Letters From Tim

I have been thinking a lot about writing this post…especially when I get fortunate enough to go running! In fact, I sometimes feel like Forest Gump…like I could keep going and going. When you have a lot to think about and a little Justin Timberlake in your ear you can really put in the miles.

So here is what has got me thinking so much…what if we all had the pleasure of living in friendly neighborhoods and were all faced with genuine smiles each day? I am a firm believer that it would significantly change the lives of many. In fact, I have performed some small studies on what a smile does to a stranger. Or how letting someone go in front of you at the grocery line if they have just a few items and you have a cart full can completely change their attitude.
What if we all made a goal to treat people with kindness…both those that are deeply important to us and those that we don’t even know.

Before Tim even left, I was getting the boys haircuts in Cookie Cutters (a hair salon for kids). Their heads were looking like bird nests. Anyway, these two woman start to argue (and I mean really argue…loud voices, mean tones, name calling, etc.) in front of their children about who was up next. I was mortified by their behavior.

I hope that I raise my children well enough for them to tell me when I am off my rocker. Because if I ever demonstrate such poor judgment then I hope one of my kids gives me a swift quick in the A**. I was shocked. It had such a profound effect on me that I have thought about it for weeks. What if one of them would have handled themselves differently and treated the other with kindness?

Has anyone seen the movie ‘Pay It Forward’? If not…SEE IT! It is a favorite of ours. I used to make a conscious effort to pay it forward. And, I put a lot of thought into my strategy. Unfortunately, I am a little self-engrossed right now. But the premise is to do good things for three people. The ripple effect is unbelievable.

So what is the point of this? What if the kindness that I am receiving everyday could bleed over to others? What if it had such a ripple effect that it changed the overall tone of a village, a city, a state, a country. Could we make a significant impact on world events?

Idealistic…maybe…but maybe not. Just be kind and see what happens.

Oh! By the way, Tim is doing well.  They get attacked (simulated) everyday in the FOB.  They even simulate the sounds they can expect to hear in Iraq - like the Islamic Call to Prayer (heard five times a day).

They did find a scorpion ouside of a tent - the first night.  And, one of his men woke up with his lip as big as a small pear from some random spider bite.

I was talking to him tonight while he was laying in the grass looking at the stars.  I was giving him the lowdown on our trip to Chuck-e-Cheese. He happened to scare (kind of on purpose) a guy coming in.  The guy jumped and had to catch his breath.  So when it was Tim’s time to head in apparently the guy tried getting some revenge.  Too bad because Tim didn’t even flinch.  The guy said…not much rattles your cage.  SO TRUE!