Day 148, May 31

I noticed that I've been happier lately.  Could it be because I've been following my Aunt Mae's example of trying every day to do something for someone else?  Since I don't believe in coincidence, I think it's probably likely.

I've written about my Aunt Mae before.  She is 87 now, two months shy of turning 88.  Though she doesn't drive and is of modest means, she manages to serve others better than many of us.  She recently told me a story of a man and his grown son who often drop by her house  in the mornings.  They count Aunt Mae as one of their few friends.  She fixes them breakfast and then spends the morning listening to them.  What a gift that is, to truly listen to another.

Aunt Mae mans a prayer line twice a week, where she spends two hours on those evenings taking prayer requests.  She consistently contributes baked goods to fundraisers for the volunteer fire department of the small Tennessee town where she lives.  And don't forget the dozens of cards she sends out to anyone who needs an extra bit of attention.

Her example spurs me to try to do better, what's more, to be better.  What a difference in our world if each of us tried to do one thing for someone else every day.  Would we change the world?  I think so.

This I know for sure:  the world needs more Aunt Maes.