Post Ten

A few weeks ago, I went to get a deliciously scrumptious acai bowl in my town. I had just gotten a haircut, which always makes me look unrecognizable; A massive part of who I am is my poofy wavy blonde hair, so when it resembles Rachel’s hair from Friends, you know something is not as it should be. That said, I was feeling sassy; what can I say?

I walked into Playa Bowl, and I stood six feet behind the woman in front of me. She was about eight and a half months pregnant, and she had her little daughter with her, who was around four. The little girl was staring at me, and in regular times, I would be giving her a huge smile, which I was, but she couldn’t see it behind my mask. I gave her a little wave, which made her hide behind her mom’s legs. She kept on poking her head around to see what I was doing but would then go back to hiding. As her mom ordered, Taio Cruz’s song Dynamite came on and was blasting! I, being the person I am, start dancing. How could I not? This made the little girl begin to laugh, and she then started dancing with me.

The next thing I know, me and this little girl are dancing in the center of Playa Bowl, and everyone else is against the wall as we took the stage. We were jumping, and I am singing the lyrics as she twirls around me. Some people looked at me like ‘wtf,’ but most laughed and clapped. Although they probably were thinking what a weirdo I was. Her mom, who was exhausted, was smiling, and she just said, “well, this made my day. Thank you for being her dance partner.” I gave her a little laugh and bow and said, “of course.”

I waited for my bowl as they left, and the little girl came running back in. She said, “I think you look like Rapunzel with short hair.”

I giggled at this, “Well, can you keep a secret? I am Rapunzel with shorter hair, but I don’t want to be recognized.”

Her eyes widened with such joy, and she responded with, “Really? I think I am Princess Tiana, from The Princess and the Frog!”

“I guess we just both are undercover princesses!” She smiled at this and skipped out the door to her mom while humming the tune of Dynamite.

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I have been thinking a great deal about how I choose to conduct myself around others. Yes, a lot of how you act is just your built-in personality and is just how you are, but so much of how you interact with the world is a choice. This year has been miserable for us all, but my takeaways are the times I chose to be kind and loving, and the times' people have chosen to be kind and loving to me. Bitterness is so easy, especially when the supply of goodness seems limited, but we often forget that we can make that joy. I think I did for little Princess Tiana, just the way she brought joy to me.

I know so many of you reading this are probably cringing at the cliches of what I am saying. My answer to that would be 'I am glad'; I believe in cliches because they are just the truth, yet society manages to tag a negative connotation to the word, making kindness, love, joy, laughter come across as annoying things.

Let me say this: kindness is worth more than anything. Laughter is contagious and is a pivotal way to spread happiness. You need to create that love, in any way, shape, or form that is important to you; you can't sit and wait for love to come your way, because there will never be enough of it. Be somebody's reason to smile, and be somebody's laugh. You can be the little joys in life, so choose it.

Wish on a dandelion for me (hehe as 'cliche' as that is).

All my love,

G