Today’s one-liner is a lead-in to a much longer story, but some things need to be said. As some of you may remember, I have a few candy dishes on the bookcase near the door to my office. As I was refilling the dishes last Monday, thanks to a sale at Target, one of my coworkers quipped:
“You should really put those away at night. I think the cleaning lady is taking your candy.”
I responded: “at least she’s doing something in exchange for the candy.” A bit of a jab to the people who consume but never contribute.
I don’t care who eats the candy. I like having candy available, and trying to hide it from someone seems petty and mean and I don’t like mean people.
My coworker’s statement reminded me of two encounters with one of our former VPs, back when I was a relatively new employee. He’s long since retired, so of course I’m going to share these:
When I first started, my job involved installing new computers and making new network connections. This work took me all over our office and frequently had to be done after normal business hours. I was working late one night when a woman on the cleaning crew motioned for my help (she didn’t speak English well). She had been using one of our copiers and it had jammed. As I was clearing the jam, she began to seem very concerned. The document she was copying was one of the many forms immigrants periodically needed to file.
After I cleared the jam, I did my best to ask her how many copies she needed. We agreed on a number, I ran the copies and she thanked me.
A few days later, I was walking with the VP when we passed this woman. She smiled at me and said: “hello Mr. Copy.” I smiled back and said hello. The VP asked me to explain and then chastised me for helping her make copies with our equipment.
Two years later, I was entering the new office we had recently moved into, and I was first person to arrive. I turned on the six sets of overhead lights, and as the lights came on, they startled a homeless man who was raiding the refrigerator in our kitchen.
The man walked toward me, very quickly. He was carrying a banana and a couple of cups of yogurt. We each stayed on our own side of the wide aisle and exchanged guarded “hellos” as we passed each other. He headed to the freight elevator (which up until then was left unlocked at the publicly accessible loading dock level) and I walked to my cubicle.
I reported the incident to the same VP, since he was in charge of office administration. I thought it would be a good idea to get the building to lock the freight elevator. He asked me why I didn’t stop the man. I explained that since I don’t like yogurt, I didn’t feel like risking my life for a banana.
He wasn’t amused. He wondered aloud if perhaps I was a “bleeding-heart liberal.” Not being one to keep my mouth shut when appropriate, I pointed to the “What Would Jesus Do?” paperweight on his desk and said: “I think he would have given the man the banana.”
Who among us hasn’t made personal copies, used company email to send personal documents, sent personal faxes and made long-distance calls from our desk phone (back when faxes and phone calls were a thing)? How many of us could move multiple candy dishes, night after night while dusting a bookcase and not take a piece of candy?
To make things clearer, I added a small sign that says: “Help Yourself” to my book case.
This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner, I’d encourage you to join in on the fun. You can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participantso.
There’s a sequence in the gallery that shows two squirrels begging but then hiding as a hawk came overhead.
Oh man… I think we’ve all done that at some point!
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We have, and the cost is minor and the benefit is great. Simple things can make life so much easier. Thanks Ritu.
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So true… so… do you think work will mind me printing 250+ pages of my first draft… ? 😉
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Among other things, I manage the printers and the budget for toner. I can’t begin to tell you how many personal pages have been printed over time. They might mind, but I guarantee, it’s been done.
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Oh I know… but thats a lot of pages!
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If we had more people like you in the world, Dan, we wouldn’t have so much strife.
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Thanks GP. I think sometimes people forget how some people struggle each day. So many people have helped me during my life. I can’t forget, and if I can offer a little help…
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💕👏🏻
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Thanks Cheryl and thanks for the tweet.
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PS You keep my favorite candies too!
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Love, love, love the banana story! You are a kind man, Mr. Dan, and I’m sure the cleaning lady would agree.
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Thank you, Mary. She called me ‘Mr. Copy’ for over a year. Some of my coworkers started calling me that. I’ve know several people who had a ‘WWJD’ item on their desk or a sticker on their car, that seemed to have no clue as to ‘W-J-WD’ – Thanks for sharing on Twitter.
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You’re welcome Dan. I’m glad I have Mr. Copy for a blogging friend!
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The world would be a better place if we all treated our fellow humans like you do, and that is why we all stop by here for a shot of your optimism. :-)
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Thank you so much, Judy. We’re all people. It really boils down to that. My parents raised us to understand that very simple truth.
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I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – you’re one of the good ones, Dan. The former VP in your office? – not so much.
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Thanks Joanne. It’s really not that hard to be nice. You don’t have to gear up and save the world. I don’t know why that’s hard for people to understand.
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Exactly. It costs nothing to be nice to people.
I have a brother-in-law who sees the entire world as those-who-con and those-who-will-be-conned. His entire attitude in life is ‘getting his share’ before anyone ‘gets’ him. Sigh. Needless to say he’s a pariah in our family.
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What a sad way to live :(
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Oops, Dan I meant to have Joanne get this reply, but hopefully you both enjoy this story. . . 💞
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Today on CBS Sunday morning, I saw a portion where a man named Ben got a FB request which he felt might be a con. He ended up sending a message back which said, “If you are from Liberia, send me a sunset photo and I will send you money for this picture. The man in Liberia had requested a donation. So, Joel in Liberia (a black man with 7 kids) sent Ben two photos. Ben then said he would send Joel a $60 camera, so better pictures soon arrived. Ben made a booklet of those people photos and sold them and made $1000! He sent Joel the money and made a bargain, “Now, keep $500 and give the other half away!
The story this morning had me crying. He put a new roof on his home and bought notebooks, backpacks and a lot of stuff and sent Ben photos of the children he helped. Ben bought a plane ticket and visited Joel. This was an amazing and simple story which touched me and seemed to apply to this post! It was a needy man who didn’t just “take” but “gave back!” Hello, Joanne and hope it also made you feel good. 💞
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That is such an uplifting story, Robin. It’s nice to know that there are people like this. I mean I know they are out there, but we rarely hear about them. You should consider sharing this Friday for WATWB.
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Thank you, Dan! It did make me smile and it is lovely to have in our minds.
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omg – that is such a wonderful story!!
Seriously, you should track down this story and post about it. More people need to hear about this!
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It is online, I’m sure with CBS Sunday Morning. They usually link back on the site. . .
I was starting to weep midway through it, Joanne. Thank you for agreeing this story was poignant!
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I really enjoyed this post. Thank you for being true to yourself and generous to others. Your sign says it all.
Chippy and colleagues are working hard these days!
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Thanks Val. The suggestion that I should limit whom to be generous to, bothered me.
As for the critters, I think they have been caught off-guard by winter trying to hang around. Some of the female squirrels seem to be “with squirrel” so my wife has been giving them a little extra attention.
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Dan, “I could write a book,” as the saying goes. But I’m trying to restrain myself. “at least she’s doing something in exchange for the candy.” is right. I’m trying to stop myself from writing that “book” here too.
You are absolutely right that some things just need to be said. You’re preachin’ to the choir, brother. Hugs.
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Thanks Teagan, I might try to write that book at some point. Of course, only the members of the choir would read it, but…
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“Help Yourself”. Love it!! My desk at work always had a big bowl of candy in the corner. I was also the one everyone went to for a bandaid, tissues, safety pin, cough drop, hand cream, etc. I did it because I enjoyed being helpful, and I enjoyed the conversations that ensued. Except for one guy who constantly complained that I didn’t provide the candy he liked! Funny, I never did! Lol.
And guess what? One morning there was a big bag of candy on my desk with a note “From the cleaning crew”!! Doesn’t get better than that.
Kindness and thoughtfulness are so easy to share. It’s something we shouldn’t even have to think about.
Hooray for people like you Mr. Copy. You make this world such a better place.
Photo gallery is terrific. Love those shots through the bare trees. Chippy is looking very fit and quite occupied with his stash of peanuts.
Weather sounds promising for Maddie to relax outside on her cot. Enjoy relaxing with her. Have a candy, or two or three!
🔹Ginger🔹
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Thanks Ginger. I’m the guy people come to for a hammer, screwdriver or tape measure. I swear, if I rented that tape measure out, I could seriously augment my income. When my wife used to bake, I would take baked goods into the office. One guy never failed to tell me that he preferred a particular item (one my wife never made). Once, at our Christmas party, he came over to her and suggested to her that I must have never given her the message.
Chippy seems to enjoy living in, around and under our little porch. We toss a mix of bird seed and crushed peanuts out for everybody to pick through, but sometimes, Chippy gets a private stash.
40s and 50s for highs, we’re getting closer to cot weather. Have a great day.
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Yay for you, Dan! Oh, that VP needs a good lesson. Unfortunately, he would never understand. Chippy is so darn cute!
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Thanks Lois – yes, the lesson is lost on some.
Chippy is a cutie :)
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Good response about doing something in exchange for the candy. I light those trees silhouetted in the sun.
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Thanks Frank. Those are the comments that I might not make if I thought more before speaking, but…
I can’t wait for these trees to have leaves, but I do like the bare branches against the blue sky.
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Okay grasshopper you have snagged two pebbles today. Not bad work for a Wednesday. And it is not even noon yet ! If we can be anything in this world ‘be nice.’ Such a nice box that holds anything good that one can imagine. Happy Wednesday !
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Thanks John. It’s really not that hard, is it?
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for some not at all. for others even a desk totem does no help at all.
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Amen to all of this, Dan. How PERFECT that the VP had that paper weight, and good for you for not being afraid to speak the truth about the matter to him. I think you handled all the situations the way you should have. And I really like your addition of the “Help Yourself” with a smile sign. We never know if other people are having a rough time and it costs us nothing to be kind. Or in this case, maybe a piece of candy or two!
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Thanks Wendy. As I mentioned earlier, some people have that sign/sticker, but don’t seem to think about how to answer the question. If a couple pieces of candy can make someone’s day better, then I am happy to oblige.
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Wow, you even have good candy. :-) Seems to me that if you have candy out on the desk, that’s inviting people to take some, so it couldn’t be stealing (although if someone was taking lots all the time, it would be irritating.) I think people’s hearts need to bleed; it’s just what we do after that that matters.
janet
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Thanks Janet – yeah, I buy the candy, I like to eat. Some of the heavy hitters do drop off either candy or money, but overall, the operation runs at a net loss. I’m ok with that. I don’t think the act of thinking about others and their problems is a bad thing.
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I agree!
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Good idea to give the homeless guy a wide berth in that situation. He was probably badly off and needed a break — or he could have been a little unstable, in which case he may have been dangerous. (There are a lot of off-their-meds types outside Union Station who give off that vibe, though I’m always glad to buy a sandwich for the calmer ones.) As for the candy, I have a small candy jar on my desk too, but it’s best for me if I stock it with anything other than peanut M&Ms. I have a real weakness for them, so I’M the one who winds up finishing them off! :P
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Thanks Paul. If I put these dishes on my desk, I’d never get any work done. I cannot type and unwrap at the same time. We had a break-in at that office. Someone stole about $1,000 worth of computer equipment. The same VP didn’t want to deal with the hassle of fileing a police report, but I was supposed to wrestle a homeless man to the ground over a banana. Very confusing logic.
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Ha, that sounds like one valuable banana! I guess that, to the VP, it had a lot of … appeal. #Rimshot ;D
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Oh my…Paul…that’s bad. But you know I like it.
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I would never confront a homeless person – there is an element of danger there but that does not mean they should be treated with less dignity and respect as we afford to everyone else.
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Exactly – on all counts – especially for a banana!
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Why put candy out and then not expect people to take it? And why not let a homeless person take a banana, especially if he looks potentially violent – at least he wasn’t stealing office equipment or something. As for the cleaning lady, I’ll bet she is not, in fact, taking any of the candy. Most of the cleaners I know are terrified to take so much as a paper clip because everyone always suspects the cleaners whenever anything goes missing. I’ll bet your co-worker is helping herself to extra candy and blaming it on the cleaner.
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Ha! CM, you might be right about the real culprit. Still, if the cleaning lady wants a piece of candy, I hope she feels comfortable taking one.
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Why am I not surprised you put up a help yourself sign. You are the best, Dan. Loved the photos (as usual)
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Thanks John. It’s candy. With the dog and the two cats, we don’t do Halloween, so I’ll consider this the offset of that. I’m glad you liked the pictures. It was weird seeing the squirrels run and hide. I didn’t see the hawk until it flew away, but they knew when it was overhead.
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That’s why they are still at your place and not on the bad end of a talon. Its called smarts.
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Smarter than me. Then again, I doubt a hawk could lift me – actually, Sammy is getting pretty large.
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Ha haha. I think a hawk would call in a Condor friend to lift you.
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I worked with a man who made a fortune but would spend the night at the office (marriage problems) and eat anything anyone stored in the kitchen. I came in the office one morning and found he’d eaten a bag of chips we were saving for an afternoon get together.
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That’s a different story…I might have to wrestle him to the ground – don’t mess with my chips!
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You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. A guy with a WWJD paperweight scoffing at “bleeding heart liberals”. Shaking my head.
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We had another guy in the office with a large WWJD sign on his desk. He was rambling on one day about this and that and them and those, and I tapped the sign and said: “he would probably smack you upside the head.” He just laughed. The odd thing is that in many ways, for most of my life, I considered myself a conservative. Somewhere along the line, the line moved. I still have the same values I was raised to abide by, but I guess that’s not what they’re looking for these days.
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Then there was the cop who pulled a lady over out of traffic. She said, “Did I break the law?” He said, “You cut in front of a guy and gave him the finger. You were shaking your fist and cussing. Then I saw the WWJD sticker on your bumper, and I thought — damn! that car is stolen!”
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:-)
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This word needs more people like you, Dan. What a BIG Heart you have! 💝
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Says the woman who has cared for umpteen stray cats…Thanks Amy. It’s just the simple realization that none of us are inherently better than any others among us. We lead different lives, but we’re all people.
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(GRIN) Takes one to know one, Dan! My philosophy is the same … people are people are people …. letters behind names or status or whatever does not impress me. Oh wow …. just looked outside … guess what? It’s snowing! I WAS going to crawl in my garden to find something. Huh. Ya can forget that idea! Honestly! 😉
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We’ve been getting snow almost every morning this week.
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Us too. Bummer!!
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Aaahh! Lovely happily feeding beasties but I love your candy shelf even more. :) Almost as much as your stories that show a truly good man.
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Aw, thank you Manja.
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I wonder if that VP has ever had someone do something nice for him that didn’t know him. Then maybe he would understand ‘milk of human kindness’. You do.
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It’s an interesting question, Pam. Sometimes, people forget the people who helped them get where they are. The more successful they are, the more they think they alone are responsible.
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It’s nice to be nice. I don’t like your old VP’s responses. Too familiar. Kindness is in short supply these days, we need to offer dishes of it.
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Kindness is in short supply. Sadly, some people don’t see a need for it. Thanks for stopping by here.
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Love the candy dishes and your reason for having them. I have an orange owl candy dish I keep full in my office. It’s always there for anyone. It’s the reason I have it. Like you. Cleaning ladies-crews…need candy, too. Sigh
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Making the world a nicer place. One piece of candy at a time 🙂
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What a sweet story with a bunch of good one-liners, like I didn’t feel like my life for a banana. I love what you said to the VP – that Jesus would have given the man the banana.
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Thanks JoAnna. He wasn’t moved by my argument, but I felt better for saying it. I think the person who had brought it in would have gladly given it to the man.
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Wow, your title hits the mark. Sad, when people “go by the book” instead of “go by people.” It may sound strange, but I’ve never worked in an office where they had candy dishes. (plenty of desserts in the office’s kitchen though).
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Thanks. We’ve always had some kind of common snack. For a long time, it was pretzels. We’re a very small group, and these have been there for years, but some people still ask if they can have s piece. I guess the word spreads slowly. Baked goods in the kitchen seem to flow from people that still have children at home.
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Pretzels are probably healthier than candy:) My daughter told me that in her teens we had a party every two months – I don’t know how I did it, but I believe her.
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I wish there was a “love” button for this post! Many of your posts have given me a smile or a chuckle (maybe even a laugh out loud sometimes) but this one brought the sting of tears to my eyes. I’m pretty sure Jesus would not only have given that guy the yogurt and the banana, but he’d probably fill your candy dish once in a while.
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Aw, thank you so much. I love the way you guys accept all the twists and turns I take. I like to entertain, but there are stories that lend themselves less to funny than others. I’m sure Jesus would have let the man have the food.
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Love the story, love Sammy and his buddies, and love the candy sign. Terrific, Dan!
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Thanks Jennie. These are lessons I learned when I was the age of your students.
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You’re welcome, Dan. Yup, just what children need to learn. Life lessons. You had good parents/teachers/role models.
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Such a good post, Dan: a reminder to all of us that kindness is easier than the sort of paranoia the drove the vice-president to act as though he was perfect while questioning the kindness — and needs — of others. I loved this post.
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Thanks Janet. Some people quickly forget the many times they’ve been helped and the number of people who have helped them along the way. They look back and think “look what I have done.”
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Great pics and really great post!! And I mean really great!! Kuddos to you!!
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Thank you so much, Kirt. There are some conversations that you never forget. People display an image of one thing, but sometimes, it’s just an image.
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Great examples of sharing what we have instead of taking unnecessary steps to guide something of little value. Thank you Dan!
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Thank you so much, Andrea.
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Aww, Dan. This is such a nice post! We all knew you were a good man, honestly a very kind one. The VP was wrong in two ways, confronting someone over food may actually turn a homeless, hungry man into a mean one. Why risk this? I give to local homeless people, you have written a post about giving without judgement before. . .
Candy on clearance is happiness to many coworkers! 🍬🙂🍫😋
I usually give new coworkers gum, when I find it on sale. Blowing a bubble of sugarfree bubblegum lifts my spirits! 🎈
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It’s such an easy thing to do, and I’m sure it makes them happy. Someone sharing a small happiness always brightens my day. I’m sure you brighten theirs! And there is something glorious about blowing a bubble :-) or should that be :-o
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Haha! I almost used the kiss emoji but didn’t want anyone to misunderstand. 🙂
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🙂
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