Bringing Happiness to the Land of Blog

I was cruising blogs today (I really AM trying to clean), and I noticed some unpleasant trends. There really are a lot of people who are filled with hate out there. I was reading one blog, and the person was spouting some worn-out racist words for biracial children. Of course, this was followed by the mandatory, "I'm not racist, but..." bullshit. Let me just tell you, if you've ever uttered that phrase, you need to reexamine your heart. I was really angry at first because this person thought that they were better than someone whose skin is a different color. But, then I realized that I need to find compassion and pity for this person. I feel sorry for them that they will never know how beautiful (inside and out) people of other races are. They will never know the joy that comes from hugging a child (of any color) who may not have been hugged in years. They will never feel the unity with everyone they meet that many of us feel. When Eddie was little, and first discovering the Internet, he said the most beautiful thing. He said, "When you're online, there's no races or sexes, there's none of the things that makes us all feel separate from each other. Online, you can only see inside each other, and inside we're all the same". His is a very old and very wise soul.

I was also reading Jam Daddy's blog, where he was trying to take account of the good he's done this year. I think this is a great idea. We can all recite our shortcomings with ease- what we wanted to do but didn't find time, times when our compassion fell short, people we were less than kind to. I would like us all to take stock of what we DID do...the things we did right that may have made another's life a little nicer. I was raised to believe that if I patted myself on the back, I was being arrogant. I have come to disagree with this. I believe that by focusing on the positive changes we have made in the world, we can try to continue on this path in the new year. So, fellow bloggers, I give you the list of things I am most proud of doing this year (in no particular order):

I have commented positively about each of my students in front of others-many of them spend years without some form of positive feedback from their teachers, so even if it's a small victory, I try to celebrate it.

I gave my coat to a homeless woman- sure, it was one my ex bought for me, but I was wearing it at the time, and had to walk several blocks without it.

I have furnished T. with lunch for the past 3 weeks.

We just found out that one of our students is homeless (they live in a van). I bought a WalMart gift card and sent it to his mom from Santa Claus.

I love my students unconditionally, and tell them that regularly.

When my cousin was unemployed, I anonymously sent him all the cash I could spare so he could buy his kids new school clothes.

Ok, my list isn't filled with things that will change the world, but these are things that I can do that have a positive effect on others. I would like to hear from others about what you have done this year to make someone's life a little easier. Let's try to insulate ourselves with positive energy and a spirit of hope to carry us into the new year.