It's Not About You

People wonder why I've always got a skip in my step or a smile on my face as if it's some big mystery. As if I am some sort of alien. As if everything in my life has gone exactly the way I had anticipated. Well it turns out people, I just take a lot of pills! Kidding. I do have a secret though and I was reminded of it today. As the clock struck 2 o'clock I realized I'd been chained to my desk with no lunch. 'Popeye's anyone?!?!!' I shouted. (Yeah I was craving fried chicken. Sue me.) No takers. No problemo. I grabbed my purse and scurried out of the office. As I hit the sidewalk in the Texas heat en route to my car I thought to myself, 'ARRRRRGH! DO THE SEASONS EVER CHANGE IN THIS FREAKING HOT CITY?!?! My pits are tingly and are going to start sweating at any given moment. My makeup is officially cakey and I'm gonna break out. My feet are sweating in these wedges. I need to hurry so I don't miss anything at work...!' and then, 'DUDE, where's my car?!!?!?!?' I quickly realized I'd given my keys to Kevin, the sweet fellow who comes to our office parking lot once a week and washes cars for the employees. There he was. He hadn't taken a lunch break either. He must have been on his fifteenth car by that time. Just then it dawned on me this wonderful trick I learned from a Mother Teresa book. She wrote, 'We must grow in love and to do this we must go on loving and loving and giving and giving until it hurts. You must give what will cost you something. Then your gift becomes a sacrifice. Any sacrifice is useful if it is done out of love. This giving until it hurts-this sacrifice-is also what I call LOVE in ACTION.' Boom. Thank you Mother Teresa. I almost let my sweaty butt crack get the best of me. 'Hey Kev! I said. 'Boo, you hungry? You want some Popeye's?' He looked at me. Kevin was tired too. He is also one of those people who's always smiling but today he was worn down. Sweat dripping off of his brow, he looked at me and shrugged, 'Oh I don't know dahlin', it's whateva you wanna do...' and then he looked down at the ground. C'mon Kevo... I'm a female. 'No' means yes and 'it's whatever' means HELL YES! When I came back with his fried chicken that man smiled from ear to ear and we slapped hands like we were old cronies. The sweltering heat and our long days at work meant nothing because for a split second we both got to feel the joy of giving. So that's it... GIVE. When you feel that irritation creeping in, do something for someone else. When your heart sinks because that boy didn't call you, call your mom and give her a compliment. When your paycheck isn't as big as you thought it would be, give money to the church. This simple action will change your life. And who knows, you might even score some fried chicken along the way.  ~grace