On Saturday I was on my way to the hospital to visit my 22 year old niece who was recently admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit. Doctors believe she contracted some strain of the flu that bypassed her sinuses, didn’t even bother with her stomach and rested smack dab in her heart. When the virus runs its course she’ll be left with heart damage and directives that are usually reserved for the senior set including eating a heart-healthy diet, salt limitation, caffeine intake and smoking cessation. Did I mention she’s only 22? Seriously, people, wash your hands. Stay home if you’re sick. Don’t lick door knobs. This flu is no joke.

Before my hospital visit I stopped to mail a birthday package and embarrassingly late Christmas gift to a friend. As I parked my car I noticed an able-bodied gentleman unload his cart and then abandon it in the space beside him even though the handy cart-corral-thingy was only two cars away. He looked at me and I gave him the patented Larry-Gordon-over-the-top-of-the-sunglasses glare. He slid in to the driver’s seat, unfazed. Evidently I’m not as intimidating as my father is when he does it. At the same time another car was attempting to enter the space next to him but of course they were cart-blocked. Before the parking lot offender had a chance to leave, I got out and quickly moved the cart to the cart-corral-thingy while muttering, “THAT wasn’t so difficult, was it?” I did not receive a thank-you wave from the car attempting to enter the space and the offender avoided my crazy-eyed stare.

Even when you know your kindness will be ignored, DO IT ANYWAY.

Driving to the hospital I munched on a quick lunch of Diet Pepsi and the share size package of peanut M&Ms, even though, hahahahaha, I had no intention of sharing. While stopped at a red light I noticed several things about the black suburban in front of me. 1) A window decal depicting a naked woman straddling the Chevy symbol. Delightful. 2) A large cross and the words, “In Memory of Danny Clark.” Sad. 3) A wadded up grey t-shirt on the bumper.

Following is my actual thought-process:

*crunch crunch* 

While the light is still red I should get out and return that shirt. 

It’s just a shirt. And it’s wadded up. How bad do they want it if they would leave it in a ball on the tail gait? Besides, the light is getting ready to change. 

And dang these M&Ms are good. 

*crunch crunch*

But what if the shirt belonged to Danny Clark, the one on the window decal? What if it was the last memento the person has of Danny Clark and if it blows away the person will be heartbroken? That would stink. Shoot, now the light’s green. 

*crunch crunch*

Okay, I”m leaving this up to fate. If I’m stopped behind him/her at the next red light, and Danny Clark’s shirt hasn’t blown off, I’m returning it. 

At the next red light I hopped out of the family truckster, grabbed the shirt and quickly approached the window of the suburban, which was already down and blaring a bass-thumping tune. The driver, who resembled Eminem and wore fluorescent green sunglasses looked at me with confusion.

Me: *smiling* This was on your bumper. 

Eminem: What? That don’t look like mine.

Me: Oh. Well I saw it on the bumper and didn’t want it to blow off. 

Eminem: Whatever. Thanks. 

He grabbed the shirt, threw it in the passenger seat and looked forward. So I’m guessing it was not Danny Clark’s shirt. The one he wore while playing that last game of touch football or helping out at the Lord’s Diner. Also, I have a vivid imagination.

Even when your good deed is met with apathy or rudeness, DO IT ANYWAY.

In 2007 Martina McBride released the inspirational tear-inducing song, “Anyway.” This powerful ditty is an encouraging reminder to ignore the people who try and tear us down and the nay-sayers who make our efforts seem in vain. When the figurative and literal storms of life come our way, we need to keep dreaming, building, praying, singing, dancing, loving, coloring, eating coconut cream pie. . . you get where I’m going with this, DO IT ANYWAY.

If you need to be inspired, have a good cry or just want to check out a gorgeous smoky-eye makeup technique, I’ve included the video below. Enjoy.

I’m guilty of spending too much time in  my own head. I get busy, overwhelmed and tend to block out things that don’t pertain directly to the four people living in my home. I forget birthdays, anniversaries and other important dates. In the last few months I’ve purchased condolence and congratulations cards but didn’t send them. Today they’re stamped and going to the mail box because even though I may be late, the sentiment will still be there. There’s a possibility the people who receive these cards will balk at their late delivery but, I’m gonna do it anyway.

This post was a knee-jerk reaction to the events of the weekend and thoughts that had been swirling in my brain-thing for some time. I didn’t plan the post to coincide with the day we simultaneously celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as the inauguration of President Barack Obama. In retrospect, however, I believe a civil rights activist who lost his life because he spoke tirelessly about equality and kindness, and the first African American president of the United States would agree with the idea behind it, DO IT ANYWAY.