Just Pondering: Be kind

By Allyson McCaw on July 22, 2021.

First off today I want to thank everyone that has been so kind to comment on my little articles and pass on support. It truly has been overwhelming to think that my simple words could evoke any kind of response and your feedback means the world to me.

So I thought today I would just see if any of you have had a few of these shared experiences that make us human.

Why does everyone comment on your hairstyle and tell you how great your hair looks the day before you have a hair dresser appointment? You have just fought with that damn mop on your head for a week and threaten to lop it all off when suddenly it is perfect!

Why can you clean your house all week, have everything in order and the one day you let your guard down and have a PJ day the whole world shows up! People who you really want to impress make a surprise appearance and you still have dishes in the sink and beds unmade. Go figure, that’s Murphy’s law.

Same goes for cooking. Ever notice you can be Martha Stewart in the kitchen and the only one to appreciate it is yourself, but cook the same dish for those surprise visitors and viola! You have something that looks like hamburger helper and tastes twice as bad.

You have a special occasion and you really need your kids to be at their best. You beg them to stay clean and not break anything. What you end up doing is trying to herd them like cats and screaming like a banshee. Yet, the very next day they hug the daylights out of you and tell you that you are the best mommy ever! Again, go figure.

Your partner has a moment of insanity and tells you that the new dress you just bought and love looks like an Italian table cloth (true story). However, when you are sure he will never redeem himself he plans a romantic supper, cleans the whole house and does the laundry. So you can see, I have forgiven but not truly forgotten!

Your pet always seems to know who is extremely allergic or simply hates animals and makes a beeline to their laps. They show up out of nowhere and won’t leave that poor person alone! Awkward.

You are feeling your worst, whether it is a terrible day at work or thinking you are failing at everything, when that one person says just the right thing that gives you hope. Somehow it settles those crazy thoughts we all get in our heads and just a few words can turn your entire day around.

I always say, we all put our pants on the same way – one leg at a time. So, I think we all share some form of the same experiences and we all need to hear that we are not alone. It has been a very difficult, long 16 months of isolation and uncertainty. Let’s move forward and as soon as it is safe, let’s hug the crap out of each other. Let’s not forget we are all in this boat together and be kind. Seems simple enough, but as humans we tend to forget that our words cut deeper than our actions. Remember, the person sitting next to you is very likely feeling exactly the same as you but just needs to hear it out loud.

So lets laugh, cry, dance and just rejoice in being with each other again. Share those stories because you can bet someone has one exactly the same. Wonderful.

Stay safe, Allyson.

Allyson McCaw is a Medicine Hatter. Her column, Just Pondering, will run on the fourth Thursday of each month.