You guys. I totes haven’t forgotten you. I’ve got the lurgy I have* (*to be spoken in a frail and plaintive cockney accent) and I’ve been out for the count. Haaaate it. Hate! It’s been a total waste because I have been in such a motivated and productive mood of late, rather than my usual state of inertia and laziness and so I keep hauling out of bed with a head and heart full of gleeful organizational intentions, only to be forced to take to my bed mere minutes later, like a delicate Victorian flower wearing a corset that is too tight, rather than a hardy South African Ohioan transplant in a pair of too big pajama pants. So somewhat trying yet a great reminder of how good I generally have it. I am so grateful for my overall health. So very very grateful.
Also this is impeccably timed. I have fallen ill right in time for Sayer Sick Week. Much like Shark Week. Sayer Sick Week is an epic, thrilling, and sometimes gory event which falls over the first week of February every year and is a much cherished and embraced family tradition.
Not to be outdone by the kids who tend to wake me up on my birthday morning by puking in my bed, I am proud to say that I believe I have contracted the F-word (as in flu). Sounds dire, but fortunately due to my new-found freakish organization, I came upon my essential oils and made up a bunch of “flu bombs” just as I started feeling the Flu-ish Feelings and really and truly those things are the bomb! I’m really so very much less badly off than I deserve to be. (I’ve also been rubbing them onto the soles of Ella’s feet since she showed signs of following me down that shady sicky path and what do you know…she stopped that nonsense, right in it’s tracks. I am quite mesmerized. Who knew?) ANYWAY…where was I? Holy mother of a tangential ADD chicken…
Oh yeah..so my birthday. So remember how I used to get all maudlin about it because it was All About Me and never lived up to my hazy undefined expectations and all that focusing on myself means I’d get even more self-absorbed and bratty than I usually am (which is..yikes, really really self-absorbed and bratty) and the general effect was worldwide misery. And by world-wide, I mean misery for anyone unlucky enough to live with me, not least of all, myself.
And remember how a few years ago I decided that from now on I was going to make my bday about me thinking about other people instead, and doing nice things for them. And remember how since I hate to do stuff alone, I got you guys involved in the whole thing and you were total rockstars about it and ever since then my bday has been tons of fun and happy and delightful? You don’t remember that? Never mind, that’s ok.
So it’s come around again, as these things do and I’ve been lying in bed all day thinking, “nooooo I caaaaaan’t do that tomorrow for alas I am tooooo sick, I will have to let it go this year and just be selfish and miserable”. But then it occurred to me that a) I might feel much better tomorrow b) if I’m not I can still do lots of nice things from my bed. Hello, internet! So I’m doing it, I am* (*to be spoken in a determined and confident cockney accent).
I’m 38 tomorrow. I like 8 it’s a nice number, actually it’s my lucky number so I’m down with it. It’s going to be a good year. Hence, I would like to perform at least 38 acts of kindness or positivity or service or sparkly glittery unicorn fairy dust or whatever you want to call it.
I want to consciously do 38 things to make the world a tiny bit better tomorrow. I’m going to do my darndest to get them all done myself but as always I would love to invite you guys to join, because.. the more the merrier, right? And last year..you guys BLEW ME AWAY. You did SO MANY nice, inspiring, lovely,lovely things and by the end of the day I was crying happy tears. It was probably the happiest bday of my life.
Being kind is its own reward of course, but as a little added incentive for your enthusiasm and participation, I will once again send a package of a few of my favourite things (especially tailored toward the winner) to a randomly selected participant. And trust me, I’m really quite good at making up little gift packages tailored toward the winner. You’ll like it. Now. All you have to do is post under this blog post tomorrow (or on facebook or instagram or heaven forbid, twitter) telling me what you did and you’ll be entered in the drawing. Do one thing or 40 things. I won’t stop you. It will be fun. And maybe funny and it will make your day sunny. Truly. (Totally put in “funny” so that I could put “sunny” what with the deep freeze most of us are living in here).
Speaking of random drawings. Totes haven’t forgot about this one. I will announce the winner later this evening. I’m really really sorry about the delay. Along with the lurgy it’s been a true challenge to get computer time (yep still sans computer)…silver lining to my inefficiency? This gives you one last shot to go ahead and enter. Hurry! Go!
See you tomorrow! I’m so excited!
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6 comments:
Please to be doing your old mother a favour and STAY IN THAT BED ALREADY!!!! It is SOOOOOO STUPID to get up when you are ill and also dangerous this year with all kinds of horrible scary viruses around. SO, I will rack my brain and do a really good turn! I have one in mind. There is a guy who stands at a street corner that I frequent when I go to gym. He has a genuine deformity, and so I usually give him more than I would another. Today I will look for him and give him 5 times what I usually do and tell him it is for your birthday. This conditional on you STAYING IN THE BED!!
Happy Birthday to you!! :) ... I try to get in as many acts of kindness in as I can each day. This time around, in particular with Valentine's Day looming around the corner (so a good excuse), I have started making these secret valentine's gifts, just little treats (cookies, little note etc.) that I will anonymously give out, well, except for the one that will go to my husband lol. But the main recipients and reasons are: Since kindness begins at home, the first act goes out to my husband, for always picking up my slack when I am lacking, whether it's doing the unfinished dishes in the sink, cooking supper, or giving our little one a bath, and doing it all without complain every single time, even though he is swapped with homework! And then to my neighbors below us for always being good sports and never coming upstairs to complain and being very tolerant when our little one decides that right before bedtime, it is time to do the bunny- or froggy- hop and hop/stomp around loudly enough no doubt for them to hear. My sister recently had a problem with that, where her neighbours, who are parents themselves (hmm, you'd think they'd be more understanding right!?) came upstairs to complain to them. So the thought never crossed my mind as to how lucky I am to have understanding and tolerant neighbours (especially because they don't have kids themselves). Sounds kind of reversed right, yeah I thought so too! :) Other than these specific acts, in general I try to pay it forward as much as I can! :-D
vwhitneyh@gmail.com
Snowblower a neighbors driveway (she's single and we go a boatload of blown snow)! Also helped a different neighbors' son who got his big van stuck into a snow drift. With the work of myself, my eldest son, as neighbor and the son, we finally succeeded! My son's idea of bringing out flattened cardboard boxes helped a ton, in addition to our shovels!
P. S. I think you should take your sweet mama's advice and let all of us do good deeds for you today whilest you rest in your bed and get WELL SOON! <3
So, I'm posting this one anonymously because it's well known that I Don't Post About Work. However, I'm confident enough in your birthday magic mojo that you'll deduce my thinly veiled identity!
Does it count as a good deed if it's merely the abeyance of a bad deed? Today, I have failed to curse at easily half a dozen drivers who needed cursing, have refrained from calling three people idiots despite their self-evident idiocy, and have somehow restrained myself from throttling at least two bumblers who could use some more excitement in their days. Also, they could use a pulse. I really wanted to just walk up and start hitting one of them in the chest, hard, and when he asked me why I was going to tell him I was trying CPR because from the rate at which he was working, I assumed he was dead.
So, right there, that's 11 good deeds, or at least 11 bad ones that I didn't do.
But that's not why I'm writing. I *did* do a good deed. I got someone who works for me promoted today. Instead of reporting to me, he'll be a peer, managing his own different project. This will help his flagging self-esteem, his career, and eventually his paycheck. Did I do a good deed?
I did it, secondarily, for all those reasons above. I did it *primarily* because he was a huge pain in my ass, and this way he's out of my hair. Did I still do a good deed? Only Kirsty can judge! And that, only because it's her birthday!
Finally, I have to second the first comment - get in bed, woman! Stay there! Get healthy! And, um, have a happy birthday while doing it!
I went to Kenwood and donated old shirts for kids that need to change during the day. Also gave them an old coat to a kid in need
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