Always Be Humble & Kind

LaurieLovesLearning

I woke up with this song playing in my head. I know some of you are going through some rough times right now, some through no fault of your own.

This is my wish for all of you no matter what stage of life you are in or in whatever circumstance you find yourself in, that you stay this way and that people are the same toward you.

I read so many hurtful things said to others online yesterday (I'm sure it is habit for many now) and my heart breaks at what is happening here and around the world. There is too much hate and division, lies and disregard for others, to the point of cutting them off and "canceling" anyone who disagrees with another, not even being willing to look past opinions, talk respectfully with no fear and judgment, and just accept them. This negativity should not be accepted as the norm. I believe it is a way bigger problem than covid ever is or was or will be. Let's not buy into that horrible mindset. I appreciate that this forum appears to be free of that.

Since I was thinking of this song this morning, I looked it up, listened and cried. This song is so powerful to me.

It is these little things we often forget as we go about our busy day. We need a reminder once in a while and now, more often than ever.

I hope that you enjoy it and remember to be humble and kind each day.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=awzNHuGqoMc&feature=share

Monek Marie

One kind word can light up a person life for a day or more. We have no idea what a person is experiencing so its true to always try to be humble or kind. On bad day sometimes its hard but those days I tend to be solitary. I take a walk and enjoy nature and clean fresh air.

Love the song. Thank you @LaurieLovesLearning

Torey

Words to live by!

MaryRowe

Good words, lovely song. This is the only online forum I regularly participate in because the folks here are so positive and helpful to one another--a real community. I know we all appreciate this special place.

monica197

I have this note on my frig: Be a little bit kinder than necessary.

Kindness and humility are hard to come by out in the world today. I suppose if we really want to make a statement, we could start there!

Thanks for the reminder.

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

Beautiful song and a sweet reminder, thanks for sharing @LaurieLovesLearning. 😊

jowitt.europe

@LaurieLovesLearning how very true. I try to avoid reading or listening to what sounds negative. I just block such commentators or stop reading, when I feel that it is negative or aggressive. Life is too short to focus on negative thoughts, words, behavior. Constructive criticism is OK. Then one can learn.

Megan Venturella

@LaurieLovesLearning Thanks for posting. I’ve never heard the song before and it’s a great reminder to aim high in a culture that appeals to our most base tribalism.

Cornelius

@LaurieLovesLearning Thank you as I haven't heard this song before (I do love Tim McGraw's music though).

Smile at someone, it can help cheer them up!

LaurieLovesLearning

@Cornelius I do enjoy his music as well. His voice is easy to listen to.

Cornelius

@LaurieLovesLearning I agree! My favorite song by him is Live like you were dying.

LaurieLovesLearning

@Cornelius That is an excellent song. The two songs give a wonderful suggestion of how real living should be.

When one has cancer, it changes one's outlook. Some folks get very depressed and give up and some use it as a reason to finally live with purpose (and hopefully with kindness & humbleness 😉).

It is a fact of life...death. Everyone will die and we should all be willing embrace that fact. This can enable a person to live like never before because they want to make the most of every moment they have been gifted & make it count. Our time may be long on this earth but it could, just the same, be surprisingly short. We just don't know.

Sometimes I forget, because it has been a while since I had cancer, and I start to focus on things that don't really matter. Then I listen to a song like this or chat with someone on their cancer journey, and it reminds me to be more aware, once again, of my actions, attitudes, and words and encourage others to do the same.

It is part of what makes me so frustrated with the unkindness, division & evil that is so prevalent in our world today. It is so very wrong and unnecessary.

Here is the link to that video if anyone is interested.

https://youtu.be/_9TShlMkQnc

JodieDownUnder

@LaurieLovesLearning thanks for sharing. Being humble and kind is something everyone could say to themselves every morning!

Cornelius

@LaurieLovesLearning I didn't realize that you had cancer. Congratulations on beating it!!!!

LaurieLovesLearning

@Cornelius It was a non-sun caused skin cancer. I was 1 of 5 in 1,000,000 (yeah, I won a lottery) and had a very long name. Usually its black people who get it...and I am not black & have none in my ancestry! It was also a cancer I was destined to have as it is determined in the womb. It was just a matter of when it appeared. It also has no known cause.

I do have to say, my fight was more with the doctors than the cancer itself. I had 4 look at it and if the gave any thoughts on it at all, they were generally dismissive & gave bogus/insulting(!) diagnoses. The 5th asked if I had ever gotten it looked at, so I told him my story. He did the biopsy on the last day before he retired. He was a good doctor.

It is good he started the ball rolling too, because the dermatologist who looked at it hated anyone who wasn't her patient (she was well known as that), and very much wanted to dismiss me too (and would have), but didn't as he had senority. That certainly worked in my favor.

She had no clue what to look for on 1 check up later (nor did she care), and she never called me back for more like she was supposed to. If it ever re-occours, I know that it is up to me to watch & figure it out. I know exactly what to look for and where it can appear. Doctors are pretty useless in looking for this cancer.

I had figured fairly early on that it was cancer, & had named it since it accompanied me everywhere. I had known about it for 3 years. I figured that it would be with me for the rest of my life. I had accepted that. Only my husband knew about it. Even so, he was still in shock when I told him the specialists' diagnoses.

Considering that it took 5 doctors to finally get it diagnosed, a surgery was fast tracked. I went for a very new, specialized surgery within 3 months in a different province. It was only available in 2 large cities in Canada at the time. This surgery decreased the chance of reoccurance from 50% to 99.5% or something close to that.

If it had gotten into muscle, it would have been worse, and into the bone, it would have been fatal. Thankfully, it was slow growing, and in the skin & some fat. It was all cut out successfully. I had the funniest, most entertaining surgeon...he was pretty cool...and I did hit him during surgery too, haha. I had lots of needles numbing that area, and was quite alert the whole time.

I didn't have to have chemo or anything. He did a good enough job sewing me back up, I didn't even have to go to a plastic surgeon. The picture of my open surgical area is most likely in a teaching textbook somewhere too. I think that is super cool.

Anyway, that's my story. That was back in the early 2000s. I have been cancer free since then and never shy away from supporting others facing cancer. It is a dance and each dance is unique and very personal, always changing the person's life in some way.

I don't tell them to "fight it." I tell them to embrace it and let it change them. That means different things for each person, but I believe that it the best advice.

Cornelius

@LaurieLovesLearning I am glad that you finally had a doctor that listened and that you have not had another issue since! That is crazy and genetics can some times be so weird.