BY ESPERANZA BELTRAN
A
smile is a curve that sets everything straight. ¨- Phyllis Diller
What
are your acts of kindness?
This was the question for our Comadres in
this, the beginning of the holiday season. Not only did we receive many
responses, but we also received this beautiful and inspirational message from Dr. Nogales, Secretary to the Board of
Las Comadres Para Las Americas:
When
we consider the vastness of our universe, our planet is incredibly minuscule.
Nevertheless, we are all responsible for it. I strongly believe, given the
circumstances of our tumultuous world, that our planet will survive because of
love. Love is the ultimate cause and the most significant experience we can
have as human beings. We survive infancy because of the love and kindness of a
parent or caregiver. We look for love throughout our childhood and adulthood.
Love is what keeps us together in our Comadre network. While love is a personal
experience, I wish you much self-love. Be open to receive the love that is
around you so that you do not just enjoy life but to plant the seed to let it
grow for others too.
Comadres shared their acts of kindness, here are a few…
From
Comadre Sylvia E. Klinger
Making breads and cookies for the elderly
without families around to celebrate holidays with them.
From
Comadre Oralia Garcia
My brother is in his early 50s, married
with 3 children. For almost 2 years he
has volunteered on a worldwide app to assist blind and visually impaired
people. He gets random video calls from
all over the world. Sometimes someone just needs help picking the clothes to
wear so colors don’t Clash. I will not mention the app since I understand you
want this submission to be generic. My
brother would never toot his own horn.
As a matter of fact I barely found out he was doing this. My brother’s name is Paul Garcia from
Harlingen Texas. I have no doubt his
bilingual skills double the calls he receives.
From Comadre Monica Peňa
One
day as I was standing in line at the local pharmacy, I realized the woman in
front of me and the cashier were having difficulties communicating with each
other. I helped translate, they finished their transaction, and after I checked
out the woman and her father were near the front of the store. We quickly
started a conversation as she thanked me for being so nice. Maria had just
arrived in this country and was new to the area. Both her father and her
explained they did not know too much English and this made things
difficult. I told her to pull out her
phone where I gave her information about
English classes and told her she would meet people there that felt the same
way. Whenever possible, help with a smile so that people can feel more
comfortable sharing their story. Then be a resource.
And here are a couple of interesting links
with information on how giving helps our overall health and well being…
A
Life Lesson From A Volunteer Firefighter
How
Generosity Changes Your Brain
https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/psychology-of-giving-to-charity
