It doesn’t take much to make me happy. Effort is key.

If I know someone’s aim is to be kind I try to make the target broad enough to hit.

It is far more satisfying to take life as if you are a guest at a wild and wonderful tea party than to expect to get your own way all the time.

I was on the edge of a pity party yesterday when out of the blue a small gesture turned my attitude around.

Not to go into too much detail, a young friend shared his lunch. It was a simple sandwich.

I was tempted to let pride stand in my way and refuse his sweet offer but he would not allow it.

He didn’t even ask if I was hungry. He simply said, “This sandwich is too much for me. I want you to have half.”

I was embarrassed that he was feeding me, as I am the mother figure at work and feel more obligation to feed my “kids.”

He responded to my argument by saying, “You share with me. We are family. That’s what family does.”

The interesting thing was when I ate that half sandwich I felt as if I had eaten a full meal.

I thought about how the five thousand must have felt after Jesus fed all of them with the lunch that little boy shared.

Jesus took pity on the people who were hungry. His very nature was kindness.

Sharing multiplies.

Another simple but important gesture made my day Monday.

I got a call from one of my son’s friends. He had noticed an old dog hanging around the store where he worked.

At the end of the day when everyone was going home the dog seemed bent on staying.

Instead of leaving him there, my son’s friend loaded him up in his car and called me.

I am an animal lover but knew taking in a stray would not go well with my two cats and dog.

I tried to get an animal hospital to take him in until morning but since we knew nothing about the dog they couldn’t. Almost simultaneously, my son’s friend and I both said, “Dana Gafford!”

Dana put the pooch up for the night and found his owner the next day.

She is a kind hearted person. I’m sure it was not the most convenient thing to have a strange animal in her house but she says she is a sucker for strays.

Several people have asked, and I am happy to report, Dennis Hamlet came through with the most delicious tomatoes on the planet last week.

My hubby had a terrible headache and I am convinced it was the tomato sandwich that healed him.

There is true power in an act of kindness.