Glad Days

    Let someone know that you appreciate having him or her in your life. Sometimes we forget how good it feels to be appreciated; yet we know how lousy it feels to be unappreciated. Go ahead and tell someone how thankful you are for his or her presence; it will only make you closer.

Love Your Mother

    Mother's Day is all about love, so shouldn't have to be only once a year. Celebrate your mother today and every day. Make her feel special and loved by taking her out to lunch or a mani/pedi. Spending time together will make every moment a fond memory you two can cherish for a long time. For your friends who may have lost their mother, check in with them. Spread the love far and wide so everyone can have that holiday magic.

Pass on the Wisdom of Grandmothers to Children Today

    Rich, my beloved, was raised by his grandmother, whom he called “GM.” She had been the wife of the head of their village and clan in Southern China until the Japanese Occupation, when war devastated the community at the cost of many lives. She felt very fook sing (lucky) to have made it to America with her only son and they rebuilt their lives from scratch. She ran a Chinese laundry which I have no doubt was the finest in all of Flushing, Queens. While working and taking care of her grandchildren, she told stories of the homeland, including the hardest times of having to eat insects during drought and war, famine, and pestilence. She relayed all this with no bitterness, only a sense of great good fortune in getting to live in the land of plenty in the US. Day by day, story-by-story, she instilled values of excellence-gratitude, hard work, keeping a positive attitude no matter what-in her children and grandchildren. 

    When Rich and his younger brother Jimmy went to public school in Queens, they made lots of friends in that melting pot metropolis, including a young African American boy who was really tall for his age and came from a family that had a hard time putting enough food on the table. One day, he stopped by her house with Rich and Jimmy. It took GM about two seconds to assess the situation and she told them to bring him by every day. She always made extra for their new fast-growing buddy. Having faced severe hunger during the war, GM was not going to let anybody in her circle go hungry. 

    Every day, in ways large or small, she showed her family how to do the right thing- stand on the bus so others can sit, be polite even if others are rude and, above all, “Take care of your clan.”

Free Hugs For All!

    Be an indiscriminate hugger. When I first moved to California, I was a bit taken aback by all the hugging. Now, I love it. Be a hugger. A hug is a mutual act of love and affection that induces feelings of comfort, contentment, and security. Hugs are one of the most beautifully human things we can do.

Say My Name

    When meeting new people, make an effort to remember their name so that when you address them, it’s more personal, respectful, and will make a good impression on them. Everyone is important. When you see them the next time, greet them by name. So simple, so nice.

The Little Things Count

    Do little things for others, like holding the door open and letting someone go before you, or allowing the person with only one item go ahead of you at the grocery store. I think due to our over-busyness nowadays, so many people rush through life and don’t consider the feelings of others. A simple gesture can be a good reminder for us all, myself included. Take your time, look around you, and ask yourself, how can I help someone today? In the end, you are helping yourself just as much.

Throwing Shade: Trees Are Good For Us

    Encourage community management of forests. If there are common property lands nearby you that are degraded, work with local communities and environmental NGO’s to establish sustainable community forestry that benefits everyone. Get involved at treesforthefuture.org and meet your fellow tree huggers!

It is Getting Better

    Have you taken the pledge? Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I’ll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work. I’ll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other bullied teens by letting them know that it gets better. Sign on up at itgetsbetter.org to support LGBTQ children and help teens live a bully- free life! Join the hundreds of thousands of people who have taken the It Gets Better Pledge.

Friends Are Not Just for Facebook

    My newer pals are always kind of amazed that I have such a large group of friends, especially from back home in West Virginia. I attribute that to a few things: many of us come from Irish and Scottish stock, so we tend to be a wee bit clannish. We also check in on each other and get together quite regularly. There are the occasional squabbles but when trouble comes knocking, we have each other’s backs all the way. It’s a beautiful thing. When somebody moves, we are there to pack and tape up boxes. When somebody is sick, we are there with homemade soup and a listening ear. To me, friendship is one of the most important things in the world and it is not just a phenomenon that takes place on social media.

What the World Needs Now

    Tell someone close to you how much you love them, even if you’re sure they already know.

Think Globally

    Start a conversation with someone of a different culture, religion, or political view, while actively listening and responding. Becoming aware of someone else’s standpoints and personal journeys may enlighten how you think. Nowadays, people of different vantage points need to realize that we may worship differently but we are people all the same. Be accepting and show it. This time of year, so many different cultures celebrate the turn of the year in ways unique to their traditions. Why not find out more about these festivities and even attend some? It’s a small world, after all, right?

People Are Resources, Too

    Make plans to go to a local nursing home and visit an elderly resident who hasn’t gotten a visitor lately. Receiving extra one-on-one attention can be very rewarding for the resident and you’ll be surprised how interesting their life is once you start talking to them. Especially with the holiday’s coming, think of those who might not have family nearby who would love good company at this time of year. Nine times out of ten, you will end up receiving much more than you give to these elders, who have wisdom, stories, advice, and love to offer.

Offer Unconditional Positive Regard

    Be accepting. No matter a person’s race, age, culture, or sexual orientation, accept everyone for who they are. Embrace the beauty of humanity and our myriad differences. By opening your eyes and mind to the possibility of love and friendship, new people will flow into your life and change your perspective in miraculous ways.

Be Nice

    Offer to help your roommate or spouse with one of their chores or do them entirely by yourself without anyone knowing. They will appreciate coming home to a vacuumed house or dinner already on the table. September is back-to-school and back-to-work time, and everyone is that much busier-so you should be that much nicer.

Turn Off Your TV and Your Brain Back On

    Nowadays, children have computers and chat rooms, mobile phones, and a TV in their room with hundreds of channels in glorious color. Children can be techno-wizards- but TV is a time filler and time killer. It both encourages and normalizes violence, in both behavior and attitude. TV makes children lazy, and sluggish in thought and action. 

    If you feel your children are watching too much television and it’s having a negative impact:

• Have all cable disconnected.
• Remove all TV’s except one from the house.
• Limit TV viewing to set hours, such as only after homework is finished; and no TV during meals and no morning TV.
• Limit channels watched
• Have family evenings that are fun. Encourage new hobbies.
• Don’t rely on the TV for entertainment. Make your own. Talk to your family, and have them talk to you.
  

Be an Anonymous Gifter

    Have you ever heard of the Bolinas Free Box? This institution began 30 years ago by accident. As the story goes, a young couple was departing the shores of Bolinas, California, and dumped some boxes of extra belongings behind at the community center as they left. The rather nice assortment of clothes, books, and household utensils drew some interested residents to have a look. By the end of the day, several other people had brought free stuff down to share. The Free Box took up residence in a shed between the health food store and the community center and has been providing all comers with all kinds of free fare ever since. The era of the free box was born.

Catch People Doing Something Right (and Make Sure They Know It)

    During difficult transitions, our natural tendency is often to resist change and grow rigid. In this state, we seem to only be able to focus on the negatives. We think about the despair that follows the death of a loved one, but not the wonderful moments spent together. We think of the heartbreak of a relationship ending, but not the exhilaration and freedom of being unattached. We might even scold our loved ones, or our friends, or coworkers for something minor when we ourselves wallow in similar negativity. But it is in these moments that gratitude can be used to alter this way of thinking.

    Finding positives and accentuating them is the easiest way to turn those proverbial frowns upside down and gray skies back to blue. Try catching someone doing something right for a change, not something wrong. Giving praise for a job well done will lift all parties involved.

A Bagel and a Hug

    It's easy to feel overwhelmed from everything that life throws your way. If you notice a friend or coworker struggling, be there for them. Bring them a bagel or coffee, or something simple to show them that you care. Take their minds off their challenges, if only for a moment.

Wish Upon a Hero

    Grant someone a wish through Wish Upon a Hero, a network dedicated to people helping people. Anyone can be a hero by sending a donation or offering a service. Explore heronetwork.com to browse through wishes and see if you can help with any. It is a really good reminder of what others are going through and that you are needed in this world.

National Endangered Species Day

    Did you know monarch butterflies are at risk of becoming extinct? Protect wildlife and endangered animals. Join a preservation group or animal sanctuary to help keep our habitats and animals safe. More than 800 animals have gone extinct over the last 500 or so years, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources' Red List- generally considered to be the most comprehensive of its kind. Our diversity is what makes Earth so special and we must do all we can to preserve it.