25Mar 2011 by CJ

When acts of kindness become too difficult, we’re doomed in society

Generosity & Kindness
Calling all superheroes! Humanity’s in some serious trouble! Just look around, we’ve become a self-serving society who’ll do anything NOT to communicate with each other - the simple act of saying “hello” has become too much of a burden. Where are the acts of kindness? I wonder who we can call to save the day? Spider Man maybe? Nah, he’s got his hands full trying to open a mega-million dollar show on Broadway. How about “The Karate Kid”? Oh wait, he’s busy dancing around with a bunch of so-called stars. What we need is a friend and neighbor who might not have worn a cutting-edge costume or had any neat tricks up his sleeve, but he always did know the right things to say. I’m talking about Fred Rogers (AKA…
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09Mar 2011 by CJ

Watching something old can suddenly become something new again

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
One thing I remember about my late grandmother was her love of classic films from the 1940’s and 50’s. For me, they always seemed like something old. She never was a baker or a gardener and found no satisfaction in just sitting around the house crocheting lap blankets out of yarn. No, her enjoyment came from an era in Hollywood filled with glamorous productions and legendary talent. Having been born in 1975 however, I was never interested in movies before that time – especially if they were black and white. But meeting different people and sharing in new relationships often opens your eyes to a world of enjoyment you hadn’t experienced before. Maybe it’s in the foods you eat or the places you visit, or even the movies you choose…
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21Feb 2011 by CJ

On This President’s Day – God Bless America

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
"God Bless America - land that I love." Yesterday, I was scrolling through my iPod for something fresh to listen to, but I couldn’t find anything. I don’t know how that’s possible with a thousand songs always at my fingertips, but nothing was really appealing to me. I guess I was in one of those moods, where the sounds amplified through my car speakers annoys me more than soothes me. I finally landed on Celine Dion’s memorable version of Irving Berlin’s 1918 patriotic song, “God Bless America” – which Berlin wrote while serving in the US Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York. Much like Christmas tunes, it’s not the kind of music I typically listen to on my way to and from work, but it had been a…
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08Feb 2011 by CJ

Giving someone’s life a little purpose is a sign of character

Generosity & Kindness, Love & Relationships
“The purpose of life is not to be happy—but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you lived at all.”― Leo Rosten This morning while rummaging through a catch-all drawer in one of my spare bedrooms, I came across an old black and white photograph I wasn’t looking for. Staring back at me was my grandmother, standing in a large grassy field, her arm wrapped around the shoulder of her father in law - my great grandfather. She appeared to be in her early 30’s – a beautiful young woman with a pouting smile, curly dark hair and skin, smooth and creamy. Always conscious of her physical appearance, she looked as though she was posing for a photo shoot rather than for my…
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