It’s winter and let’s face it most of us are grumpy. There’s not a lot of sunshine; the days get dark before you’ve even come home from work; fevers stuffy noses and dry skin abound; we are depleted of sunshine and fresh air.
Grumpy.
But you still have a choice. The choice is when you go out into the world you can carry that grumpiness with you or you can be a little ray of sunshine and try to brighten the day of those you come into contact with.
I suggest the latter.
The lady who said, “Fifteen items I don’t think so, lady” as I mistakenly stepped into the wrong checkout line…….
Not brightening my day.
The lady who said, “Your child is much too old for a pacifier, girlie,” over eight years ago and I still haven’t forgotten……
Darkening my day for years to come.
The man who made fun of the way I said “Hello”…..
Once again, not brightening.
The countless people who have tried to get in line before me or let the door slam in my face or snuck into a parking spot seconds before me……
Eclipsing my soul, people, eclipsing my soul.
The stranger on the other end of the line at Comcast customer service who kept saying, “I cannot help you, I cannot help you, I cannot help you,” might as well have been saying “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.”
Totally not brightening.
On the other hand.
The person who left beer, soup, salad and bread on my doorstep…..
Brightening.
The mom in carpool who took the time to tell me I was a fabulous writer…..
Ray of sunshine.
My co-worker who planned a birthday celebration for me because my five day after Christmas birthday gets lost in a sea of Christmas presents and holiday flurry……
Like a candle in the night.
The little kid who held the door for me despite his mother’s protest…..
Oh hey there little ray of light.
You only have one chance for a first impression and sometimes you might be the difference between a good and a bad day for someone who crosses your path.
So this winter let’s stop hanging out in the shadows and shed a little light as we walk through our day because sometimes when the days are dark and the temperature is hanging out around twenty degrees, it’s the only chance for warmth we’ve got.
About Rebecca Suder