Resolving to Help Others

Another year is ending. Seems like I just get started on a new year and it’s over, leaving me to wonder how it could have flown by so fast.

With a new year approaching, people are going over resolutions they want to make - things they hope to do, goals they wish to reach, changes they want to make in their lives.

I gave up making New Year’s resolutions a long time ago. Simply because the year ended without my resolutions being accomplished. It wasn’t for lack of trying to keep them. It was more because I’d eventually forget what they were.

That being said, I feel I’ve come up with a resolution that I will not only keep but give me great joy in doing so.

Reading about a tradition a family started a few years ago inspired me to turn their idea into my New Year’s resolution and to make that resolution a permanent one.

Another reason behind my thoughts comes from something one of my sons told me, “It’s the little things people forget to do.” Little things like telling a waitress or waiter thank you when they bring your drink and then your meal. Or when you pay for your meal, saying thank you to the cashier and telling them to have a good day. Or remembering to say thank you to the person who helps you carry out your groceries.

I’m reminded of one of my grandsons who had asked, “May I please have a fruit snack?” When I gave it to him, he said, “Thank you.” I replied, “You’re welcome.” And then he told me, “It’s portant to say please and thank you and you’re welcome.” He was 4 years old at the time.

A businessman told me one day that employers need to remember to tell their employees thank you, to give them a few words of encouragement. He said, “Yes, you need to treat your customers well, but you also must not forget to also treat your employees well. By doing so, you increase their desire to make sure your customers want to return.”

The list of things you can do - little things - to help brighten the lives of others is endless. Do you save your change? If so, you either have it earmarked for something or you are saving it just because. What if you were to once in a while turn that change into dollars and then give it to your child’s school so they are perhaps able to purchase new books for the library or supplies for a classroom. No, it may not be enough to totally accomplish that but your donation may be what’s needed to reach the amount they need.

Know of someone living alone? Drop off some cookies. It doesn’t matter if the cookies are homemade or purchased. What matters is that you remembered them.

Surprise a friend by inviting them to go to lunch with you. Tell them you were thinking about them and how fun it would be to have lunch together.

Offer to take someone who is unable to drive to a store they’d like to go to or out for coffee and pie.

Don’t let chances to do little things for another person slip by. If you pay close attention to their conversation you can often pick up on a way to make them feel better.

None of these things take a huge amount of time or entail great expense. In fact, the simpler the better for it’s little things that can encourage a person. Little things that help keep them going. Little things that bring a smile over and over again when they think of what you did for them. Not only that, but from time to time you’ll have a smile when you remember their smiles.

So often what you think may be a little thing for someone just may be a big thing in their lives.

In this coming New Year, my resolution is to do something each week for someone. And some of the things I do will be done to honor a loved one in my life, whether they are here on earth or in heaven.

May your New Year bring you little things that will make your world brighter..