Hello again, I am so wowed by how quickly our blog family has increased. It always amazes me how a group of like-minded people can accomplish a task. And to those of you just joining, welcome to the family! If you are not sure you’ve subscribed, just fill in below and I will sort it all out for you. As promised, here is my latest piece to brighten up your world. honored, allison
I found myself alone in a swimming pool today; just me, the pool and I. The water temp wasn’t much chillier than bath water, so I eased right in past that sensitive belly spot. As I rested against the pool’s edge, I noticed a water ripple. I watched intently until the last ring disappeared, and the water became still. I looked up, looked around and realized it was me who created that ripple.
Seems ironic a gal who feared water most of her lifetime would be fascinated by water ripples. But alas, it is true. Had my mom not dove into a pool to save me when I was four years old, I’d probably not be here today. CPR, a quick trip to the ER and the rest is history. Fast forward 57 years and you’ll be happy to know I finally overcame my aqua phobia, learned to swim and wash my face. Yup, even water on my face made me very uncomfortable.
Okay, so back to me in a pool all to myself. I lifted my toes up and peeked them out of the surface of the water to hopefully recreate the ripple effect. It worked and I gleefully watched as the circles traveled across the surface reflecting the sunshine. I did this a few times, each time with a little bit more force. Though the ripples appeared stronger each time they always eventually disappeared too quickly. There was something about the simple cause and effect of my actions that had my full attention. Yet, no matter my effort they always seemed to disappear too quickly. I then began paddling my toes to keep the ripples going. Beautiful, but eventually my legs grew tired. As soon as I stopped, so too did the ripples.
It got me thinking, how many moments must I miss in a day? I mean had I not been looking down into the water, the ripple may never have caught my attention. How many times am I looking down at my computer or my phone, lost in thought? I climbed out of the pool on a mission.
Sitting beside this pool were people from all walks of life, cultures and countries. My husband and I chose this particular spot to decompress for a few short days. A beautiful place where we had few decisions to make, never left the property and our only goal was relaxing in the sunshine. There I sat watching the world around me, newly determined to not miss a thing. I noticed birds I didn’t recognize flying high overhead. I heard people speaking with beautiful accents and a few different languages. I watched groups of friends laughing. I noted how the pool attendants opened up umbrellas with precise detail. Ironically, I was so engrossed in people watching, I almost missed the lady in a modest swimsuit trying to get my attention.
She’d been doing laps and wanted to know what time it was to determine if she’d completed her self-imposed goal. I eagerly set my timer for her and encouraged her with a few friendly cheers. When the timer chimed, I lowered myself back into the pool and gave her a joyous two thumbs up.
She swam towards me and said, “Thank you, I was really struggling until you cheered me on.” To which I said, “And you inspired me to get into the pool, so I thank you.” With that, two strangers from different worlds started doing laps together. We had more in common than either of us expected. Both proud Jersey girls, mothers, daughters and wives. Both love flowers, reading and didn't think we could survive without our girl-friendships. It didn’t surprise us we both had degrees in Education. But most of all we agreed self-care was non-negotiable. Before we knew it, we’d spent 45 minutes lapping and becoming friends. Eventually though, our skin began to prune, so we parted ways with a wet genuine hug.
People say I can make friends with a rock, and they’re not wrong. I believe acknowledging someone you come across is not just basic kindness, but also not accidental. There is always a reason. Perhaps for us to learn something. Receive a message. To slow us down, or to put a smile on someone’s face. My philosophy is to always leave a trail of kindness wherever I go. Meeting new people reassures me we are far more alike than different. We are all just humans raised by a different set of parents, in a different place. We may speak a different language, eat different foods and be of different faiths, but people are simply friends we have yet to meet.
Today at this pool, I started a ripple. A ripple of kindness to be exact. I interacted with a person whose path I might likely have never crossed, until today. Odds are I may never see her again, but for this moment we sparked a friendship despite our cultural differences, upbringings, religion and perhaps nationality. We were both respectful and kind to one another. Our world needs more of this … Today I found mine poolside. Who knows where I’ll discover it tomorrow, but I’ll surely be looking because I don’t want to miss it.
with ripples,
A little something you should know: Some refer to kind deeds as mitzvahs—a good deed done from religious duty. Regardless of label, I’ve preached it, practiced it and lived by it my whole life long. People often remark about how kind I am, but truthfully it is because kindness empowers and gives me purpose. So much so, my fourth children’s book, What Can I do Today? carries this same message of how small actions can create big changes. These books are my heart's work, created to help children (and their grown-ups) discover the joy of making our world a happier place. I've left a link below if you'd like to explore them.
