Tuning into the world around you can be tough.  It takes effort, focus and purpose to pay attention, and it’s something I find easier when I have a goal.  This week I really wanted to take note of the inspiring, remarkable, captivating, unique and, above all else: kind things that people can say as they weave in and out of every day conversation, often times without even realizing the power of their own words.  We all have a story to tell and most of us are too humble to share it overtly, but through our casual conversations we tend to reveal more about ourselves…provided others are willing/tuned in to listening.

Here then are are few things that grabbed me throughout the week and made me either smile, pause or exhibit gratitude for the people in my life.  These are not necessarily defining comments about the individual who stated them, but they did define a moment in my week in which I paused to reflect and appreciate the genuine feelings that arose within me.   Thank you to everyone who contributed, even if you didn’t know it.

On a day after work

Coming home after a long day cooped up in the office, sitting in a chair in front of a computer for most of it, the sun shine teasing me just outside my window, the temperature mild, the air sweet:

Me: Hey, love, where are the girls?
Alison: They came home right after school and ran straight to the backyard.  They are just climbing and hanging out in the magnolia tree under the Sun.

On a Day in the Office

No matter where you work or what title you hold, there are stresses.  They can come on and be triggered in countless ways and no one’s truth rings louder than another; we are human and we experience feelings as a result of ‘X’.  Sometimes you can be consoled and ‘talked down’.  Sometimes someone knows just the right things to say.

Anonymous: Always here to listen.  That’s what friends are for.
Anonymous #2:  You are always helping others. Let us help you this time.

On a day without kids

My wife and I enjoying a morning walk through town, moving at an adult pace and stopping in at at the local grocery store; a regular stop for us, typically with kids in tow because of the fact they give free cookies to kids 8 and younger:

Alison:  I wish I was young enough to get a free cookie

On a Day I Stole the Groceries

I’ll skip to the end of the story, where I went to pickup my grocery order, grabbed three boxes all labeled A. Hendricks, only to get home and realize that one of them said A. HendriKs…what are the odds of that!

It turned out that the other A. Hendriks’ groceries were worth far more than ours and, of course, I called the store to explain.  With no hestiation whatsoever, they simply said,

Grocery store employee:  “These things happen, keep what you have and we’ll work out refunding you what you didn’t get, or you can pick it up later.  No harm done.”

On a Day that as just a Wednesday

Simply sitting on the couch, enjoying each other’s company and conversation.

Nora, full of joy, wonder and a gigantic smile on her face:  Could you imagine if my dad was Santa Clause?!  How perfectly amazing would that be?

On a Day of Feeling Broken

Sometimes you’re just not feeling it.

Sometimes things don’t always go how you want them to go.
Sometimes you want to quit.  Throw in the towel.  Give up trying.
Sometimes it comes without reason.
Sometimes a person you didn’t know was paying attention, and who you rarely interact with comes up to you and says:  “Thank you for your help.  I brought you a donut.”

On a Day at the Bookstore

We live in a fantastic community and have really gotten to both know and become part of the local cast of characters. One of our favourite places to stop in without necessarily always making a purchase, is the local bookstore.  Whatever day you happen to poke your head in, you will meet some of the nicest individuals you could come across and we tend to get into conversations quickly.  This past week was no exception, though one particular comment warmed and filled my cup for the day.

Bookstore Team Member:  We were talking about you the other day and everyone said just how nice your whole family is.  It’s refreshing to see parent who play with their kids.

On a Day to Watch a Movie

Thursdays are always Daddy-daughter day and always involve a movie.  We rotate who gets to choose each week, and this week was Nora’s turn.

Nora: Tonight we are going to watch Star Wars!
Audrey: And we all get to cuddle during the scary parts.

On a Day at the store I can’t tell you about

I can’t tell you too much about this story yet, suffice to say I was doing something top secret for someone who happens to be celebrating Mother’s Day and a Birthday this month.  What I can tell you, however, is that my activities required me to order and schedule something for a future date.  Like any transaction, we went over the details and the totals and I had planned to pay for these things so that the store’s expenses were covered without risk.

As I presented my method of payment, however..

Secret Store Clerk: Oh, don’t worry about that right now, who are we if can’t have trust?  We’ll settle up later.

On a Day After School

While my daughter sat on the couch after school, eager to share what she did in school while I prepared dinner, the following story came to be:

Nora:  If I think of me as a tree, then my roots are my family, my branches are my friends, the animals in the tree are those precious things that I keep and hide inside, my leaves are the things I’ve had to let go of, like my dog dying when I was baby, and tip top of me is my future, which is when I will spend my time taking care of and teaching others.

On Every Day Before Bed

I love you Daddy.

There are a multitude of conversations that happen every day.  The very nature of my job is to converse and collaborate with people, and it more often than not brings me joy and energy to do so.  I couldn’t possibly capture every individual comment or sentiment that comes up in a week, or even a day, but I can likely do better to not just reflect but be in a moment of gratitude when beautiful things happen.  I am appreciative of the every “thank you”, every “how was your day today”, of the spontaneous “let’s take a break, do you want to go out for lunch today?”, and of the ever so elusive “good job”.  It’s easy, at least for me, to grab and hang on to all the other things that people don’t say, reading and ruminating between the lines.  There’s far less good that can come from that, and this week’s exercise was a good reminder of that.