40 days of giving for Lent

I am trying a new approach to doing in something for Lent. I have decided to focus on the positive and not on the negative. I am not going to give anything up but I am going to do something everyday. I am going to do something kind/nice/good//helpful everyday during Lent and I am going to write about it. Of course this is Friday so I will have to write about Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day on this very first post. I did not come up with idea on my own but I am launching it based on the book I read called, "Thirty Days of Giving" and from a few articles I have read that talk about positive acts and positive energy. I am becoming a very firm believer that positive energy breeds positive energy and good feelings and I believe that we need more of both in this crazy world.

Day 1: Ash Wednesday. I lead a busy life and so it can be crazy to find the time to specifically do something nice because life is crazy. This is the excuse that we all use to ease our guilt. I did two small things on this first day of 40. I stopped swimming laps so that I could let the folks in the other lane know that they could share my lane. The pool was crowded and there was a swim lesson going on in their lane so they could not do laps. I am a very strong swimmer so I think they were nervous about asking to share my lane. I could have just kept swimming and waited for them to ask me but I stopped and offered to circle swim. It took no time at all and one of the swimmers jumped into my lane. It had no effect on my swim and he was able to get his laps done.....it was easy but it made me feel better. Then when I got home from swimming and I dropped off my kids I took a few minutes to talk to their step brother about his swimming. His mother had asked me to talk to him and I had not done it. I took the few minutes to give him a mini pep talk and some feedback on his stroke. I hope that it had a positive impact but I do not know at this point in time. I was worried about it being a little awkward since he is not my step son and his mom married my ex-husband but she had asked me to talk to him. I think it was a positive effort at multiple levels, one being the embracing of the modern family dynamic.

Day 2: Valentine's Day: This one is set up to be easier than a normal day since it is all about giving gifts. I gave Valentine's Day candy to my folks at Dunkin Donuts since they are always so pleasant and they give me the military discount without me even reminding them. They are efficient and pleasant and so I think that the candy made them smile. Then I helped my cadets give out candy/valentines to each and every member of the staff at Cleveland High School and I gave out candy to each of the cadets in the program. It was not required but it made people smile and they were still talking about the glitter being everywhere in the school. I think it can be a bad thing if we added glitter to every one's world.......everyone needs a little sparkle because it really makes you smile. I also mopped half of the cafeteria since some of the cadets were practicing for the evenings color guard and we were short handed. The mopping was a positive gesture but it got my blood boiling because the cafeteria was a bloody mess and it makes me crazy when people do not take care of their school/work environment. It is simply disrespectful. Overall the day was a good one and there was plenty of positive energy to spare.