Early this morning my daughter and I were glancing over the headlines of the morning newspaper that was laying on the kitchen counter and both remarked at the sadness of the stories reported there. It reminded me of something I had read in the book I had posted about a while ago, "One Simple Act" by Debbie Macomber. The paragraph was titled, "Watch the Helpers".

"After the bombing of the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center, the nation was stunned. Parents didn't know what to say to their children. They'd seen such evil things on television that even adults couldn't put the events into any kind of contest. When a few parents wrote to Mr. Rogers, the beloved children's television personality, to ask for advice. Fred Rogers said, "Tell them to watch the helpers." What wise advice. I've thought about his answer many times. When tragedy hits, don't focus on the faces of pain and horror. Let your eyes follow those who are rescuing, feeding, healing, sweeping, comforting, and rebuilding. On 9/11, it was the selfless firefighters who took center stage. They will be rememberedlong after the evildoers are forgotten.

There are so many simple ways to show others you care. So many ways to reach out to others, and certainly any of those will bring joy to others. Debbie Macomber also states in her book;

"Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can.

In all the ways you can.

In all the places you can.

At all the times you can.

To all the people you can.

As long as ever you can."

...even if it is as little as sharing your wheat puffs to a special lady sitting next to you:)

A few evenings back, I found a fun website created by three ladies. It is "HowDoesShe.com" by Chickabug - www.chickabug.com

It is some real cool free downloads that you can print. I printed the page below as well as some others. I was impressed with this site.

I took this page, cut out one of the bans and after removing the blue label on this bottle of water, I glued this new summer ban. I added a 5 calorie pack of Ocean Spray Cran-raspberry drink mix. A perfect tiny gift to set on a friend's desk or to share it with someone who has to work out in this heat everyday.

It seems like a little thing to do, but little things sometimes leave the biggest ripple effects.

How about taking a pack of each of these and creating a gift package for a friend who may be facing a difficult or lonely weekend. I think the "thinking of you" tag alone would bless them.

Gift and tag given unexpectantly, is guaranteed to brighten someone's spirits.


You know by now, that I am a "little something sweet" type person. So when I saw these cheesecake bites again at Walmart, I bought them. Something good...low in calories...and adding a bit of sweetness to my after dinner coffee. Each bite has 20 calories so even if you add a bit of fresh fruit, it will work for me.

I took my fancy picks(although toothpicks would work fine), and added bits of fruit to create some light deserts for my friends. I think this plate itself would make a fun gift too.

Or, how about sharing one with a friend at work, along with a pack of Columbian instant coffee.

A perfect coffee break. Making it even better...the fact that someone cares. Someone took the effort to show they cared.

My own little helpers. They insist on it when they are in my home and it is time to make food at dinner. They want to help. By themselves, they drag the chairs over to the kitchen. I try to make this time somewhat creative for them, although it is determined by how pressed I am for time. Yesterday, we cut shapes out of fruit and cheese. It was a chore for me to keep them from eating every shape they cut. Why would we cut shapes out of food? Well, probably because my mother taught me by example, how to make food presentation look good, and because I am always thinking of ways to keep them occupied. Browning the hamburger just won't work for their age group:)

What do think...does this look good to you? The three of us liked it.

Small ways to combat the painful headlines of life. Giving, sharing, helping, and taking time. "Out of the box" ways of saying...I care what you are going through," or "I appreciate you,"
or whatever ways you create to reach out to others.