An Encouraging Award:

One thing that I try to do is to be an encouraging person.  I may get cranky,  mean and short-tempered when I am tired or don't feel well, but over-all, I try my best to say nice and uplifting things to others as often as I can.  I am no Pollyanna, though I give looking at the glass as half-full my best attempt the majority of the time. 

I see it as one of my jobs.  What if I am the only one to offer up a smile to somebody I pass in the grocery store?  What if I am the only one to give a thumbs up, or leave a comment on somebody's meaningful FB post?  What if I don't stop and talk to Betty in the bed next to my MIL in the nursing home?  It is endless, all the little encouraging things that can be done in a day!  Plus there is self-assigned worry and possible guilt about what will happen if I don't do my job.  I know, I'm weird.

I just want to be a supportive kind of gal, and spread the joy.  It takes some effort though.  Sometimes it seems like I don't get the same back in return, but really I do ... just not always from the person that I have been encouraging along.

The past couple of months have been very busy ones for Cary and me, with hospital and nursing home visits and now helping to care for my MIL as she is at home and literally getting back on her feet.  Some of my FB friends have been so nice to leave comments that have uplifted me, more than they will ever know.  One, who has been going through a very rough five years, thanked me for leaving her encouraging comments.   

A different friend recently sent me this:  "I have a few tough moments going on in life, some moments I didn't foresee but in the end I realize my forgiveness and lack of frustration and anger are huge. During these moments I think of those who have an inner strength and a power of forgiveness and insight, and so I reach out and say thank you to those who I think of during these moments, you are one of them. My aunt and another friend are others."  

I just about started crying when I read that one, because she knew that I had to do the same thing not so long ago.  Her note to me was very encouraging, and I didn't even realize that she was taking notice of my actions.

One of my friends from high school wrote this to me on FB when I was feeling down:  "You find beauty and joy in the world and you look for the best in people.  Unhappy people, insecure people and those with personality defects will try to take that from you.  Misery loves company."   I printed that out on an index card and put it in my office so I can read it every once in awhile.

My blogging friends are always very nice and uplifting to me.  You guys give me feedback for my creativity, and for my hard work.  You don't yell at me for my bad grammar and spelling errors.  You never say, this is BORING!!!  Thank you so much for that, because I feel that my blog has gotten kind of boring since sometime in September ... beginning with our computer crashing. 

Yesterday morning, one of my favorite new friends, Wendy, (who is both a blogging and FB friend), gave me an award.  It is an award for blog friends who offer up encouragement by leaving thoughtful comments on a regular basis.  It is called the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award.

Wendy and I both agree that sometimes awards are like email forwards and can eat up a lot of time.  Wendy wrote on her post about this award:  

"I’m making an exception by accepting this one because it recognizes my loyalty and kindness as a READER of blogs while not expecting any creativity or ability to inspire.  

As the originator of the award said: 

 “As bloggers we are also readers.  That is a part of blogging as listening is a part of speaking.”

So, Wendy, thank you so very much for passing this award on to me.  I am passing it along to many others at this time.  If you guys who receive it don't want to bother with it, it won't hurt my feelings. 

Here are the rules (there are not very many of them):

 

1. Thank the nominator and link back to their site as well.

Thank you, Ms. Wendy @ Jollett, etc. 


 2. Display the award logo on your blog.  Okay, I did.  It is down at the bottom of this page, on the left-hand side.

 3. Nominate no more than fourteen readers of your blog you appreciate and leave a comment on their blogs to let them know about the award.

Well, I found away around the number fourteen by including my whole group of Sepia Saturday friends ... links to their blogs are easily found by clicking on the link below:

My Sepia Saturday Friends: Karen S., Wendy, Ticklebear, Bob, Alan, Kat, Jana, Little Nell, Prenter, L.D., Tatiana, Peter, Tony, Postcardy, Tattered and Lost, Nancy, Barbara, Kristin, Deb G.,  Brett, Mike, and everybody else! 

Here are my other big encouragers and frequent blog commenters, in no particular order:

Pamela
Kathy A. Johnson
Becky Povich

Hart Johnson
Connie
Linda
Lisa Richard Claro
Melissa
Lynn
Gloria
Tammy

I am also grateful to Patricia at Grammy Goodwill (her blog is currently inactive) and Barb Kipper, who sends me encouraging emails all the time.  I would also like to thank Nutschell at The Writing Nut, for some reason I have been having a hard time opening her blog link the past several months.  And of course, to my Mom!  I am sorry if I am leaving anybody out.  I appreciate all of my blogging friends very much. 

4. Finish this sentence:  A great reader is …

willing to become immersed in your story or your blog post and appreciate the effort that you have put forth.  They show their appreciation by giving you feedback in the way of a positive comment.  Of course, if you have written something controversial and the reader doesn't agree with your point-of-view, they should still state their opposition in a tactful and non-abusive manner.

So that is that!  Hope 2013 is treating you well so far.

Hugs,

Kathy M. 

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.