kindness – Tina Stewart Brakebill

“If only there were more.”

“More what Aunt Karen?”

Glaring out the window, she pressed record before declaring “More people like me. Patriotic citizens. People who care about what’s happening to this country.”

“He’s just cleaning the windows. Why are you recording him?” I hadn’t seen her in years but I steeled myself for the nonsense that I imagined was about to come out of her mouth.

“I’m not. I’m recording that women hassling him. Now be a good boy and open the window so I can tell her to go to hell before I post this.”

the-view

Thanks to Putting My Feet in the Dirt for a great opening line (if only there were more) and to Rochelle’s Friday Fictioners for the photo inspiration.

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” – Mahatma Gandhi

BE A GOOD KAREN NOT A BAD KAREN!

a new day begins ~

unfurling a path to choose ~

hero or coward ~

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Every day we make a million little choices that define who we are. Those choices built on each other and create a picture of “self.” It’s tempting to assume at some point that our picture is done. We confidently or defiantly (or sometimes with shame) declare “what you see is what you get” or as Popeye would say “I am what I am.” Or is it “I yam what I yam”?

Of course some things can’t be changed or even be easily altered, but that doesn’t mean your picture of self is finished. Every day offers us an opportunity to make a change. It may be so tiny that no one notices or so big that the world takes notice. Not everyone will like it. Not everyone who likes it will agree on its merits. Some people will care too much. And some people won’t care at all. And some people will think you don’t have the right to make the change at all. But regardless what other people think or say, your choice means that your self-portrait will be different from yesterday. To me, that idea is daunting but ultimately wonderful. In a world where so many things are beyond my scope of immediate power, it is empowering to believe I CAN change my self-portrait.

To KNOW that my choices can change MY PATH!

With that sense of Wonder Woman like empowerment I should be making great strides towards a better me. And that better me should be on the forefront of the resistance kickin’ ass! Right? And in my perfect world, every morning I would think about my choices. What do I want the world to see when they view my portrait? What do I want to see? What path am I choosing today? How will I make a better world today? But, of course, it’s not a perfect world. And I’m terrible at self-reflection! And the path towards a better world gets cluttered with Twitter rants and despair. And. And. And…

Some days, choosing to be kind to myself and others is the best I can do. (And really isn’t that the very least we can do for ourselves and humanity!)

So today, I’ll try to practice what I preach.

Tomorrow I plan on looking for a golden lasso or maybe a pair of cuffs!

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Thanks for the Prompt RonovanWrites

Tag: kindness

Karen v. Karen

a new day