spreadyoursmile

Judith felt dazed.

‘Can you hear me?’

‘Yes’, she replied groggily.

‘You’ve just been involved in an accident but you’re absolutely fine.’

The face of a kindly paramedic came into focus.

Judith felt a rush of panic and looked around for the rest of her family.

‘You’re all safe. It’s okay’, the paramedic reassured her.

She nodded weakly. It would take a while to process everything that had happened.

But she would look back on this day and realise that it had changed her life forever.

Dear you,

Most of us lead lives where we feel safe and secure most of the time. So when something like an accident occurs, we are shaken to the core.

When we have dangerous encounters or even near death experiences, everything changes. Up until that moment, we might have been just going along without too much thought about life itself. But then we realise how precious life really is.

We like to think we are in control of our lives. The truth is, life can be unpredictable and fragile.

This doesn’t mean we should live in fear. Instead, we should live in freedom. We should live with an appreciation of valuable life really is.

We really shouldn’t wait till something ‘big’ to realise how precious life is.

Every day is precious.

Thank you for reading. And don’t forget, spread your smile 😊

It was nice to be nice.

Judith had heard that saying before and had always thought that being nice was the best option.

But lately, she wasn’t so sure.

She was noticing times where wasn’t happy with what was happening but just felt obliged to put up with it.

Most recently, she had become aware of a situation at work where one of her colleagues Rona was continuously being treated unfairly by their boss.

Their boss Sally was well liked and respected. And Judith was thought to be ‘nice’ so she didn’t feel comfortable getting involved in any conflict. She tried to ignore or justify Sally’s behaviour.

The previous evening, she spotted Rona in her car after work. She was sobbing.

Judith felt stirred by pity. She had to do something. It was time to stop being nice.

Dear you,

Being nice can be about being polite rather than about doing the right thing.

We can sometimes just say things we think other people would like to hear or what would be expected of us in a social situation.

We don’t want to offend anyone. But standing up for what is right can mean offending people. It’s not going to be a popular or easy thing to do.

We might also be nice to someone with selfish motives or because we want to seem a certain way. It can be very superficial.

Being nice is different to being kind. When you are kind, you genuinely do what is best for the other person, even if it means it is difficult or uncomfortable.

Thank you for reading. And don’t forget, spread your smile 😊

Judith wasn’t really sure what she was doing.

In her work. At home. Life in general.

Every day just seemed to be the same. And it was a repetitive cycle.

She knew she had many blessings in her life but she also felt that there were things missing.

Recently, she felt like she was just getting by. Going through one thing to the next as if on autopilot.

She wished she could live life in a better way. Where she appreciated things and saw the beauty of every moment.

Dear you,

We all probably can relate to what Judith is thinking. Sometimes, we fall into a pattern of just living life and letting it become a mundane list of tasks.

With the lockdown, our whole life turned upside down. Although things are getting better, a lot of things have changed. Amidst all this, we can easily feel lost or confused.

Just like Judith, we can feel unsure about what we are doing and what our purpose really is.

The truth is, none of us really know the whole story of our lives. We are living chapter by chapter and we have no control over the past or the future.

This means that even if other people seem like they have things ‘figured out’, that’s not the case. We all have our struggles.

But we also all have our blessings. When we truly accept that we cannot change the past or the future, we focus on the only thing we need to focus on – right now.

Even if life seems boring, there’s beauty in the every day things.

Colours. Faces. Nature.

If we slow down and appreciate these things, life blooms from boring to beautiful.

Thank you for reading. And don’t forget, spread your smile 😊

True Success

This blog has been going for over 2 years now! Thank you to each and every one of you who has supported me along the way 🙂

As this collage shows, over the last year I’ve been able to write several articles, couple of devotionals and get a short story published! I’m so thankful for these opportunities. Thank you for your comments and encouragement. Thank you for believing in me. I’m hoping to write more and more and I hope you will keep reading..

• Don’t take things for granted

There are so many things we take for granted. From the basic necessities such as air and water to the fundamental things such as freedom and justice. The lockdown highlighted to us the value of the things we missed. Human contact, coffee with a friend, meals out. Enjoying our hobbies, sports travelling and so much more. I hope now that as we slowly return to these things, we may have a renewed appreciation for everything.

• Slowing down and silence is essential not just a luxury

The lockdown forced us to spend much more time at home. Although this has its drawbacks, there have been benefits too. Some have enjoyed really nice moments with their family. Some have learnt new skills and enjoyed new hobbies. We were forced to slow down from the busy world and realise that rest is essential for our well-being.

• There is always hope ahead

The vaccines were developed at remarkable speed and promises hope now. But it’s not just the vaccines. People all around the world have been united in this pandemic in their suffering. However, despite their suffering, many people have shown kindness to others. They have volunteered, donated, prayed and united together against this pandemic.

• Love will always be stronger than fear

The pandemic has been a fearful and anxious time, there is no denying that. But like I said, it has been an opportunity for people’s generosity and kindness to shine through. We have kept each other safe by adhering to the rules and restrictions. We have helped each other through this ordeal. Ultimately, I hope this pandemic serves as a reminder that love will always be stronger than fear.

Each day rolled into the next
All the same, all the same
But are they?

Some days seem brighter
A little bit lighter
But are they?

The darkness sets in
Everything in despair
But are they?

New beginnings
Seem full of promise
But are they?

Babies, sunsets, pillows
Seem like everyday miracles
But are they?

All I know is this
All I know is this

Each day, each experience
Inspires me to go on

Each battle, each survival
Inspires me to go on

Each act of kindness, of compassion
Inspires me to go on

Each memory, each scar
Inspires me to go on

Each suffering, each endurance
Inspires me to go on

All I know is this
All I know is this

I find inspiration in my desperation
And that is all I can hope to do

Ever wondered what the Catholic Sacrament of Confession is all about? In this Catholic Voice article, I share about its significance and my own personal experience.

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:d5d5d80e-1962-4cc3-a59a-4afd713ed257

Thanks for reading! 🙂

APPEAL INFO 

“Dear friends, in recent weeks you may have heard something of the grave news from Tigray in northern Ethiopia. An armed conflict between the federal and regional governments has escalated into a shocking humanitarian crisis. We are hearing harrowing reports of tens of thousands of families fleeing from their homes and that as many as 4.5 million people are without access to basic food, medical and sanitary supplies across the region! The UN has described the humanitarian situation as ‘very severe’. Mary’s Meals has been working in Tigray since 2017, with our trusted partners normally serving daily school meals to more than 24,000 children there. 

We are now working with that partner to respond to this crisis and provide support to the children and families affected by this situation. Despite all the obstacles, we are determined to maintain our promise to the communities we serve and to show the Tigrayan people that the world has not forgotten them. 

To find out more about this appeal please visit https://www.marysmeals.org.uk. If your parish or group would like to host a virtual talk from Mary’s Meals or would like to share our short appeal video message, please contact fran.lawson@marysmeals.org. Thank you.”  

Lent is a time when Christians can separate from the world. It can lead to a deeper exploration of the faith and is based on the pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. 

Lent is a shortened version of the Old English word ‘lencten’, a word which means spring (the season). Over the years, the word Lent came to be linked to the Christian tradition of fasting before Easter, which always happened in spring.

One of the important features of the time period is that immediately before he began his years of travelling, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert fasting and preparing for his ministry.

In most Christian denominations, Lent starts with Ash Wednesday. This is signified by placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance to God.

The official colour for Lent is purple. Usually, churches that celebrate Lent choose the darkest shade of purple for this season. Purple is the colour of repentance for sins.

Mother’s Day is actually a part of Lent. The Sundays of Lent are special for Christians everywhere. In the UK, the fourth of these Sundays is known as Mothering Sunday. Mothering Sunday was originally all about returning to your home (or ‘mother’) church, and eventually it became a celebration of motherhood.

Having a reason to reflect and do something different to our usual routines can be extremely beneficial for our personal growth. Often, we may not realise the need for reflection and taking things slowly especially in a busy world. We fail to see our faults and failings but there are things we can change about ourselves if we wish to form new habits.

Dedicating time to prayer, fasting and almsgiving also helps to nurture the goodness in us and helps others in need.

However you choose to spend this time, I would like to wish you all a fruitful season of Lent.

Thank you for reading. And don’t forget, spread your smile 😊