Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. We have come to the end of Spring Break here in Knoxville. It has been a week of checking off a few home improvement items on our list. I hope you had a chance to make positive changes in your world. An unexpected outing with my son and his friends proved just what the doctor ordered. Have a good weekend—stay warm and do fun things!
Happy Birthday to all of you who turned a year older this past week. And Happy Anniversary to you and your loved one for reaching another milestone year together.
Quote of the Week: “The greatest relationships are often the unexpected ones.” Kaitlin Olson
Word of the week: Serendipitous: a by-chance occurrence of events that are happy or beneficial.
Joke of the Week: The adjective for metal is metallic, but not for iron, which is ironic.
Nugget of Wisdom of the Week: I’m sure you have noticed the theme for this week…the unexpected. I think the word unplanned would maybe be more correct. There are one hundred sixty-eight hours in a week. And most of us must sit down and diligently plan how to spend each of those hours. If you have a family with children, there are extracurricular activities, homework, dinner to be cooked, and a host of other things to be done.
If you are a student, you have homework, a schedule for the items on your syllabi, class projects, field trips, and other outings.
A career person not only has the work they do at the office, but also occasional calls or texts from colleagues at home.
When I mention unexpected things, we sometimes groan in frustration and think, “I don’t have time for this!”. But not all unexpected things come with negative consequences. While at the movies with my son and two of his school friends, my husband and I had the chance to let three boys, who under normal circumstances don’t have the chance for outings with others, watch a movie and laugh hysterically. We didn’t plan to watch the new Looney Tunes movie, but we are glad we spent the time on these boys.
Sometimes the unplanned things that happen in our day aren’t fun, unlike going to a movie. It could be the little things, like being a little more patient when you have to wait longer in line somewhere. Or leaving a little more money for a tip when the server provided less than stellar service when it was obvious they carried a huge burden but still tried to do their job.
All people need acceptance, understanding, and appreciation for who they are. To paraphrase Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, people should be our business. Even when it seems inconvenient, we should try and love on others. I have found some of my best memories have been a result of unplanned situations.
Shout Out of the Week: This week, I want to give a shout-out to everyone who doesn’t let unexpected situations ruin their day. Look at each opportunity as a divine meeting to meet the needs of someone you know or a total stranger.
Have a great weekend. Remember, you are most awesome, and YOU ROCK!
Marion Rhines is a foster-turned-adoptive parent. She lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband and five children. She has written and published two children’s books as well as two foster-care-themed novels. She has a Facebook blog, Tips from the FLIP Side, and enjoys working with children of all ages.