rules of engagement...gratitude

  Once again I woke up with a word that didn't delight me. Rules of Engagement to me means the constrictions put on the behavior of military personnel when fighting a war. I was again going to discard the word but I should know better.

Haven't we all been given our own rules of engagement, how to treat those we encounter , our neighbors, family? And so some scenes from Twitter videos come to mind, that giant turtle on it's back, unable to flip, being helped by another turtle and finally with a grand push, he is right side up and on his way. Amazing.The crow and the elephant who, God knows how, take trash to receptacles; the crow a plastic bottle and paper for the elephant.The young girl singing to her little handicapped brother, the Golden Retriever comforting a crying child. My dog Patchy used to do that. How do they know?

When the rules are adhered to, the Golden Rule that is, we are all the beneficiaries. The teen-age girl at that pool so long ago who told me that the bathing suit that I loathed was cute. 60 year later I recall that kindness. The Aunt who gave ma a little Golden Book even though it wasn't my birthday.The Saggy Baggy elephant. I can still see the cover. Since then I have always connected elephants with kindness. The uncle who I loved, telling me through the family grapevine that he thought I had a sterling character. I remember trying to live up to that.

Mrs.Rooney, who sat on her front porch and allowed me some of her time and laughed at my feeble jokes. So long ago. The girl I met and talked with just once when I was ten. She said she was visiting a relative on the street. We talked a bit, laughed some and before she left, she told me she liked me. Such sweet words to be said by a stranger. To a child, words matter.

So today, a grateful heart for those memories of kindnesses.Think of your own. Please share. Our day will shine.