Try screaming … it helps sometimes.

I broke my shoulder!
Yep … this 50-year-old body catapulted itself onto a sidewalk. It's like my feet and my legs were laughing at me saying, Nice try! You're 50 no matter what you think or say.

The irony is, I had recently posted a blog post entitled
when life doesn't do what it's supposed to ...
Seriously, who breaks their arm while running?
My shoulder, folks, slammed in to the sidewalk that my feet were supposed to be hitting.
It was like I flipped upside down or something.
If it didn't hurt so much it would have been one of those
crazy lady sitting on the sidewalk all bruised up, all by herself, laughing herself into a cackle-frenzy!
Instead it was,
crazy lady, sitting on the sidewalk, screaming for help, screaming in pain, screaming!

I have to say, I didn't realize that my reaction to sudden injury and extreme pain
(I birthed two children - without drugs)
is to scream loudly.
Not just initially while sprawled out on the sidewalk after sliding in a water/mud puddle,
not just when I reached for my phone trying to text somebody to come pick me up off of the concrete,
not even just when my sister showed up, very quickly I might add,
but pretty much all the way to ER... don't judge!
And let it be said that two bicyclists and at least a couple of cars whizzed on by, before she showed up, with nary a thought to help me. I guess now that I write it down I realize I was looking pretty loony … but seriously folks. It hurt!!!

So … I've been absent from my blog. I've been absent from writing my book (just kidding, I'm not writing a book. I just like to say that. It makes me feel important). Broken shoulders and typing just don't jive … at all. But I'm healing pretty well. I can almost put my hair up all by myself. I can now brush my teeth, use a fork and write my name with relative ease. Just don't ask me to throw something your way. My, does that look stupid …

Live Generously and Do Good…I Dare You!!!

You know we've all done it

The person is holding the sign
"homeless and hungry
will work for food"

Either you drive by and barely notice
     You drive by and are irritated that they don't have a job
             or wonder if it's a scam
     You drive by and feel guilty that you didn't stop
Or
     You drive by and just don't know what to do.

Then there's the cool Facebook post about the amazing person who is doing awesome work in some far away country. You think
     "Wow - glad they went.  I couldn't do that???"

Or you're at work
           someone told you about the person who recently adopted
                or were thinking about being foster parents.
Something inside of you reacted.
Maybe you thought
  "not everyone's called to that kind of thing"
  "they must be super-parents or crazy or …"
you might have even told yourself
   "some day, when I have my act together..."  (insert laugh here)
   "when my other kids are older"
             when, when, when

The thing about doing good is usually this …
    Do Good, right now!
Doing good isn't thinking good thoughts
It isn't making good plans
It isn't even a number on that grand ole Bucket List… some day I will

Doing good is just that
Someone rushes in front of you at the grocery store and "steals" your spot in line.
  Let them take it, smile and tell them to have a great day

The person who is working behind the counter is rude, ignorant really.
  Thank them for their time, say a prayer for yourself and then for them (just maybe they are having one of those days, months or even years)

Live Generously! You keep meaning to drop off that food, or make that call, or text that person, or make that meal.

And, back to that guy and his sign
   or that family standing there with their children
       really they shouldn't put their children through that, ahhh
   Stop your car, walk over to where they are, shake their hand and ask their name
(do you dare give them a hug?)
   Maybe you can't hand them money, but you can hand them dignity and a kind word

…I dare you