Day 91: Tumbler Antics + Letters

Today I learned...
...that Tumbler runs laps for hours (like a bunny - because he has to hop) when I'm not home. I found this out today when I was home all day and was able to observe him in his natural habitat. He must only do this on weekdays. Clearly I did not distract him from his normal routine.

Today I am thankful for...
...beautiful letters in the mail from beautiful people. Thank you.

Day 77: Right Moments + Safety

Today I learned...
...that sometimes the right person finds the right thing at the right time. (See: Fast Food Friendship)

Today I am thankful for...
...returning home safely tonight. My 30 minute drive home from class took me an hour and I was white knuckled and nervous the whole way. The roads in this snow/sleet were terrible. Thank God our class got out early!

Day 69: Prioritizing + Cleaning Favors

Today I learned...
...not to make things harder than they need to be. I prioritized school work instead of making myself crazy, did what HAD to be done, rather than everything that exists to be done, and I felt less rushed and more in charge.

Today I am thankful for...
...Rick cleaning my whole car (vacuuming and cleansing all the windows and surfaces) and Rick cleaning my whole bathroom shower. HE IS AMAZING. And a bit of a neat freak. But man, both of those things seriously needed cleaning. And I didn't have to do it. 

Day 45: Valentines + Sisterhood

Today I learned...
...that leaving valentines for strangers is loving, special, and meaningful. There's a first time for everything!

Today I am thankful for...
...a powerful movement called One Billion Rising. I intermittently bawled and got chills while watching live streams and videos of women all over the world dancing to demand an end to violence against women. I made my own video of dancing in solidarity with the movement since I could not be part of an organized event.

Day 36: Surprise Sincerity + a Nomination

Today I learned...
...that a lot of people really look forward to the letters I leave for strangers that I post about on Mondays. Multiple people have stopped me throughout my day on a Monday to ask me excitedly where I left my letter. Multiple people have told me that my Letters on Monday is one good thing about Mondays now! Multiple people have thanked me for doing it, because it inspires them or makes them feel good. And multiple people have told me that they pretend the letters I leave for strangers (and then post) are for them.

All of this makes me so happy. And yet, I am surprised every time I learn about another person who is waiting for the announcement of the next letter. It's such a learning experience. I am surprised by the sincerity and straightforwardness with which people approach me about this. I am taken aback when they express excitement or eagerness and ARE NOT AFRAID TO SAY SO OUT LOUD. I love that. And yes, I will always tell you where I left my Monday letter - though you may have to wait until it appears on Facebook or my personal blog. And yes, it IS one good thing about Mondays now! That's part of the point. I like to put a positive spin on things that aren't always seen so positively. And yes, I love to inspire and make you feel good. You can do what I'm doing. I'm not special. :-) And yes, the letters are as much for YOU as they are for the people who find them. That's the reason why I post photos of the actual letters I leave instead of just saying that I left another letter. If you read it and it speaks to you, take it to heart. It's for you.

Today I am thankful for...
...the nomination for the Love Warrior 2013 award. The EDRS (Eating Disorder Recovery Support, Inc.) nominated 5 women and I am honored to be among them, because quite frankly, they all rock! The winner will be announced at their annual conference on Feb 7th in California. I was invited to the event, but unfortunately due to cost of travel and crazy schedule, had to decline. Regardless of outcome, I am so appreciative for the recognition and the thanks. I feel so blessed these last few weeks!

Day 29: Little Things + Opportunities

Today I learned...
...that the simplest things can be the most meaningful to people. When Channel 69 News came to my home to interview me today, they took footage of me with my delightful cat, Tumbler. They also took footage of specific quotes on my bulletin board ("Each new day is another chance to change your life," "Inspire," etc.) and me making food to eat in my kitchen! ;-)

Today I am thankful for...
...the amazing opportunity of being interviewed by Nancy Werteen of Channel 69 News (WFMZ). Though she warned me that my portion of the segment will be cut to about a minute and a half, she was so respectful and kind. She asked such good questions and talked to me for quite a while. She even told me that editing the footage to the time frame will be difficult. It was a great meeting. And honestly, even if it never aired on TV, I feel like it was a success.

Day 25: Respect + A Shortened Work Day

Today I learned...
...that treating someone like a human DOES get noticed. Most of the time, people (myself included) tend to think that the regular, simple things they do don't get noticed - that no one will care if they are nice, so they don't go out of their way to be. They just do their job without any "extras." Today, I was not overly kind (at least I don't think so - though I did make a little more conversation than necessary and I did smile instead of not smiling, even though nothing pleasant was happening)...I did not do anything special...but today a client said to her mother in front of me, about me: "See - her attitude is so nice. THAT is what you call good customer service." She turned to me. "THANK YOU," she said with real emphasis. It made me realize that they are used to be treated badly. All I had done was tell them I was sorry they had to come a long way in the freezing cold. All I had done was apologize for the wait. All I had done was smile and talk to the little girl that accompanied them. There were several things about the situation that could have led me to be annoyed, or even just unresponsive. I could have gone through the motions, since my day was busy and they weren't in good moods. But I treated them like humans, because they are humans. I gave respect, without the expectation that I would get it back. And to my surprise, I was THANKED just for being normal and nice.

Today I am thankful for...
...getting to leave work one hour early. My evening therefore started earlier, which means it can end earlier! That means more sleep for me tonight, which is very appreciated. It also means I didn't have to drive in the snow we got after 4:00 pm.

Day 11: Honesty + Organization

Today I learned...
...that honesty and kindness can really go a long way to facilitate a positive outcome. I made a mistake at work today. Actually, I made a mistake a couple of weeks ago and just discovered it today. It wasn't a huge, life-altering mistake that couldn't be fixed, but it wasn't a tiny mistake either.

In the course of rectifying this mistake, I had to find a file. I looked everywhere. I told a co-worker. She helped me look...and eventually, after I had exhausted all possibilities, she found the file on my own desk, beneath a pile of work. As the image quote suggests, silent gratitude isn't much use, so I told her "Thank you" three times with feeling and gave her a hug (not inappropriately - we're friends). She laughed for a second, but felt appreciated.

Then, in order to fix the situation, I had the unpleasant task of calling someone my mistake involved and explaining that I had messed up.

It went something like this:

Me: "Hi, L. It's Arielle from C. How are you?"

L: "Hi, Arielle! I'm good. And you?"

Me: "Good, good. I'm calling about A."

L: (explains the situation that ensued from my mistake and asks if it is correct)

Me: "L, I have to apologize. It's completely my fault. Her case is totally fine. I'm so sorry. She came in on (date) when we had all that bad weather and then our office closed early and told us all to go home. So when I came back, I forgot that I had not cleared (the discrepancy) and...I didn't even realize until today." The last part was said even more shamefully than the first part.

L: "Oh, honey! It's okay! It's fine! I can't even imagine how you deal with the caseloads you have over there! Don't even worry about it!"

Me: "Thank you! And thank you for following up with me."

L: "That stuff happens from time to time. I understand. It happens here too!" (She laughs.)

Me: "Thank you. (I do quick case-related confirmations.) Have a great day!"

L: "You too!"

I was honest instead of covering things up or just offering no explanation. I was kind instead of irritated by the situation or myself. And L was honest and kind right back.


Today I am thankful for...
...tools that help me stay organized. With a huge amount of responsibilities, deadlines, and commitments on my plate, my last semester of grad school in full swing, and a lot to remember(!), I bought a new planner, some highlighters, and pens, and I hunkered down with all my syllabi and calendars for work, grad school, internship, and personal life...and I got completely and utterly organized. I feel so much better!

Day 10: Dying + Sleep

 

Today I learned...

...that when a person is dying, his or her background does not matter very much. All that matters is that when he is in pain, empathy takes hold. A patient came into hospice today - he had a past laced with negative information and poor choices. I saw a nurse judge him. He wasn't a criminal or an evil person, but he had had a hard life and some consequences ensued. Before he arrived, she mentioned not wanting to touch him, because she found him too gross. As a social worker, I was taken aback by this comment. Hours after he arrived, she came from his bedside and I asked her how he was. She had sadness in her eyes and said she felt sorry for him, because he was in so much pain. After meeting him - and watching his painful state - she had tirelessly ensured his comfort was the number one priority so he could die in peace, and no longer held the notion he was gross. The change in her mindset happened in a matter of hours and I witnessed it.

Today I am thankful for...

...the opportunity to go to sleep early. Many of my days are so long, filled with work and commitments. I have progressively gotten more and more tired as this week wore on, and last night I believe I had less than 5 hours of sleep. So tonight, after a long and tiring day during which I was already running on empty, I am happy that I do not have a 3 hour class. I am happy I do not have to lead a group. I am happy that I do not have to make a video. I am happy that I do not have to write a paper. I am happy that I can go to sleep earlier than usual!

Day 7: Letters + Education

Today I learned...
...that writing a handwritten letter to a stranger, in the interest of being kind, loving, helpful, and empowering, and leaving it for him/her to find, feels totally AWESOME. Yes, I did it. I wrote a letter and I sealed it up and I addressed it to: "If you found this, this is for you. (Yes! You!)" I left it at an empty table at Panera Bread. I was inspired by www.moreloveletters.com


Today I am thankful for...
...my first day of my LAST semester of graduate school...because it means a) I got to see my wonderful, caring classmates and b) there are only 16 weeks left between me and my LMSW!!!

Day 5: Marriage + Les Mis

Today I learned...
...that "for better or for worse" is not just a line in a marriage ceremony vow. Living with a man who is in excruciating, unnatural, horrible pain is hard for me...but it is harder for him. And while it means some trying times and some real sadnesses, it's part of marriage. It may not be part of everyone's marriage, but it is part of OUR marriage. He struggles every day and yet does so much. He gets down, and I try to boost his spirits. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail. Sometimes I am up to the challenge and sometimes I get tired. But I love him, "for better or for worse." I tend not to talk about the "worse," specifically because it is private, especially for Rick. But like I told him last night, "for better or for worse" means I am HERE, next to him, ready to be present through his pain and his sorrow. Better together than alone.

Today I am thankful for...
...the chance to see Les Miserables in theater with my mom and my sister-in-law. It was fantastic, as I suspected it would be, having seen the Broadway show and read the amazing book by Victor Hugo. It is full of lessons and emotion. And - going along with my above lesson - as Victor Hugo wrote, and Jean Valjean sang, "To love another person is to see the face of God!"

Day 4: Kindness + Movie Nights

Today I learned...
...that treating someone with kindness even when you're frustrated and annoyed with them is enough to make the situation go your way. Thanks, Client of Mine who was driving me crazy. I was thinking of her with ill feeling, maybe even a little disdain...because she was difficult and disrespectful...but when I met with her, I tried to find empathize with her, tried to understand where she was coming from... and in treating her with kindness that started off tentative and soon became real, I was met with civility and respect. I expected argumentative demeanor, a bad attitude, and maybe even some yelling. Instead, I got nodding, soft words, and a complete turnaround in the scenario.

Today I am thankful for...
...wine and a movie with Rick. Sometimes the little, routine things are the things for which I am most grateful. It is a little reminder that life is good and comfortable.