Rain!! Basically all weekend it rained, but we were still able to go trick-or-treating with R. She loved it, more for seeing all the people and kids out. Oh my goodness, I feel she could have done it all night. And she loved throwing her candy out of her bucket, and then back into it. We are still trying to figure out what to do with all her goods. It kind of disgusts me the amount of candy that is bought and consumed for Halloween.
I think she was the cutest and sweetest little strawberry around, but I am bias, just a little bit. 😉
It’s always so fun seeing R happy and smiling, and she was definitely doing a lot of that on Saturday night. I live to see her joy. There are moments when sometimes it’s hard to bring her happiness, either because I am exhausted and would rather sit for a moment or do other things on my checklist.
She loves to go outside or throw her ball back and forth or hold my hand and walk back and forth from the mailbox, but it’s time that I sometimes feel I don’t have. It had me thinking of how selfish we can all be. Marriage helps you die to yourself and start living for someone other than yourself. You realize how selfish you actually were. Then you have a child, and any selfishness you still had left is basically removed. You die even more to yourself and start living for your kids too.
As parents we perform selfless acts on a daily basis, but we’re not all saints, there’s those moments when we still do things for ourselves. The past couple of weeks R has been teething like nobody’s business, and it’s had me on edge. I can snap at moments at my husband or my sister, just because the screaming and crying is getting to me. So today to get her to calm down, I did something she loved, even when I had no desire to go out in the wind and dark. I took her outside. She loves going outside. It calms her. Even when it’s dark she loves it. We pushed her car back and forth down the sidewalk and her mouth no longer hurt and she just smiled and babbled to herself.
One selfless act made her day, and in the process made my day. It felt good to know she was enjoying herself and feeling better. Even though I could have been working on my blog, which meant I would be up later doing, or I could have been finishing the bills, etc. Instead I took the 20 or so minutes and helped my daughter feel better and smile.
We met my sister at Chuckee Cheese last week, a place I honestly hate going. They kind of gross me out, but R loved it. As much as I may despise the place, it’s worth it to see the little one smile, and a selfless act helps me grow and bless others. It’s fun for everyone I guess.
Since Thanksgiving is all about being thankful, and for me blessing others, I am challenging myself and others to do one selfless act a day. It can be small or big. Anything from a back rub for the hubby, another bedtime story for the kids before bed, baking cookies for the neighbors or family, making dinner, doing someone else’s chores, and staying up later to watch TV with the hubs or doing something he loves to do, taking the kids to the park, etc. There are so many ways to do more selfless acts, and in the process they’ll bless others, as well as give us more joy and fulfillment.
Some selfless acts are so easy to do and staring right at us, but yet we pass them by to feed our soulish selves, when it’s more fulfilling to do for others at times. I am not saying we shouldn’t take time for ourselves, but there’s time we need to make time for others, especially when it’s hard.
Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit
Are you up for the challenge, one selfless act a day?