Paper Cuts in Life

We all experience injuries, and most would agree that on a scale of 1-10, paper cuts are generally 1s.  A dear friend made me rethink paper cuts this past weekend.  Paper cuts hurt and are annoying, but when we tend to them, they often cease to be an issue within a day or two.  And, in many cases, others don't even realize that we've been injured. But, left untended, in a high risk environment, a tiny, infected paper cut can become life-threatening.  

Many of life's issues are like paper cuts.  

Southpaw

On the way to church this morning I saw the vanity license plate "Sothpaw" which made this left-hander smile.  And since I generally think of north, south, east and west just when driving or boating it made my wonder why the term isn't westpaw.  Speculation is that this term was coined for left-handed baseball pitchers who traditionally face west when pitching, thus their left hand would be to the south of their body.

Bite Marks on My Tongue

The bite marks on our tongue don't show.  Though I've said this for years, I shared it this week with two friends I've known for 15 years, who hadn't heard me say it.  Many scars from things done and undone show.  But, when we refrain from uttering unkind remarks, the bite marks on our tongue never show.  I'd not thought of the corollary before, but the resulting goodwill manifests in many visible ways.

Levels of Knowing

It struck me this week, as I had a totally different conversation with someone I've known for many years, that different settings provide different levels of knowing others.  My best relationships, and I suspect most others' are as well, multi-faceted.  Sometimes we short-change ourselves by pigeonholing relationships into a defined arena.  When we share additional interests, the relationship can positively morph from a certain category of friendship to a broader, more satisfying one.

This was another reminder that time can be a less significant measure of impact than shared interests.

Smile in the Mirror

We can increase the chances of having a better day, regardless of what we are facing, by greeting ourselves first thing in the morning. with a smile in the mirror.  And, with so many reflective surfaces, we can bolster the positive feeling each time we catch a glimpse of ourselves.  A smile can be, not only the gift we give others, but a perpetual gift we give ourselves.  

Pennies from Heaven

Whether we consider them lucky pennies or pennies from heaven, found pennies should be day brighteners.  They are unexpected tiny bits of good fortune.  I've always relished finding pennies, and never more than since Edgar died.  I'd asked him to send me pennies from heaven and in the months since he died, I've found more pennies than I remember finding in the past several combined years. The beautiful, comforting thing about many of these finds, is that they often appear when I'm having a tough time.  Just yesterday, a confirming penny appeared, providing me reassurance on the day that my beloved uncle died.

When we expect and accept good cheer, regardless of how small the increment, we are often rewarded exponentially.  Small kindnesses, smiles, greetings, praise, thanks and gestures are other tiny treasures that we can as easily overlook generously giving and gratefully receiving, as the penny waiting to be retrieved.

We can all make a big difference when we continually seize small opportunities to be day brighteners.

Window of Opportunity

Sometimes our windows of opportunity are very narrow. This morning, I woke ready for my daily run.  Overcast skies and light drizzle greeted me.  This would have provided the perfect excuse to skip a day.  Getting out there and seizing the available moments provided a chance to experience much cooler temperatures than we've had in several months.  When windows of opportunity appear, we often gain more than we anticipate by quickly seizing them.