Ripples

      My dear friend has a life changing disease.  Does she worry about herself? No, she worries that she is not doing enough for others.  She is an inspiration.  So, I've spent some time thinking about how much we strive to make a difference in the lives of others, about how empty it feels not to be making a difference.  Yet, we all aren't called to be saints or missionaries or visionaries. 
     I'm touched by the random and nonrandom acts of kindness that are getting more attention these days.  There's a young woman who writes "love letters" of support to strangers, there's a young man who stands on the side of busy streets holding signs with positive messages, a lady who gave her Cadillac to a student so he could commute to school, the postal worker who says something positive to each customer, the list is endless. 
    One smile, one kind word, one positive gesture has a ripple effect that is boundless.  If one person connects with another in a positive way and each person in turn connects with another, wow!, what a statistic!  And from each small circle, a larger one develops!  The ripple effect!  I wonder how far a ripple could go and for how long!  How many opportunities each day do we have to start or continue a ripple?  A simple smile could reach around the world!  Of course, the opposite is also true, a negative event could cause the joy to be sucked out of a situation.  That's also food for thought.
   To my dear friend, I say the positive power of one to one cannot be discounted.  You do make a difference, it extends beyond our understanding and knowledge.  Yes, one smile is enough to start a ripple.  Here's to the power of the positive ripple!  I'm smiling at you!