It Matters

It matters, it really does...how you treat others and how you act. A smile, laugh or little silliness goes a long way. I genuinely try to live by the "Golden Rule".  When the kids were growing up, that's what we always tried to teach them  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  In other words, treat others the way you want to be treated.

The kids have a lifetime friend that heard me say that a lot.  He would say, "Val, you are making that up."  I would tell him, "No, I'm not making it up, they are some great words to live by and actually it is in the Bible, Matthew 7:12." He heard it referenced one day and finally believed I wasn't making it up.

These words mean a lot to me.  It really does matter how we treat people and how we portray ourselves.  How many times do we have the opportunity to give a smile or kind word to someone and we just don't. In our small town we wave at everyone that drives by.  In fact, we know if someone is from out of town if they don't wave back. We say hi in the grocery store and tell jokes at the bank.

I tell my kids that what they do and how they act can have an effect on someone's else's situation.  The thing is, we don't know what point someone else is at in their life.  We don't know what their situation is. Our smile or kind word can make a big difference in their day, just as harsh words or actions can make their situation worse.

I challenge us all to smile a little more often at people we don't know, share kind words and take some extra time with the people around us, do something nice - just because...It Matters.

"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day."