video. There was $6,000 worth of damage.

In January, the vehicle was broken into and ransacked just minutes after my parents exited the vehicle to go 20 feet away inside a business. (Thankfully there was nothing inside the car except napkins, maps and vehicle registration information.) Ten minutes later, my parents discovered the crime scene. There was security footage, but unfortunately, a tree blocked the license plate of the thief. The entire incident was recorded on film.

About $12,000 worth of damage has been done to our vehicle, and no suspects have ever been apprehended in any of the crimes.