Holly & Heather’s Helpful Hint: Acts of Kindness

Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a random act of kindness?  The idea has been around and running for years.  One of our nephews was once waiting in line at a fast food drive thru and when he got to the pick up window to pay, the car in front of him had already paid for his meal.  He was thrilled!

An act of kindness doesn’t always have to do with money.  We think of volunteerism as an act of kindness and although it may not be random, it can be anonymous.  For instance if you volunteer to pack up food for a food pantry, most recipients never see the many faces behind the scenes, working hard to ensure a family they do not know has food on the table.

Let’s try to perform a random act of kindness for someone one time before the year is up.  Here are some suggestions:  While out shopping, tell the manager at a store if you’ve seen an employee doing a good job at work.  Leave a note for someone to have a great day.  Send a “fun” box to a friend or relative for no occasion other than to bring a smile to their face – fill it with sweets, a magazine and a warm pair of socks!  Anonymous or not, random or not, it’s all spreading good out into other people’s lives.

Going back to the question at the top of the blog, we’d love to hear if you’ve had any experiences…

Holly & Heather’s Helpful Hint: Spotlight on Parkinson’s Disease

There are many great organizations devoted to research and cures for a myriad of health problems. We thought we’d shine a little spotlight on Parkinson’s Disease this week. Our dad suffers from this disease and we see first hand how it affects the body.

Parkinson’s has no cure.  There are lots of medications to control the symptoms it produces, including tremors, but nothing really gets to the root of the problem.  Even deep brain stimulation via surgery may only give temporary relief of symptoms.  There is no known prevention. Even if you get genetic testing for the disease and it comes out positive, there is nothing you can do to stop the on-set.  That being said, there are some things we’ve learned which may help contribute to slowing down the progression of the disease.  One is living stress-free lifestyle.  Living with constant stress in your life is no good for anybody.  The high levels of cortisol and stress hormones being emitted constantly can wreak havoc with your body over time.  Getting the proper amount and quality of sleep is equally as important.  Our body needs the time to rejuvenate and heal while we slumber.

Our dad is fighting the good fight.  Organizations dedicated to helping those with illnesses are very important.  If you are interested in learning more about Parkinson’s Disease, The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research has a wealth of information.  There are also walks for fundraising and walks for unity of those suffering; all bring awareness to the cause.  We are all hoping for further advancements in research and a cure!

Please mention any cause here that you would like to bring awareness to as well.

Holly & Heather’s Helpful Hint: Peace on Earth

There are so many heartbreaking moments in life, sometimes it can feel overwhelming. You can’t turn on the television or open the newspaper without learning of the loss of innocent lives.  On the heels of 9/11, we spent time recounting the horrific events that forever changed our country.  As New Yorker’s, the day was unimaginable. As people living in this world, we are forever saddened.  School shootings, public bombings – they are hard to even think of, let alone thoughtfully write about.  How will the parents, siblings, friends and relatives of all of the victims ever be the same? The short answer is they will never be the same. Healing may come in the form of memorials, prayers, and the resilience of the human spirit, but lives are forever changed.

We have to try to make this world a safer place by supporting our leaders in passing stricter gun control laws, helping to keep open facilities to help the mentally unstable, working to keep criminals off the streets and making our schools safer (it should be just as hard to get into a school as it is on a plane – change that came about post 9/11).  The sad truth is that even with all of that in place, there will still be evil in our world. Human beings have free will and with that comes great responsibility – responsibility to choose right from wrong, responsibility for ourselves and for others.

We all need to resolve to be peace promoters throughout our every day lives, hopefully influencing others to respond in kind without even knowing it.  If everyone on this earth lived with that frame of mind, their choices would be better.  Help those that need it.  Be kind.  Let the little things go and do good in your life.  To quote a line in a famous song “Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.”

Holly & Heather’s Helpful Hint: Happy Back to School Wishes!

In our corner of the world, children are back to school this week and next. As parents, it is just as much of a hectic time of year for us as it is for them! And as time seems short and sweet this week, this blog will be too 🙂

Happy back to school times to all of our readers! We send good thoughts to you and all children that you will have a safe, happy, healthy and formative year of learning and growth!