"My New Buddy"

I came downstairs after several hours of hitting the books (I’ve been studying for the Cali bar exam) and saw a lovely, plush, soft golden teddy bear, with floppy doglike ears sitting on our rotating stool chairs in the kitchen. I felt compelled to pick it up with love and hug it close to me as I felt the gentle stuffed animal’s fur. Wondering exactly who it was for, thinking that it must be for a baby within our community of family friends, I ran over to my (older) nephew, and before I could say anything, he said, “hey did you see that little teddy bear there?” After I said, “yes,” he said it was for me. In that moment, the little girl trapped inside a 28-year old leaped with joy! I was so excited that I awkwardly hugged my nephew and seeing that I had one more round of studying to go, I decided that this precious little animal, that I just named, “pooky” could make the whole process a little softer….Since I planned to study the last hour in a café, I carried my new friend with me, safely buckled him with a seatbelt, in my Honda civic passenger seat, and blazed off to coffee society with a smile! It felt good to embrace the kid within! LOL!

A Gift of Gratitude

So I got my bills for the month, and you know what that usually feels like. I just first look at them sitting on my counter and pretend they don’t exist. I leave them sealed in the envelope, untouched and abandoned. Yet, I still mentally keep track of when they most likely will be due, so I don’t incur a late fee and compound the problem. So, today became the day I would pay my therapy bill since I was going to see my therapist. Instead of quickly scribbling down the check amount after analyzing the itemized break down of his billing rates to make sure there were no financial errors, I rushed out my open front door into change. While I still was in a hurry to make it to my 6:00 pm appointment in downtown Palo Alto, I was hurrying to reach something new…Inspired by the spirit of those karma kitchen cooks, I wrote the check for my therapist, but this time, I tacked an extra little hundred onto the payment, tucked the check into an envelope, left it with him after my appointment, and ran off, leaving him with a gift. The gift was not about the money, but the gratitude I felt for his sincerity in helping me improve how I live my life.

That, to me, is priceless. :)

"Sparkly Smiles"

I went to get my pearly whites, whiter the other day and had a moment with the hygienist. so, as she cleaned my teeth with her technical instruments (do not know dentist nomenclature), we started talking about a series of random topics that ranged from how the ancient chinese believed the best time for bed is around 10pm because your internal organs function better since you’re more biologically aligned for digestion (LOL), to talking about true friendships and the strong foundation that lies beneath them, to showing me a picture of her precious newborn baby….in fact, we seemed to be talking so much, that I hardly felt the pricks of these slender metallic pencil-like tools, or the gritty flavored paste that polished my teeth, and we laughed so much that I was not even ready to leave. As a token of my joy, I tagged her! Although not anonymous, I wanted to leave behind a smile, since she so kindly put one back on my face!

Btw, no cavities!!! :)

"In Honor of Father's Day: Remembering Tim Russert"

Hi Everyone and especially to all of the Fathers of the world:

As your Father’s day comes to a close wherever you may be, I thought I would honor the day through remembering a father in particular who was perhaps a father in more ways than he realized.

The tragic news of hearing of the passing of MSNBC’s beloved star of Meet the Press, Tim Russert, deeply moved me, in fact to tears. It was hard to capture the rationale behind how or explain why I felt so deeply about his loss until I dug a little deeper. It’s as if I didn’t have to personally know or meet him to cry about his passing. He was just someone who you knew was a good person because his presence seemed to shine through the television screen. The smile he brought with his prosecutorial-like cross-examination questions to politicians on both sides of the spectrum had the paradoxical effect of being both intimidating yet sweet, akin to what some might call, “a velvet hammer.” I saw him as one of those journalists who brought joy and enthusiasm to his profession by seeking ultimately what was important —“truth” but always with a smile.

As someone who has only more recently become engaged in politics, I felt that since January of this year in our family’s ritualistic nightly viewings of the tumultuous and exciting Democratic primary season on the local networks, Tim was a fixture in “our family’s living room,” as he was to many others across the country.

While TV is often considered an addictive, distracting, passive mode of entertainment, for some reason, this guy seemed to turn all that around as he livened up the television set, (and in turn enlivened the viewers as well) through the probing questions he asked to his guests who came on his show and took “the witness stand.” His dedication to sticking to the facts, the proof , (the truth), combined with his demeanor as a chubby-cheeked, middle-aged, home-town, father, with a sharp wit and a constant grin, made him lovable and endearing or as the “Meet the Press” crew called him, “beloved.”

On the night of June 3, 2008, when Barack Obama clinched the Democratic Nomination for President, I noticed that while many of the news anchors were excited to announce that Barack Obama had won, Tim, for some reason stood apart from the rest. In fact, he was glowing with happiness that day saying that he was so excited to be a part of this primary season in politics that it made him feel almost compelled to go to classrooms and teach children about how history was being made in politics in that moment. You could just feel the sincerity of his presence. It was almost as if, (and I said this that day to my nephew), that, “this man is so happy right now, I think he might just jump out of the television screen.”

I was so crushed to hear during my lunch break on Friday, June, 13, 2008, that Tim had tragically died due to heart failure and when I started to connect with others about it, I began to see how this wave of empathy for the loss swept across many of our hearts which opened up to the moment as it gripped our country. I began to understand more clearly that this man affected us more acutely because while he made a great contribution to our lives through his work, I think he affected us even more through the way he treated others. He was perhaps one of the few journalists who did not personally attack those who held differing views from his own and he even willingly went on Fox News to be interviewed by the often criticized “Bill O’Reilly” and “Hannity & Colmes!!

Having been so impacted by the loss of this inspirational figure, I even briefly spoke about it with my bar exam instructor, who left me with two positive remarks which I thought were profound. He said that “he raised a wonderful son” and that “those who have passed on are still teaching us. They are still here teaching us, just not in the same form---not through the same dimension.”

To many of us, Tim was the “Father of Meet the Press,” but as I just recently learned, he was first and foremost, the Father to his son Luke who just graduated from Boston College and despite the passion for politics this man imparted to us all, he cared most deeply for his family first. He seemed to be so grateful for the values of what his own father taught him about working hard, having discipline, following his dreams, and doing what he could to make sure his son received an education, namely working two jobs, (one of which included the humbling role of a garbage collector.)

As ironic as it may seem that I genuinely cried for what some might say was a “television personality,” or someone who I didn’t really know, I would say that I didn’t just see him as just another figure on television casting news, because to me, he wasn’t a personality. He was a person. To me, he was real---and that’s personal.

I will leave all of you with this touching and inspirational clip that captures Father’s Day through Tim’s words as they can again enliven us all, and this time, speaking not about his understanding of politics, but rather his understanding of the unconditional love of a father.

I wish you all a very Happy Father’s Day!

With Love,
~Mitu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwy-c2um5ZI

“A Moment to Heal”

I began my evening with what I thought would be completing the mundane task of picking up my flat iron that I had left at a fashion designer/new acquaintance’s house. After a 20 minute jog, eating half a pita bread with hummus, a gulp of lemonade, and a quick shower, I dashed off, feeling disoriented not just because I was physically malnourished but also because I carried with me a cluttered mind (one stuffed with three “to do” items---1. buy my friend’s wedding gift at BB&Beyond, 2. pick up my flat iron, and 3. collect my medication from the pharmacy). My evening probably couldn’t get more banal than that—until I just so happened to arrive at the home of this new woman in my life—and realized that I had entered much more than her home and had arrived there and received so much more than an opportunity to collect my hair straightening iron!

After a kind offer by her to come in to share some words together, have some sugary and creamy coffee with just the right amount of froth, and after watching our fashion show video which we had worked on together, I was fully content. I thought this was a pleasant experience, something I had just needed to sooth my harried mind and body…I was satisfied with that exchange, as unplanned, welcoming, and present as it was. I could not have expected anything more.
Yet, it didn’t stop there…

As we hugged and she walked me outside to my car, we somehow started talking about our lives, families, relationships, and being assertive. We learned about each other through a realm beyond the material world---literally beyond clothes, blowdryers, catwalks, etc. :) In fact, I learned from my new friend, which I truly believe she now is, of the healing powers of reiki and the gift that comes through an awareness of the life force energy that exists among all of us within the universe. As we both shivered under the moon and stars in her neighborhood, we let our conversation with each other flow. Just being open to the moment, I not only learned so much from the words this new healer of mine had said on very basic steps I could take on improving my life emotionally, but I also felt that it was more than just her words that had the power to heal—it was in her silence, in her careful listening, in her willingness to shiver in the night with me(as silly as that may sound), and the honesty that she herself brought to this conversation of us two young girls exposing our life experiences to each other. I knew that this moment, (that I never could have known would take place,) just did. Simply because of the randomness of timing, a phone call, a decision to run an errand, and an openness between two spirits—I knew the moment was a gift. I returned home transformed from something as simple as a conversation, and not worried about completing tasks 2 and 3. :)


Thank you to my new friend!!!

"Going Green"

often times I have noticed that being a part of a collective that evokes the spirit of giving (such as the beautiful space I share with those on www.helpothers.org), I end up talking a lot about giving (which is great), but while we talk about giving, we cannot overlook the very moments of giving that come to us amidst this chatter of generosity. In fact, those moments come as gifts, sometimes packaged in people you may have least expected…I myself felt this surprise while speaking on the phone with my brother (who lives in LA) the other day. while I was sharing with him the news of my amazing experience during the 10-day silent meditation retreat I just returned from which focused on purifying the mind of deeply-rooted negative thought patterns and operating out of a place of love and compassion, I was on the verge of missing a beautiful moment when my brother spoke to me of service… Had I been so caught up in my ‘preaching,'I may not have realized that he had just started to explain to me that this upcoming Memorial Day weekend he and his wife, Jen, had decided to ‘go green’ all weekend—meaning no driving, no high powered electricity usage, no needless usage of paper napkins, to honor and protect the planet in which we live. It was then I realized, any given moment, could bring with it a lesson in service, and space must also be given to let those moments arise from others.


Happy Memorial Day! Let's Remember our Earth! :)

"MLK---The Message of Love"

a new friend of mine with a fresh sense of energy invited me to attend this human rights conference at stanford university last saturday to honor mlk (since april 4th marked the 40th anniversary of his assassination). i was so excited to go. seated at the kresge auditorium on the stanford law school campus, seeing the video clips of king and hearing his words vibrate within us listeners, i was just so happy to be there, holding my cup of coffee in one hand and gripping the armrest of the wooden auditorium chair with my other hand. later, i heard one of the speakers there, a woman by the name of reverend deborah l. johnson, and i was literally--- blown away. in fact her remarks impacted me so much, that i stood up to the mic in front of everyone in the auditorium and told her that. (i noticed i was shaking with anxiety symptoms after doing that--but i felt moved to--so it was worth the pain). :)

here's a moment from her speech that i recalled:

the reverend had said that the way king really spoke of the notion of "loving thy neighbor," or the notion of "love" itself was that "the love he spoke about was not a love based on family bonds, or kinship, or brotherhood, or some common link you experienced with another person, but rather a deep love for any person-- even if you don't like that person, or even if he is your enemy." she told us that this love is one where "'you love that person as if he were yourself" because ultimately we are one indivisible whole.

those words were so compelling for me that i couldn't hold them inside--i had to share them with you. :)

"A Cat Socializer"

hi everyone!
i thought i'd share this lovely moment i had today with my virtual world of helpers! i decided that i wanted to create a space in my life for the human-animal bond. it is a relationship that i never directly experienced in my life but considering the fragmented and often emotionally disconnected ways in which we live our lives, i think there is therapeutic value that can be generated from the bond between human beings and our companions in nature which could perhaps help to heal these man-made divisions. in fact, i've never been a pet owner, but for the past year, i had started to fall for the idea of having my own cat---but i couldn't explain why. initially i thought it would be low maintenance to have a cat rather than a dog, since cats are more independent and cleaner and i could go on vacation without them feeling too sad. lol. however, before i could become a cat owner, i realized that i need to know how to be responsible for one. i felt it was important for me to learn about them first---not just play with them and cuddle them, but also learn how to feed and clean them, and slowly begin to understand their world. on top of that, i feel that it could be another opportunity for me to cultivate more compassion in my life, so that while i can give my affection to the kitty, i could build gratitude into the experience by seeing the ways that the kitty could be giving to me. so i stopped into petsmart today, but the 'adopt a cat fair' was over and i couldn't pet the cats unless i was seriously considering adopting one!! instead, the lady told me about 'the humane society of silicon valley' in santa clara and said they need people who want to do exactly what i was looking to do---" be a cat socializer!" lol!
so, there i went---off to the animal shelter and discovered a cute little world of creatures i had never known much about. i talked to a woman, breanne, who said, all i had to do was sign up, attend an orientation, and come whenever i was available. after following the 'paw tour' throughout the shelter, catching a glimpse of kitties, rabbits, some grown-up doggies, and having a pleasant conversation with a nice lady (with a cool european accent) who worked there as a 'dog socializer,' and meeting a friendly asian couple who told me about the two cats they adopted and the rabbit they also had, i was so excited to jump into this new role!! i tucked a smile card and two 1 dollar bills into the donation box and picked up the volunteer sign-up sheet and drove off with a smile!!!
just thought i'd share the little joys of today with you all! :)

"Smiling Subway Sandwiches"

it's lunchtime!! it was going to be a quick one today, so with great determination, i stepped into 'subway' with the intention to secure my sweet onion teriyaki sandwich order with the deli ladies and make my swift exit. as i neared the cashier, i instead, turned to the portly asian man standing beside me, and asked him, "can i do something for you?" as he gave me a peculiar look which included a slight frown, i then said, "i'm part of this group which spreads kindness in the world, so can i buy you your sandwich?" his face softened, his teeth began to show again and he was reading the smilecard that was now in his hands which were also lightly gripping the plastic bag which showcased his lunch! the cashier looked at me a bit puzzled as well when i told her i was buying his sandwich for him---but then, i got a smile from her too! lol! the man, while perhaps still processing the experience, added, "hey thanks," and i scurried off and ran back to my smile-mobile as i made my escape from subway sandwiches! :)

"A Jumpstart to Easter"

i saw a man in the distant parking lot of san jose,
right off of first street near 'le boulangerie,'
he was lifting boxes and muttering words,
his skin was golden with experience,
and his eyes were dark and likeable,

wrapping his fingers around the cardboard and crouching down to lift each box
he continued to put little pieces of himself into each lift and onto each stack,

one by one
box after box,

he lifted them until he heard:
an, "excuse me sir,"

and when he paused and i walked,
he watched me approach him with a brown paper bag suprise,
and say, "since you're working hard, would you eat cookies?"

smiling with an "oh thank you," he received a thick, green-frosted easter egg cookie with sprinkles all over the sides
i had no idea the spirit of easter was already upon us but it just so happened to be that day at least on the inside! :)

"A Dedication to the World"

i was listening to some soothing tunes on the radio last night. to be exact it was 98.1, which captures easy R&B listening in the Bay Area. there was a listener out there who made a request, which i thought i'd share. usually, when listeners call in, you know, they make their request for the dj to play a song for their sweetheart, or their best friend, or their parents, or a warrior overseas. while these requests of course capture a love that we share for those most immediately connected to our lives, this man took that notion a step further. he collected this love that we each share for our respective families and friends, and made a special request, when he said, "hey brother, i'd like to make a request," and the dj said, "sure," and the listener, said, " i want to dedicate this song to the whole world." the dj, a bit taken a back, said, "the whole world?" i think the dj was perhaps thinking in strictly literal terms, and mentioned how that was not realistically possible. (i.e. that a song on a radio can only reach those listeners within the local geographic region which covers that frequency). yet, i disagree with that. here, came this listener who took himself out of the limitations we impose upon ourselves to love only those who we are supposed to love, and extended a heartfelt dedication which reached further than his own brother, his own child, his own wife, or father. he sent a song to the universe. i say, the waves of generosity are more powerful than the vibrations of sound...

"Cinema Smiles"

my nephew and i thought we'd have a relaxing evening at the cinemas. following the recommendation of my loving elder brother, ( the film connoisseur who knows the sentimental needs of his baby sister), we went to see "definitely maybe." i of course, had to have a mixture of my sweet and salty fix, so i got my coke, my popcorn, and my sour strawberry belts while my nephew humbly kept to a bottle of red-colored gatorade. :) as we neared the cashier, i pulled out a couple cards-one being a credit card for payment and another being a smilecard for a different kind of transaction. :) i explained to the cashier that i wanted to pay for the two young girls behind me, and he said, "um, sure, ok." as my nephew let me take the lead, i turned around to the girls and for me it felt a bit brave to ask them "can i do something for you? can i buy your popcorn and your drink for you?" they looked at me with a variety of emotions which included--shock, confusion, humour, and said "uhh, okay." after that, i handed one girl the card and started explaining how the act, the card, and kindness all fit together. still a bit perplexed, one of the girls looked at me and said so innocently, "wait, so you guys just do nice stuff for people? that's so cool. thanks!" "i was like, yeah, that's kinda the idea to spread kindness." we parted from the girls and left hearing one of them say: "oh we definitely have to check this (meaning the website) out"-. i then returned to my smiling nephew and we scurried over to the film since it was almost show time! i laughed out loud during the movie, i cried softly in it too, just the way my brother had planned it! :) btw, i totally recommend the movie--well and of course, increasing smilecard transactions!!!!! SMILE! :)
"

"A Week of 5 Dollar Smiles"

so, this week i decided to up the smilecard notch a bit more. i usually would affix a $1 dollar bill to the smilecard prior to tagging the recipient, but this week, i felt moved to increase the monetary value and see if that increased the value of good feelings that arise within us when we give!
so, on my way home from work, i cruised up the onramp to 880S and looked for the homeless man who stands alongside the cars right before the traffic signal--- there he was. i rolled down my window, connected with the eyes of this middle-aged latino man, and handed him a 5 dollar bill...then in the middle of the week during lunchtime, as i exited le boulangerie cafe in downtown san jose, i began to head back to my car to go back to the office. however, when i saw anti-war sentiments smacked onto a neighbhoring car in the form of two bumper stickers, i felt compelled to express my resonance with this driver's thoughts through a tag. making sure the coast was clear and the driver was nowhere in sight, i took out a smile card from my wallet, wrapped a 5 dollar bill around it, and carefully tucked the wrapped card behind the windshield wipers on the dashboard of the car. Luckily the wind wasn't blowing that day :)....To put a friendly close to this $5 dollar week, I went to my weekly spot at the "It's A Grind" cafe this evening and after purchasing my moroccan mint tea, i asked the cashier if i could give her something...surprisingly, the smilecard transaction flowed so naturally, as i simply explained that i was giving her something called a "smile card "(after which she automatically started smiling :), along with 5 dollars which is for the next customer to use..she safely secured the "tag" beneath her register, before i left, seeming to have so seamlessly kept the concept of kindness spreading."
i realized that it was not so much the increase in monetary value this week but rather the belief that i personally felt i had more capacity to give, that deepened my experience this week and expanded those positive feelings inside! just thought i'd share the good news! :)

"A Homeless Man Was My Valentine!"

i launched on to the ramp yet again today on 880 south and this time i was looking for my new friend who stands alongside the highway. with his eyes worn with life, and his wrinkles lightly carved into his face, he stood there with a cardboard sign, and still he had hope, a glimmer in his eyes that someone somwhere might care...not knowing what i would have for him today, i just pulled out what i had from the insides of my lime green wallet. it wasn't much but it was a dollar, and as i automatically rolled down my window and greeted my old friend, i gave him the dollar and i gave him my smile. i then, gleefully added, "happy valentine's day." he smiled back and pointed to me with a grin saying something i didn't really hear very well since i had my radio tunes blaring too loudly in the car! Lol! however, the words we exchanged mattered less than the expressions we saw reflected on each others' faces. i knew one thing though- that when we both connected in a shared moment of fully extended smiles, that meant more than the small token i had reached out to give him in the first place. today, i found my valentine and I hope you found yours too! :)
happy valentine's day! :)

"A Toast to Life"

What is happening to the community?
The loss of a middle-aged uncle
And a young brother on the brink of life
And a mother ailing for the past several months
Each life within a year of the other

Is this just the fragility of life itself?
Was this simply the physical frailty of our bodies one day weakening in old age?
Or is it this idea that there are only so many precious fleeting moments of life that even a young person has to live?

And yet we live our lives each day
Making sure we watch the SAG awards
And planning our Super Bowl parties
Driving to work after our morning cup of coffee
Making our monthly payment on our home mortgage
Watching history take place in U.S. politics on CNN,
Truly believing that just maybe these moments just might last forever

And though we live with this feeling of immunity
Let us instead challenge ourselves to wake up to our life
With our eyes open and our hearts clear
So the tears we shed for others cut more deeply
And our smiles become more valuable as we fully extend them from cheek to cheek
As we celebrate this life
And the treasure that it is


-In memory of a loving uncle-Ram and a loving brother.-Raja. Both people were part of two different Indian families in our community of family friends in the South Bay. The two individuals had passed away approximately within a year of each other. They are survived by their respective families.

"In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."

i started out this dr. martin luther king jr. morning, initially thinking how lucky my friends with whom I had just shared a wonderful dinner celebration the night before, were for not having to go to work today. Stumbling out of my bed into the universe, those thoughts of the drudgery and stress of my work tasks which lay ahead of me began settling in my mind. yet, as i come to the close of this special day, at night, i am feeling something different. i knew i had felt compelled to do something today in his honor, but i didn't know exactly what. what is it that i could do to honor the legacy of justice and equality that dr. martin luther king jr. had brought to this world? i began perusing the charity focus blogs, and came across a wonderfully inspiring quote that linked up to a great article by the reverend's friend, Marian Wright Edelman, an activist and winner of the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism. in her efforts to bring a sense of life to the symbol that dr. martin luther king jr. has become to many of us, she came to the heart of what mlk was all about-he was a man who lived to serve and died in service---whether it was during the struggle he lead to fight against segregation through galvanizing communities through faith, peace, and solidarity, or through the montgomery bus boycott, or through speaking at black universities, or preaching to a church congregation. so, as marian edelman, leaves us with this thought to use this yearly holiday as a "day on, not a day off," her wisdom suggests to me that to truly honor such a man, would be to serve. now, as i reflect upon my day and consider my role as a legal advocate for a nonprofit domestic violence agency that serves battered women in the south asian community, i realized that i had the answer to my question all along...by helping a client, or working on a funding project, or answering a phone call to respond to a victim in need, i was in fact, honoring the legacy of dr. mlk jr. in the best way i could-in service. so, perhaps, i was the lucky one today after all! :)
i have attached the link to marian's article here for reference as a source of inspiration to all.
http://www.louisianaweekly.com/weekly/news/articlegate.pl?20060123j
i'll close with a quote by the great man himself which is taken from the article and hints at how the ability to spark positive social change is literally at our fingertips:
"If you want to be important-wonderful. If you want to be recognized-wonderful. If you want to be great-wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness. And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love."
-dr. martin luther king jr.
~in peace&service,
mitu

"An Angelic Mother"

so i heard this amazing story on the radio, and i knew i had to share. if any of you are bay area folk, you may have heard of the radio dj host 'delilah.' she's this incredibly kind woman with a soothing voice who listens to the stories of people in the south bay who phone in and selects an uplifting song to honor each person's story...so when i switched my radio dial to 94.5, this is what i heard:
a woman with a genuine and quivering voice explained that she was the biological mother of her 38-year old son, randy, who was adopted when he was 7 days old by a warm-hearted soul named, mrs. lancaster. randy's biological mother so humbly began to describe randy's adopted mother as this woman who raised 200 children (not sure how, but that's what she said), and adopted 7 of them as her own. randy was the last one she adopted when she was 53 years old (even though the state tried to prevent it since they thought she was too "old"). despite that, she succeeded in the adoption and randy lived with her all of her years and cared for her until she recently passed away at age 90 this past december. the son's biological mother then proudly began to share to the radio waves that her son was always called the "daddy" in his family because he was the one all of his brothers and sisters looked up to since their own father had passed away from parkinsons' disease. the woman was teary-eyed as she closed with the final remarks that "i know that randy has given been the gift of happiness from this mother of his, that he could not have experienced in even one day with me."
by the end of her heartfelt story, i too was teary-eyed. after that, delilah, then honored mrs. lancaster, the woman she called, "an angel," with the song, "testify" (testifying about love). :)

“Driving Down a Different Path”

My car was parked in the lot on Castro Street in downtown Mountain View just outside the Shambhala Meditation center. Anxious to move along on my Sunday afternoon, my efforts to move my car were immediately halted. A triple AAA truck that stretched more than a stretch limo was literally blocking my path to exiting. My initial feelings of “I’m upset” and “How could someone just box me in like that?” began to surge, but then, I paused. I took a look at Sakyong’s face (my new favorite Tibetan Guru) as he looked at me from the cover of his book, titled, “Ruling your World.” In that moment, I remembered, I have a choice. I decided to make that mental switch that Sakyong often refers to, and just gave myself a chance to experience what taking a step down that road might feel like. So, I listened to some tunes in the car, read a little more wisdom, and waited for the Triple AAA guy to help the elderly woman get her car back in gear. Incidentally, a few seconds later, he knocked on my window, smiled, and handed me back my cup of starbucks coffee that I had placed on top of my car and forgot about. (Lol). I thanked him laughing, asked him if the lady was all set with her car, and after his positive response and another exchange of smiles, he moved his truck up forward and I happily drove away in no time (like 2 minutes later)! :)

"Sharing Christmas in Boston"

while on a roadtrip to boston for the holidays, i certainly couldn't live without my periodic coffee breaks amidst those crisp east coast winters. so, while i was embracing the warmth of family by engaging in lively animated discussions with my fellow passengers including my mom, my aunt, and my uncle (who are essentially my 'second parents'), we stopped for a few moments to refuel the car. i seized the moment to do what i felt was right---secure my coffee fix (of course) in the convenient store that bordered the gas pumping station...however, as i approached the counter at the coffee shop and completed the caffeinated transaction, i glanced down at the 'ronald mcdonald' sticker that housed the faces of small children with lost and forlorn faces affixed on a plastic container. at first, i sprinkled in a few coins to add some 'jingle' to these little souls. yet, then i thought perhaps i could do something more, and tucked a smile card into the opening of the plastic ronald mcdonald's house. i left the shop with the hope (as tiny as it may be) that they too, can also feel the warmth and love of parents, and perhaps even "second parents" during their holidays one day.
Happy New Year!

-this holiday moment reflects the concept of spreading 'anonynous acts of kindness' to others. by taking a positive step to help someone else and accompanying the gesture with a 'smilecard,'you become a part of the phenomenon of increasing generosity in our world. to learn more about helping others, simply go to http://www.helpothers.org/.