Kindness

Overheard

The man I walked by with a pink panther ringtone. Wonderful. Just simply wonderful.

                             Having every day is a reason to smile. 

Positive Spin-off

My university has a compliment page. It generally makes me smile. And I really appreciate that this person was able to take a positive spin off of what could have otherwise been a quite unpleasant experience.

There's usually an upside. 

Random Acts of Kindness

A Facebook post I saw today:

Someone made my day today. We were in Edmonton visiting family for thanksgiving, and on the way home we stopped at a sobeys. I was buying smarties so I found a bag and got in line at the checkout behind a lady. She looked back at me and I smiled at her. (Pretty normal for someone from a small town) and she smiled back. Then she looked at my bag of smarties and said, "is that all you have?" I answered in the affirmative and she replied by saying that it was so nice that I had smiled at her and how I was friendly and how people just don't do that anymore. Then she told me that she would buy my smarties for me. (I tried to give her money lol) but she insisted. Talk about random acts of kindness! Totally made my day!

                                            Can't go wrong with a smile on your face. 

Family and Fun Fusions

I don't get to go home for Thanksgiving weekend. It's ok. I get fake Thanksgiving next weekend. In the meantime, my parents and older brother were down today for my younger brother's baseball game. It was amazingly nice to see them. Smiled even as I was walking to school on a Saturday to study.

I even managed to enjoy studying a bit. Worked with one of my hilarious friends and at home I found some wonderful music. Can't go wrong with some Yo-Yo Ma and other extremely talented individuals. Impressive fusions. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7EcT5YzKhQ

You might as well smile. 

Change the World

Hearing that a certain lady has beat cancer definitely made me smile. Everyone is not so lucky

A certain man, Jack Layton popped into my mind the other day--and 2 days before he lost his fight to cancer he was able to leave a beautiful legacy that while bittersweet makes me have hope and smile every time I read it.

I leave you now with my favourite parts of his parting words:

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

...

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

...

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change.

...

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

Happiness

Sing at the top of your lungs. Why not? I can't sing. It's a good time anyway.

I got stuck in traffic the other day. Decided to just rock away in my car with my friend. Made me feel better in the midst of a not-fun situation. I think as long as I just decide to be not annoyed, then I will be not annoyed.

This is what I did at field school. It was a bit of a stressful situation some of the time--very hectic and with the same people constantly around you, there's a lot of scenarios where things could annoy you. But I survived--I just decided to be happy and it was so.

Choose to smile, choose happiness, choose a good life.


                                                                   Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Politeness and Potatoes

I held a door open for an elderly woman the other day. She gave me the biggest smile. So of course I also had to smile. Manners matter evidently. Which we all knew already if we listened to our parents growing up at all. My listening abilities are quite poor. But look, I'm still learning!

I was reminded of another well-known fact this evening. Family is wonderful. My aunt and uncle fed my brother and I this evening. The good news is that my stomach has now returned to normal expanding capacity. Must prep for the Thanksgiving Thirty, you know (like the Freshmen Fifteen but better). They're really nice people and there's nothing like having a full belly and feeling content without all the work beforehand. I brought the peanut butter cookies of which the second batch turned out so I consider that a minor success.

Finally. One night where an hour after supper my little brother won't complain that he is hungry once more.

Also my aunt make the most delicious twice-baked potatoes. I really like potatoes. It would be a problem except for it's not. Because I have no shame in eating copious amounts of complex carbohydrates.

                                                             Stay beautiful, keep smiling. 

Smiles From the Start

Every once in a while, you just have a really good day. And today was actually one of those days. I know you thought I was going to say it wasn't. But it was.

From making new friends to hilarious happenings where my roommate and I accidentally dressed the same today to getting excited about life, to managing to have fun during a lab, to my friend loving her birthday gift,

there were many reasons to smile today.

The perfect end to my school day: having the most friendly bus driver ever. He was great and a perfect example of how being positive can make the world a better place.

On forth to making peanut butter cookies! And I'm going to be positive. I won't forget these ones in the oven like those apples.

                                                               

Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Proud Sister Moments

My baby brother managed to catch 3 flies and hit a double. <Proud smile>

                                                Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Speaking of Memory Fails...

I went to a friend's place, was about to brag about how I had put in effort to bake apples. Then realized I had forgotten the apples in the oven.

Called little brother.

They were burnt to a crisp.

Laughed because sometimes I don't know how I function.

                                                You can smile through anything. 

Memory Fails

Something really made me smile offhand the other day. And I was thinking it would make a good post.

Then I forgot what it was.

Kiss the Cook

So this whole cooking thing. It's a struggle. Plus I have to make sure my baby brother, who is almost 18 and should know how to fend for himself but doesn't, eats enough to survive.

On Thursday evening, I had put what I wanted to be chilli in my crockpot and was very excited to come home to what was supposed to be chilli. It was soup. And my brother managed to make really good accompanying garlic toast. I had to laugh about this.

But I managed to turn out a really good pasta, making the sauce by scratch today. Sometimes I impress myself.

Keep your fingers crossed on the baked apples...

                                  Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Sweet Lies

Today someone told me that I looked like Marissa Cooper.

Firstly, I didn't know who this was.

Secondly, when she told me it was a character from the OC, this didn't help. I have never seen the OC.

Thirdly, she told me that Marissa Cooper is really gorgeous.

Fourthly, she told me to google her.

So I did.

Well, service people will tell you a lot of lies to sell you things. I was buying the gift certificate anyway, she didn't need to butter me up.

A sweet lie all the same.

                                             Remember, smiles are contagious. 

11 Happy Things

Happy things:

1. Complementary cake.

2. Complementary buffets.

3. Free things.

4. Being confided in.

5. Mail getting to someone for their birthday. Somewhat on time. And them liking their gift.

6. Getting back a ridiculously good mark.

7. Second chances.

8. Third chances.

9. Record turnout for our club event. 

10. Having time to relax. 

11. This sweater. Vintage my mother's 80s outfits. It's even more hilarious in person. 

                                               Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Musical Smiles

I'm going to keep this short. I should be writing a Geography lab report.

I have a roommate who has perfect pitch. While I am insanely jealous of him, I try to be supportive of his musical ambitions. Unfortunately, he did not get a lead for the university musical this year. Fortunately, we were still able to joke about it.

Heads up, when talking to your musical nerd roommate, don't call the ensemble an entourage. This is slightly offensive. 

My other roommate is really nice. He drove me to the train station the other day. Then when I realized that I had forgotten something at home that I needed at the university, I called him and bribed him to bring it for me. I mean how was he going to say no to cookies?


Side note: my watch's alarm just went off. After two years of having this watch, I have not found any friends who know how to nor have I figured out myself how to turn off the alarm on it. I've just put it to what I consider a convenient time for an alarm to go off. When I first wore the watch on the first day of second semester in my first year, the alarm went off in my Geology class. I didn't know how to shut it off so I flailed a bit and hit a button and it silenced. But then I had to spend the rest of the class sitting on the edge of my seat, scared that I had only put it on snooze. If only my watch looked like this, I might smile even more.

                                 Remember, smiles are contagious. 

A Whale of a Time

                                        Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Can't Complain

There is nothing that makes me happy so much as talking to old friends and family.

This week has been good. Busy but I've seen a lot of familiar faces, caught up with people, met new people, got to talk to my Gma and lots of great stuff.

I have really nice friends. They're much nicer than me.

Can't complain when life is this good.

                                      Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Counting

"Count the amount of times you smile in a day."

This was said at a training session I was at as a possible solution for stress.

I smiled at my Osteology textbook. (Bit of a nerd).

I smiled at meeting my roommate's relatives and their fun accents. (They're English and Australian).

I smiled at my sleepy mind seeing myself knock a cup off the counter but not being awake enough to react. (Bit of a klutz).

I smiled at realizing a person I previously had been annoyed by is actually really nice and easy to talk to.

I smiled at the prospect of the future.

I smiled at a little boy sitting in front of us giving me the foam football he had caught at the Dinos' Kickoff football game.

I smiled at life.

Why did you smile today?

                                              Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Trust Me on This One.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbZRQrUgf8k

My Life the Retail Store

Today was not really a great day in some departments. But luckily my life is like a large retail store, and some departments got some trendy new stock in today.

I'm not sure if that metaphor worked.

Let's just say that there were good and bad parts of my day today. My obligation to you is to talk about the good:

Present Scrabble score versus sister: 199 to 159. I'm smiling. So you can guess who is winning.

Leftover Indian food is delicious. We all know this. I swear it might even get better.

I actually might not die in my Osteology class. It might be ok.

My fellow executives for the Amnesty International Club on campus seem like they will be easy to work with.

I now have PB&J. Clearly a student staple.

My university has a service-learning project that is the exact sort of thing I'm interested in: Indigenous Leadership and Engagement in which "students will obtain NAPI certification while learning about social justice, reciprocity, and Indigenous ways of knowing". Plus it might be in the Canadian North. Yah. Yah. That's how cool it is. 

Leslie messaged me on Facebook. She's a cool kid that I met over the summer and haven't gotten to speak with for awhile, so that was a nice surprise.

I must admit. I'm a little hungry which is distracting me from thinking of more smiles but I know there were more today. And I bet you have smiled too. But I bet you're not smiling as much as me. Because there's hunger in my belly and a lasagna in the oven.

                                              Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Lady Luck

Last week I found a twenty on the ground. This week I found a ten...

Enough said.

So logically, next week I will find a five. Which will still be enough to make me smile.

                                                    

                                          Remember, smiles are contagious.

Amicability in the Wake of Awkwardness

I have four roommates. One is my brother. One is my best friend. One is in my friend group. And one is a friend of the friend in the group. Still following?

Naturally, as a pre-cautionary measure, we needed to have a roommate meeting. 

Even with people that you get along with, sharing a space obviously has a lot of potential for disagreements. But because we're essentially all friends the first voicing of concerns was incredibly awkward. Which is why I really appreciated the one in my friend group and one that's the friend of the friend in the group inviting my brother, my best friend, and me out to the movies later in the evening.

I may or may not have asked the people behind us in line for popcorn if they could take a picture of us because it was our first outing as roommates. I think they were a little caught off guard, but they complied.

And this made me smile. 

We saw The World's End. I couldn't tell if I liked it or if it was too ridiculous. But I did appreciate the comedic bits that kept me from being too creeped out. Admittedly, I still was a little scared. My roommates took this as opportunity to make creepy robot (which I now know means "slave") noises. So I ran. But this allowed me to reach the vehicle ahead of everyone to snag the shotgun spot.

And this made me smile.

I slept the entire night without any trauma-induced nightmares. Lovely start to the morning.

And this made me smile. 

                                          Remember, smiles are contagious. 

First Day of School

Yes, even on the first day of school which basically marks the end of having a social life and joy as we know them (ok, I'm being a bit melodramatic) there are reasons to smile.

Here are the reasons I smiled today:

1. I fulfilled my older sister role and got my little brother (ok, he's almost 18 and much taller than me) to his first class on time at university.

2. Running into some of my favourite pals in about the first 10 minutes on campus.

3. Having my professor of "Method and Theory" tell us he was going to make the class as interesting as possible. That's cute. Good luck with that, fella.

4. Taking the stairs from the 8th to the 3rd floor and having my friends judge me for that. Then realizing that my next class was on the 4th floor. In an hour. Then proceeding to take the remainder of the stairs down to the 1st floor and seeing all my friends judge me even more because it just looked like I was trying to show them up in the exercise department.

5. Having to go ask the Information Desk if they had had any campus ID cards turned in because I have already somehow managed to lose mine. Before classes even started.*

6. Realizing that while as a 3rd year I should be better at life than this but that if I lose my youthful looks soon I may never lose my youthful naivety. And this should keep me young.

7. Girl: "Dude, I like Poli Sci."
    Boy: "No, you don't."
    Girl: "Yah, I do."
    Boy: "No, you don't."

8. Happening to sit next to another 3rd year student in that 1st year class I'm in so I don't feel quite so old.

9. Wearing a colourful, artsy shirt and getting weird looks from most of the Engineering kids in the Engineering building. Classic.

10. Resisting the urge to duck in the shrinking hallway that is actually just an optical illusion. I don't think I succeeded. But I managed to not get lost. Success.

11. The irony of a Canadian Geography class being taught by a man not from Canada. (Or perhaps this is more fitting--I'll let you know when we learn some sweet immigration stats).

12. Professor that I remember enjoying in first year because he mocked the Maple Leafs once again mocking the Maple Leafs.


*Sometimes it is necessary to smile and laugh so that one does not cry. This is ok. Still a smile.

                                           Remember, smiles are contagious. 

Curation 101

I went through a phase where I wrote at least one thing a day that made me smile in this little journal that a friend had gotten me. I have always intended to actually journal but have always found that there are too many happenings in one day for me to write down everything. But one thing a day that had made me smile seemed realistic plus why not try to be a positive person, me who has been labelled a pessimist countless times.

This record of smiles lasted a while. Probably until midterms or finals and then I trailed off but it is time to re-boot my curation of smiles and since I discovered that I enjoy blogging over the summer as I blogged about my time up North at an archaeological field school, I have decided to blog about it. This way I have a new blog idea and get to spread some smiles. Win-win. Or win-win-win for any Office fans reading this.

"A smile can cure the world."

I have decided to become a curator of smiles, curing the world, one smile at a time.