Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Tuesday, December 16, 2014 -- Mattie died 275 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2006. Mattie was in the woods behind Peter's childhood home in Boston. This was where Peter spent many days as a kid exploring and playing and each time Mattie went to visit his grandparents in Boston, Mattie had an opportunity for a similar adventure. Mattie loved being outdoors so walking, picking up sticks, and a water element were all he needed to start his creative process. Though as you can tell from this photo, Mattie put up with my need for photography at particular points in time..... but clearly he had that "going through the motions" look!


Quote of the day: When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace. ~ The 14th Dalai Lama 

Peter flew to Phoenix today, and when he landed he sent me two photographs he took while in the air. I think they are quite beautiful! It is hard to believe that Peter traveled across the Country, just to come back tomorrow. Fortunately he is a better traveler than me because the flight alone would have done me in for the day. 

Here is another photo from the air! I asked Peter where this was and he said he was over New Mexico. Quite stunning!

Tonight's story of the $20 which I am about to tell you and the quote I shared from the Dalai Lama are very much related. I went to the shopping mall today. As I came out of one store, I had to walk through the food court to get to my next destination in the mall. As I looked down, at my feet was a folded $20 bill. Next to the bill was a table with a young couple and a baby. The natural deduction was the mother dropped this $20 bill. However no one seemed to claim the bill, I could have easily picked up the money and walked away. But I did not do that. Instead, I asked the mom if she dropped the $20. She looked down at her feet and she said 'no.' At that point, she assumed since she told me no, she figured I was going to bend down and pick up the money for myself. But to her surprise, I did not touch the money. Instead, I turned to her and told her... "I guess it is your lucky day." She was STUNNED, and bent down to pick up the $20!

What is the point of the story?! It isn't like I did not want the $20. I most certainly could have either spent it or contributed it to the Foundation. Each and every one of us would rarely turn down $20. But I would have to say for the most part my life has always been regulated by bringing joy and happiness to others first. When I saw the couple with a baby, I remembered those days when I had a baby. Babies are expensive to raise. They constantly need things, are growing, and I figured that this maybe helping a family. In any case, whether it did or not, the act of giving creates an inner sense of satisfaction and perhaps peace within. I know that such harmony is not easily achievable in any other way for me. I am sure this story may sound odd, but I guess when you are presented with an opportunity that could potentially provide someone with kindness, consider it, because there is no telling the internal happiness that will abound for you.