Friday, December 31, 2021

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone!

Let me address the question I posed yesterday ("What is the nicest thing you did or have done to you in 2021?"). My answer is I bought someone a car. And it wasn't a frivolous gesture; it was an important act.

Someone I like was struggling with an old, unreliable vehicle whose frequent repair bills were crippling her finances and jeopardizing her employment. Her job was literally on the line if she couldn't find dependable transportation; the car was a serious threat to that. 

The situation was the kind of critical moment in a person's life where a single bad event might start a cascade of more bad events. I wanted to stop movement in that direction and turn fate around. So I offered my friend money to buy a newer, more reliable automobile. She accepted and got such a vehicle. And kept her job with all the benefits of steady employment.

I haven't mentioned this before and am withholding identifying information; I raise it solely to cheer us up about 2021 during which good things happened with the bad.

Experience has taught me that generosity benefits the giver as much as the recipient. We gain from giving. Remembering this particular act warms my heart and makes me feel like I'm improving the world, if only in a small way.

Happy New Year, my friends.




20 comments:

  1. That is a lovely and, more importantly, a truly substantial, generous and potentially life-changing gesture. Your friend is lucky to have you in her life. And since I gather you must be fairly good at "getting" other people, I suspect vice versa is true as well. It's nice to hear an uplifting story at the end of a difficult year. Here's to friendship, and happy 2022!

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  2. Happy new year and so cool to read about that generous act.

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  3. What a wonderfully kind thing to do! I wish you all the best in 2022!

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  4. You're definitely a one-of-a-kind person, Ally.

    I hope things continue to flourish and go well for you and the good you've put into the world comes back to you a hundred fold.

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  5. That's the example of a perfect gift- the right thing at a right time. A reliable and safe vehicle is a very important factor in one's life. In case of your friend, it helped her keep her job and livelihood so that makes that car precious. We should never underestimate the difference we can make in somebody's life.

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    1. Exactly right. I recognized how pivotal that moment was and stepped up, without prodding, to make a difference.

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  6. What an extremely kind thing to do Ally, that's so nice.

    Have a great 2022.

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  7. That is the kind of giving that has repercussions in the real world - to give without the expectation of reciprocity is the best kind of generosity, Ally. It reminds me that I gave away bags and bags of clothes this year! Gee, totally forgot about that! I guess I do nice things after all, hee hee. ;-P

    Happy 2022, my friend. May all the goodness in the world come back to you for your kind act.

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    1. Same to you, Sweetie. I'm glad to hear about your old clothes getting new life; that's a wonderful act. Happy 2022!

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  8. It is so wonderful you were able to help out your friend in need. I think that is the sign of a true friend. When they are someone you can turn to and count on in the toughest and most difficult of times.

    One of my friends was able to come to my Dad's celebration of life and it really touched my heart. I didn't expect they would be able to make it because of the pandemic. Those are the best moments of friendship. When someone rises above your expectations and surprises you with their thoughtfulness.

    All the very best to you my generous friend! Let's hope 2022 is when things finally start turning around.

    Suzanne

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    1. Exactly right. Friendship is shallow if people don't come through when it's needed. You've always been one of my closest friends because of your commitment to caring for others. I join your hope for 2022!

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  9. You are very kind. I think about how powerful we are as a human race whenever I see people gather their resources on Go Fund Me to help people out in huge ways. If we really realized our power we could change the world.

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  10. You have a heart the size of the grand canyon and made of the purest gold imaginable. What an extraordinarily compassionate, amazing gesture + way to help your friend's life from potentially veering in a very difficult direction.

    As someone who believes firmly in karma, I have no doubt the universe is going to bless you with a great deal of positivity and wonderfulness in return for this incredible act of kindness.

    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

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