This summer the time seems to have spiraled out of control. I can’t possibly do all the fun things that are presenting themselves at every turn, let alone the boring lame chore-type things.
Last week we had a really fun visit from Dan’s aunt and uncle and 8 of their kids. They stayed for 3 days during which time we saw every site there is to see in the Greater Seattle Area. We had a blast hanging out with them and cooking food for their 5 voracious and appreciative teenage boys. I so love cooking for people who eat more than 2 teaspoons of their meal and who repeatedly tell me what a fabulous cook I am.
Well, as you can imagine, things were crazy. Laylee and Magoo were wired and hero-worshipful of the cousins and we were WAY off schedule. Complicate that with the fact that my life-sustaining device of communication and organization bit the big one right before they arrived and I was pretty much adrift in a tide of vacationism.
I’d ordered peaches weeks before in a bulk group order run by a very organized woman. She had spreadsheets and a process. She gave each person a pickup time that Thursday and told us we needed to be precisely punctual in order to get our fruit. If we did not come and get our fruit, we would jeopardize future bulk fruit orders. Very serious business, all of it.
So, my pickup time was 9:20am on the Thursday that the relatives were visiting. My digital calendar with the handy reminders was laying black-screened on the counter like a technological dead fish. I’d forgotten about the peaches I’d ordered. I’d forgotten that it was Thursday. I’d forgotten that my name was Kathryn and how many children I had.
Right as we were about to leave for sightseeing, about 9:40am, I was browsing my email when I noticed the alert about the peaches. “Don’t let me forget to pick up the fruit on Thursday, okay?”
“It is Thursday!”
“What?!”
So I began running around the house like a headless poultry, grabbing the kids under each arm, making plans to meet up with everyone later and muttering about how Fruit Lady was gonna find me and kill me in my sleep. Then the phone rang.
It was my friend Linda, who I hadn’t seen in months. She was picking up her fruit and noticed my name on the list. She thought things must be crazy for me at home with 2 little kids and wondered if I wanted her to buy my fruit and bring it to my house.
It seems like a small thing but I got teary-eyed, grateful that she’d thought of me, grateful that she didn’t shrug off the thought but called me and offered to help. It was just one more entry in my mental list of examples of why you should never hesitate when the thought pops into your head that you could do something to help someone else out.
The list includes people who brought me dinner when they had no idea I was having trouble, people who stopped by randomly to say hi only to find I was trapped at home with sick kids and then offered to do a quick grocery run for me. Last week, I was having a tough time in blog land, sick of writing, sick of being criticized for the personal thoughts I send out into the interwebs. Not even knowing this, one of my bloggy friends wrote a way-too-kind post about how much she loves my site and it gave me just the boost I needed to keep writing.
My point. Don’t hesitate. I have never regretted doing something nice for someone.
*applause*
Anyone criticizes you… you just send ’em to me. I’ll slap ’em around awhile.
Wow, you hosted that huge a family. My hat is off, lady.
Okay, so first, I would be curled up in a ball crying on the floor if my PDA crashed. Truly, I would. Second, you are so right. You never know how much a little thing might mean to someone. Excellent post!
Isn’t it amazing how something so simple can make us stop and remember what really matters in life?
Awww, Kathryn – I’m a major lurker, but I read every post. I love to hear the personal thoughts you send out into the interwebs. Sometimes I think you’re a little wacko – but really, that’s what I like about you.
Good luck with the peaches!
I totally think that it’s God sending those people into your life right when you needed them the most! God is awesome like that.
Your website is one of the main parts of my daily routine. I check my email, check your website, check the website of they guy from my old ward in MN, then check the price of gold and silver. When you have a post, I have a good day and my daily routine can follow as needed. When you don’t have a post up, I check back periodically throughout the day, hoping that you are just running a little behind (I’ve got just a tad bit of OCD).
Plus, your blog is only one of two blogs that I recommend on my website.
What great advice. Thanks for the post, and thanks for writing so often even when you’ve got so much going on. (And congrats on having five appreciative eaters in the house for a few days!)
Well, I just wanted to say thank you to you for putting those personal thoughts out there for us to read. I tend to lurk only, but your site is one of the few I check daily. So I thought a comment would be a good thing. Cheer up, for every one person who acts like a troll, there are 20 more who enjoy your blog. Ignore the trolls!
Hi Kathryn – long-time lurker, first-time commenter here. Thanks for the reminder of how valuable it can be to act kindly and thoughtfully. So important! What a great post!
Amen, sister. Amen.
I can’t imagine what life would be like without amazing people doing things just because they thought about it. Thoughtful things make the world go ’round.
Btw, I thought Motwb’s post about you was spot on. 🙂
I love it when people randomly do nice things for me. I especially love getting Thank You cards, so I have been working hard on sending them to people who help me out.
A little kindness and gratitude go a LONG way.
p.s. You have always been on my blogroll! As a matter of fact, you are probably the reason that I decided that I could have fun writing a blog.
Great Reminder!! ( and one I forget often or choose not to follow through on because I don’t want to impose, or step on toes – how silly is that!!!) I am so happy because I found you again after a few months without my regular computer access … new computer, lost my readers and bookmarks and everything. You are just as awesome as ever!
Another reminder to me to not ignore those promptings no matter how small they may seem.
So glad it all worked out.
And I join the ranks of those who adore your blog. So hang in there. We really should have a “National Make Supportive and Appreciative Statements on your Favorite Blogs Day !” But the name is really too long so it would probably never fly 🙂
That is so great. I’m glad you have a friend who was looking out for you and thinking of you. Friends are the greatest.
That reminds me. I should check and see if my spindly little peach tree has any yummy peaches for me now!
Kathryn, your words are so right and true. In the past week, I’ve had nudging to do things, but I didn’t do them. Later I found out the whys behind the nudging, and I regretted not listening to God in the first place.
So I’m feeding 50 teens this Sunday night. I’m giving them pancakes, eggs, bacon and Tang. Got any good suggestions on how to know that I have enough food? You could come and just help. That’s my nudging for you! 🙂
Such a great post… there is so much good to be done in the world, and nothing is too small! I love this… don’t hesitate.
Lovely post… And as a fellow Seattleite, I’d love to get hooked up with your Fresh Fruit Nazi.
If you quit writing I’ll kill you. My sisters read you too. You just don’t know it.
FOols mock but they shall mourn!
What wonderful little blessings you have received. I love that phrase. Don’t hesitate. You are superstupendous
You, and your mention in what was it? Parenting Magazine, is the whole reason I read blogs. You. That’s right. As my son stands here saying “AAhh!” at me I’m thinking, “Give me a break. I only read a few blogs.” Heheh. I think it’s time to go for a walk.
Oh, and my constant “do nice” think is to offer to let people go in front of me in line. It’s a habit now and I enjoy it immensely.