To new & recent subscribers: This week's edition of SSS runs the risk of me coming off as self-promotional.
To the day 1's: You know who I am and what I do here - Share the most important lesson of each week in an attempt to help us all live better lives.
Livin' La Vida Luna y Luca
We brought the kids to the local farm.
They were scared of the goats = More hugs for me.
Help the Person in Front of You
Last year, one of my oldest friends said something in passing that will likely stick with me forever.
"I've donated tens of thousands of dollars to huge initiatives like climate change or disaster relief, but I can't help but feel like I have nothing to show for it. Now I just try to help the person in front of me, and it's made all the difference in the world."
-JW
Señora Glenda
Our housekeeper was pulled over a few months ago for a traffic violation.
She's undocumented and previously skipped out on some court date she had for her immigration status because she couldn't afford an attorney.
I'm not exactly sure about the details of what immediately followed, but she was detained for a few days before getting a new court date and being sent on her way.
The next time she came to clean our home she told us everyone in her family was working triple overtime to come up with the money for an attorney before her new court date.
"How much is the attorney?", we asked.
$xxxx.
"Get her on the phone, please". We requested.
After a 5-minute conversation, Dia arranged for the attorney to bill us directly to represent our housekeeper.
Señora Glenda received her Social Security Card 2 days ago.
We celebrated with lots of hugs and happy tears. 🥹
She may not work with us much longer, but we couldn't be happier.
AB / ZB
Without getting too into the weeds, my nephew, Aarav, just helped his little brother, Zayn, with a bone marrow transplant.
This was after Zayn did 2 full weeks of chemotherapy in preparation for the transplant.
The difficult part (for me) is that my big bro, Yatish, moved across the country a few years ago so I couldn't be there for him like I wanted to be.
The next best thing was sending gifts to his boys for being brave.
After asking his Dad what he might want, I reached out to the local batting cage to see if there was something special we could do for Aarav.
The good folks over at Breckleys were willing to add on a free month of unlimited hitting if we bought a private session or two.
This doesn't erase the pain my friends (& their children) have endured for the past year, but it is a moment of joy that can't be underestimated in the grand scheme of things.
Aunt Amy
Lastly, our good friend, Amy, is raising money for a spot to run the NYC Marathon later this year.
We were happy to support her as much as we could. Amy is fundraising for Korean Community Services of Metropolitan NY, Inc.(KCS)
Maybe you feel compelled to support her too?
Scraping Massage Tool
Since hurting my arm, I haven't been able to attend my regular class at the gym.
This past week, one of my regular classmates gave me her metal muscle scraper and showed me how to use it.
I've been using it while I sit in the sauna and I think it's been helping. But who knows... Or who cares?
I'm just happy someone took the time out of their day to help the person in front of them (me) 😊
