Tidbit: “Labor Day is celebrated as a public holiday on the first Monday in September in the United States of America. The holiday honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country… Labor Day honors this.” – Wikipedia

Hope you are all enjoying this Labor Day weekend!

In preparation for holiday travel I decided to get my car washed. I was feeling happy because for me it’s a treat. It’s such a nice feeling when I get into my car and drive around with it all clean and spiffy!! 

So, after leaving my car with the attendants outside, I walked into the shop area and approached the register… 

When I went to the register to pay the cashier, she was leaning against the wall and looking at her phone. She didn’t look up when I approached and didn’t greet me when she finally looked at me.  I said hello, handed her my slip and looked at her, she looked back – I didn’t look away and she didn’t say a thing. And all the while I was thinking am I irritated that she didn’t greet me? Answer – yes.  Then my next thought was the mindful one – Is she okay?  I mean, it’s not really normal not to greet someone now is it?

So, I asked “Are you okay? Is everything alright? You seem sad” She seemed puzzled by my questions and then answered  “- no, yes, no and then yes…” Apparently she had just gotten some bad news…

I asked if there was anything I could do to help. To which she said no but at that point it was so interesting to watch her doom and gloom, wary and disinterested appearance disappear. We then had a nice exchange and we both went on to pay it forward.  It made me feel good to be mindful to change what could have been an unpleasant little experience into a much brighter one!

Being mindful is a terrific practice. If you haven’t heard of it yet then please do a bit of research on it. There is a lot of information out there and suggestions on how to practice. There are also many books, podcasts and videos on the topic.  Being mindful is keeping your head on what is ‘now’ and being aware of how you feel and your own reactions so that you can calm yourself and stay in a healthy space in your head.

I came across it during counseling sessions over the loss of my Dad. It really helps, not just for loss but in everything. I haven’t mastered it yet but I do practice it and it does seem to help remove negative emotional reactions to conversations and events. Again, highly recommend!

That said, it’s important that we share positive exchanges with each other, to show compassion and to be pleasant. When someone shows concern and shares a smile or a bit of joy it can make all the difference to turn a frown upside down!  Try it!