My maid was unavailable today due to some personal work. My entire family is down with flu. A stranger came today to help us out with the dishes, cleaning and mopping with no expectations from us. I am very grateful for the lady who came forward to help. Things would have been very difficult for us to handle if not for her.
Because of the work of people that I don’t know, I was able to eat fresh fruits and vegetables today. I was able to buy ice cream and cupcakes for my nephew’s birthday. I was able to stay cool in my home which has air conditioning. Pretty much everything I do has been made possible by people I will never know. I have so much to be grateful for.
Today I am grateful for air conditioning and the invention of one during these few days of heat wave in NE . Thankful for wifi which when it is down at this location there is hardly any service. Of course the folks that give us electricity too. Our lawn was mowed today by some hard working guys on this very hot day. Great service!
During the covid quarantine days
I thought a lot about how we are all provided for,
and services we miss
when we don’t have them . . .
I thought about
what makes everyone get out of bed every day
and go to jobs that might seem useless or unimportant,
but how they all work together
like a universe,
with each planet doing its part,
each moon . . .
seemingly independent
but all working together.
We don’t even think about it in our every day lives.
What if Jupiter decided it was tired of spinning and turning?
What if the dairy farmers all went on vacation
or decided to stay in bed?
What if the mail carriers and postal workers
all decided to stay home and read a book?
That’s a little bit like what happened during covid . . .
restaurants and churches closed,
schools shut down and then went online
amid much confusion and uncertainty.
The streets and roadways were all but empty
and yet I could still buy milk and eggs
most of the time.
Somebody was doing the work . . .
my brother-in-law
still went to work every day at the local meat packing plant
even though plants were closing down all over the tri-state area
due to the continued spread of the virus.
Essential workers
still risked their lives
so that ours
wouldn’t be too uncomfortable.
Ms. Jones
couldn’t get her breasts augmented,
but Mr. Smith
received life saving heart surgery,
and lived to see his grandson ride a bike.
I’m just as sure Ms. Jones
felt the lack
as I am that Mr. Smith didn’t.
We need to pay attention to our lives
if we are to notice the eggs and milk on the shelves.
Covid taught me gratitude
in a whole new way . . .
I remember what it was like,
and the people who kept us all going
helping us all feel at least a little glued together
and kept hope alive
for those who faltered. ♥
My sister and I spoke during the apogee of the covid pandemic lock down. She told me that she did not think it would effect me too much. I agreed but explained to her how it felt when I did go to town. Twilight Zone vibes, dear Sparrow.
Wow! Wonderful question and reflections.
I am especially grateful so far for all who made my cup of coffee possible. All who made and looked after my big comfy chair, and brought it my way. Those who built and have looked after and maintained our land, home, neighbourhood and city through time… All the tech people who create, provide and maintain the ability to connect with the wider world safely. Br. David and all at grateful.org and all who share your reflections here. The list goes on …
Wishing all a beautiful day!
Your post,
dear Cathie,
reminded me of a story I heard many years ago . . .
thank you for the memory bump. ♥
Once upon a time a rare kind of teacher gave his class a pop quiz. Amongst the many questions there was one – the very last one – nobody was expecting: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans your classroom?”
Many of the bright students thought this was some kind of joke. Many had seen the cleaning lady and even bumped into her several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s. When the time was up, all students handed their quiz with all but the last question answered. Nobody knew her name. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward the quiz grade.
“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say “hello”.
It’s funny, at first I thought, not much. I mean, I just woke up. And I’ve only had my coffee. My delicious and miraculous coffee. Many unseen hands have gone into making this cup of coffee.
And then it started. All the gifts of strangers. People I will never know, but I rely on. The house I live in was built by strangers. The internet is maintained by strangers. The water that magically flows out of my tap is treated by hard working people. As is the water and waste that leaves my house. I can hear the beep beep beep of the garbage truck, hauling away my trash and recycling. The readers that allow me to see this little screen were made by people in China.
All of this and so much more. And I just woke up! And I am so grateful for the people that maintain this site and come up with these questions. Day after day. Thank you. 🙏
And of course all of you lovely people that respond to these questions and share here. 🙏
All that everyone listed. I’ll add whoever brought a pregnant mama cat to a shelter in King County, Washington in 2020 so we could adopt one of her kittens. He may be kind of crabby at times but he adds life to the house. Whoever made my fuzzy robe, slippers with cat faces on the toes, and soft PJ pants is a big contributor to my morning quality of life!
Some not quite strangers contributed to my morning too. I buy eggs at a little farm stand down the street and I met the woman who keeps the chickens when I was out on a walk. That gave me the chance to thank her. I baked the bread I used for toast this morning with flour I ordered from a farm and grainery in my state. Researchers at Washington State University’s Bread Lab developed many of the hearty strains of wheat they use in their flour; WSU is my alma mater so I feel connected to them. The crew that did our kitchen remodeling came to be familiar over the months they worked on it and now I get to enjoy the results. I live in a very quiet neighborhood so all of us are contributing to the peace and quiet I enjoy every morning. The next door neighbor’s husband died before we moved here, and I still benefit from the work he did to put several bird feeders in her backyard. They draw bird song to our yard as well. The thriving pots of herbs I can see out the window all came from farmers’ market vendors years ago and some of them this year (hello basil, you tender thing). I see those vendors often, so they’re not total strangers. A woman I’ve never met but have communicated with via email sends out activism news for our chapter of Indivisible. I just signed up for a training Thursday night on how to stand up for immigrants and refugees in our community.
All good. Thank you neighbors, community connections and strangers!
A stranger built the house that I woke up in this morning. Strangers created and transported all of the objects I have already made use of today, including my glasses, my bed, the stove, my tea cup… Strangers built my solar panels and strangers maintain the electricity lines so that I had electricity for making my tea and turning on the lights. Before coming online, I meditated on passages from the Dhammapada and one of the Psalms. One could say that “strangers” wrote these beautiful passages which inspire me so much, and strangers recorded them and passed them down through history so that I have them available to me now. That is just a start, even at this early time in the morning…
The lights turn on. The fans and air conditioner are working thanks to the availability of electricity. I had warm water for my morning shower, nourishment on my table that I bought at the grocery store but originated from farm, processing plants, truckers, etc., etc., etc., I know none of the people personally who are responsible for my needs being met today and I have an emergency appointment today with my dentist who is not a stranger but compassionately scheduled me due to my discomfort. We are all called to be of service.
Running water to prepare coffee, fill the dogs’ water dishes, and flush the toilet. Electricity powering my laptop, air conditioner, and coffee maker. Wifi service to be here on this website. The people who maintain and run this website 🙂
Electricity, provided by the efforts of: Power plant operators, control room operators, electricians, maintenance technicians, administrators, the natural gas extraction technicians, the truckers who bring in the natural gas, the windmill techs, the train operators who bring in the coal, the miners who extract the coal. Water, coming from the efforts of: water treatment operators, wastewater operators, civil engineers and technicians, control systems engineers, people who oversee the reservoir and watershed. As Joseph mentioned, it would be possible to go on about this all day. I appreciate the prompt to take time and think about all the individual people who come together to make our modern life possible.
food workers
clothing workers
shelter construction engineers
water company employees
electricity company workers
transportation workers
information/weather forcasters
air conditioner manufacturer employees
I will be going out to dinner tonight with my family (where my daughter works) so she asked one of her favorite servers to serve us so I will be looking forward to that.
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My maid was unavailable today due to some personal work. My entire family is down with flu. A stranger came today to help us out with the dishes, cleaning and mopping with no expectations from us. I am very grateful for the lady who came forward to help. Things would have been very difficult for us to handle if not for her.
Because of the work of people that I don’t know, I was able to eat fresh fruits and vegetables today. I was able to buy ice cream and cupcakes for my nephew’s birthday. I was able to stay cool in my home which has air conditioning. Pretty much everything I do has been made possible by people I will never know. I have so much to be grateful for.
Today I am grateful for air conditioning and the invention of one during these few days of heat wave in NE . Thankful for wifi which when it is down at this location there is hardly any service. Of course the folks that give us electricity too. Our lawn was mowed today by some hard working guys on this very hot day. Great service!
During the covid quarantine days
I thought a lot about how we are all provided for,
and services we miss
when we don’t have them . . .
I thought about
what makes everyone get out of bed every day
and go to jobs that might seem useless or unimportant,
but how they all work together
like a universe,
with each planet doing its part,
each moon . . .
seemingly independent
but all working together.
We don’t even think about it in our every day lives.
What if Jupiter decided it was tired of spinning and turning?
What if the dairy farmers all went on vacation
or decided to stay in bed?
What if the mail carriers and postal workers
all decided to stay home and read a book?
That’s a little bit like what happened during covid . . .
restaurants and churches closed,
schools shut down and then went online
amid much confusion and uncertainty.
The streets and roadways were all but empty
and yet I could still buy milk and eggs
most of the time.
Somebody was doing the work . . .
my brother-in-law
still went to work every day at the local meat packing plant
even though plants were closing down all over the tri-state area
due to the continued spread of the virus.
Essential workers
still risked their lives
so that ours
wouldn’t be too uncomfortable.
Ms. Jones
couldn’t get her breasts augmented,
but Mr. Smith
received life saving heart surgery,
and lived to see his grandson ride a bike.
I’m just as sure Ms. Jones
felt the lack
as I am that Mr. Smith didn’t.
We need to pay attention to our lives
if we are to notice the eggs and milk on the shelves.
Covid taught me gratitude
in a whole new way . . .
I remember what it was like,
and the people who kept us all going
helping us all feel at least a little glued together
and kept hope alive
for those who faltered. ♥
My sister and I spoke during the apogee of the covid pandemic lock down. She told me that she did not think it would effect me too much. I agreed but explained to her how it felt when I did go to town. Twilight Zone vibes, dear Sparrow.
”Twilight Zone vibes, dear Sparrow.”
You took the words right out of my mouth,
dear Joseph . . .
that’s exactly what it felt like. ♥
Wow! Wonderful question and reflections.
I am especially grateful so far for all who made my cup of coffee possible. All who made and looked after my big comfy chair, and brought it my way. Those who built and have looked after and maintained our land, home, neighbourhood and city through time… All the tech people who create, provide and maintain the ability to connect with the wider world safely. Br. David and all at grateful.org and all who share your reflections here. The list goes on …
Wishing all a beautiful day!
Our street cleaner came by this AM and our beautification volunteers were out taking care of our city’s green spaces and flower pots.
Your post,
dear Cathie,
reminded me of a story I heard many years ago . . .
thank you for the memory bump. ♥
Once upon a time a rare kind of teacher gave his class a pop quiz. Amongst the many questions there was one – the very last one – nobody was expecting: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans your classroom?”
Many of the bright students thought this was some kind of joke. Many had seen the cleaning lady and even bumped into her several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s. When the time was up, all students handed their quiz with all but the last question answered. Nobody knew her name. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward the quiz grade.
“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say “hello”.
This is a great story, Sparrow!
What a valuable lesson!
It’s funny, at first I thought, not much. I mean, I just woke up. And I’ve only had my coffee. My delicious and miraculous coffee. Many unseen hands have gone into making this cup of coffee.
And then it started. All the gifts of strangers. People I will never know, but I rely on. The house I live in was built by strangers. The internet is maintained by strangers. The water that magically flows out of my tap is treated by hard working people. As is the water and waste that leaves my house. I can hear the beep beep beep of the garbage truck, hauling away my trash and recycling. The readers that allow me to see this little screen were made by people in China.
All of this and so much more. And I just woke up! And I am so grateful for the people that maintain this site and come up with these questions. Day after day. Thank you. 🙏
And of course all of you lovely people that respond to these questions and share here. 🙏
All that everyone listed. I’ll add whoever brought a pregnant mama cat to a shelter in King County, Washington in 2020 so we could adopt one of her kittens. He may be kind of crabby at times but he adds life to the house. Whoever made my fuzzy robe, slippers with cat faces on the toes, and soft PJ pants is a big contributor to my morning quality of life!
Some not quite strangers contributed to my morning too. I buy eggs at a little farm stand down the street and I met the woman who keeps the chickens when I was out on a walk. That gave me the chance to thank her. I baked the bread I used for toast this morning with flour I ordered from a farm and grainery in my state. Researchers at Washington State University’s Bread Lab developed many of the hearty strains of wheat they use in their flour; WSU is my alma mater so I feel connected to them. The crew that did our kitchen remodeling came to be familiar over the months they worked on it and now I get to enjoy the results. I live in a very quiet neighborhood so all of us are contributing to the peace and quiet I enjoy every morning. The next door neighbor’s husband died before we moved here, and I still benefit from the work he did to put several bird feeders in her backyard. They draw bird song to our yard as well. The thriving pots of herbs I can see out the window all came from farmers’ market vendors years ago and some of them this year (hello basil, you tender thing). I see those vendors often, so they’re not total strangers. A woman I’ve never met but have communicated with via email sends out activism news for our chapter of Indivisible. I just signed up for a training Thursday night on how to stand up for immigrants and refugees in our community.
All good. Thank you neighbors, community connections and strangers!
I get my flour from a shop in the Breadlab Collective! Such a needed initiative.
A stranger built the house that I woke up in this morning. Strangers created and transported all of the objects I have already made use of today, including my glasses, my bed, the stove, my tea cup… Strangers built my solar panels and strangers maintain the electricity lines so that I had electricity for making my tea and turning on the lights. Before coming online, I meditated on passages from the Dhammapada and one of the Psalms. One could say that “strangers” wrote these beautiful passages which inspire me so much, and strangers recorded them and passed them down through history so that I have them available to me now. That is just a start, even at this early time in the morning…
As many have said, the list is unending. We can’t exist without each other. Is there anything we can do by ourselves?
Thank you for the prompt.
You summed it up and added insight, Yram. “We can’t exist without each other.” Thank you. ♥️
The lights turn on. The fans and air conditioner are working thanks to the availability of electricity. I had warm water for my morning shower, nourishment on my table that I bought at the grocery store but originated from farm, processing plants, truckers, etc., etc., etc., I know none of the people personally who are responsible for my needs being met today and I have an emergency appointment today with my dentist who is not a stranger but compassionately scheduled me due to my discomfort. We are all called to be of service.
So true, Carol.
And I hope your dental appointment went well.
Hot coffee
Warm oatmeal
Footwear/clothing
Straightened hair
Fresh breath
Clean teeth
Moisturied face…
Yes, definitely all of those, Shell! 💕
Running water to prepare coffee, fill the dogs’ water dishes, and flush the toilet. Electricity powering my laptop, air conditioner, and coffee maker. Wifi service to be here on this website. The people who maintain and run this website 🙂
Electricity, provided by the efforts of: Power plant operators, control room operators, electricians, maintenance technicians, administrators, the natural gas extraction technicians, the truckers who bring in the natural gas, the windmill techs, the train operators who bring in the coal, the miners who extract the coal. Water, coming from the efforts of: water treatment operators, wastewater operators, civil engineers and technicians, control systems engineers, people who oversee the reservoir and watershed. As Joseph mentioned, it would be possible to go on about this all day. I appreciate the prompt to take time and think about all the individual people who come together to make our modern life possible.
food workers
clothing workers
shelter construction engineers
water company employees
electricity company workers
transportation workers
information/weather forcasters
air conditioner manufacturer employees
Yes. Thank you John.
I will be going out to dinner tonight with my family (where my daughter works) so she asked one of her favorite servers to serve us so I will be looking forward to that.