As if I don't have enough to do, I decided to take on a vow of journaling. 160 pages by the end of 2009. It's going to be tough, but I figure I need to force some creativity into my life until it becomes a habit. If you're curious, you can see the journal pages here. :)
Onto the task at hand. This weekend my husband, Rob, began reading a biography on Roberto Clemente. Rob is a huge fan of baseball, so it wasn't a surprise seeing him read a book about such an iconic player. But he started telling me a few things about Clemente that I never knew, including his huge commitment to charity work. (To be honest, I didn't know much.) And Rob really piqued my interest when he read me one of Clemente's quotes:
''Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth.''
What a powerful statement! This story, however, doesn't have a happy ending. Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash while headed to deliver aid to earthquake survivors in Nicaragua. He wasn't just another amazing athlete. He was an amazing humanitarian. So I started thinking about role models and people that inspire us to be good people.
Today's Assignment: Your NICE Role Model
So I want to know, who's your NICE role model? It could be someone famous, like Roberto Clemente or Michael J. Fox. Or it could be someone you know personally.Mine is easy. It's my grandmother. She was the epitome of nice, and I really credit her for the creation of this blog. She taught me the value of kindness, which still resonates with me to this day. She began working as a volunteer for a telephone helpline when I was very young. Her dedication and compassion eventually led her to the position of Director for the local chapter of that organization. I can still remember her taking helpline calls at home because she knew she had to be available for the people that needed her. She was always available for the people that needed her.
I don't think I ever heard her say a negative thing about anyone. Love and family was the most important thing in life, and a part of me went cold when she passed away a few years ago. I even found out shortly before she passed away that she took my father to civil rights rallies in the early 60's. How awesome is that?! I only wish I could talk to her about all this today.
But since I can't, I'll continue fighting her battle for kindness, hopefully doing her proud.
Your turn! Post a comment here about your NICE role model, or write about it on your blog and post a link here. I'd love to hear about who inspires you to be a great person!
7 comments:
My nana is my role model. She gave birth to 9 beautiful children and now has over 30 grandchildren. She's strong, fiercely loyal, and sweeter than cherry pie. She's creative and witty and knows when you need a hug or just need to punch something. She's been married to my papa for over 55 years, and I can only hope to be as lucky as she has been.
My great-grandmother, Elisa. She left us in 1997 at 91 years of age, and a day doesn't go by without us thinking of her.
She was born and raised in a very modest family, and with the arrival of the civil war she was on the side of the "losers" (Spanish civil war ended up in a dictatorship, so although her side lost, it's hard to consider the defenders of democracy as losers). She was 30 years old. She got pregnant 12 times, delivered alive 7 boys and 1 girl (my grandma). She had to see her mom and father die young, and 3 of her babies go before they were 3 years old.
When her sister died, she could barely feed her family (her husband was fighting in the war) but adopted her two nieces to keep her from a drunk father who didn't care for them. She even breastfed the little one, since she was about the same age as one of her sons.
Besides taking care for her (then) 6 children + her two nieces, she went to help out other families harvest and got some food in return. Everyone in her village knew that if they needed something and she had it, she would help them.
She always wore black. She lost her husband and two of her sons aged 21 and 24 (this one a newlywed with a pregnant wife) in a period of 3 months. She took care of her pregnant daughter in law.
My grandma, her daughter, has been in bedrest most of her life due to serious neurological problems, so she took on the raising of my mom and her 4 brothers and sisters, and when I (the first great-granddaughter!) arrived, she would take me to school, the park, etc. Even when she was 85+ and could barely move, she always had someone take her to her place everyday so she could put some fresh flowers on the table and ask around her neighbours if she could be of any help. I remember seeing her baking easter goods for a sick neighbour the year she died.
When she got sick and had to be in the hospital for her final week, she received over 150 visits in 4 days. The hospital staff was amazed and wanted to hear the story of such a woman who was loved by a whole village. When they heard, they bent all hospital rules so she could receive all the love she deserved and later gave us the visitors registry for those days so we could see who had gone by.
When people went in and held her hand she didn't want to talk about herself, she only wanted to hear about them, their family, and how they were doing.
For her funeral, they moved the service from the small chapel near her home to the village's main church, and even that one was completely full, with people standing at the back and even outside.
Now she has 3 great-granddaughters named after her, and as soon as I have a little girl, she'll have 4.
I'm sorry I wrote for so long, I have stories about her to fill a book, but I don't want to bore you.
I have a couple -
my grandmother on my mother's side, because she is always upbeat and so generous. She grew up in poverty and her and grandfather overcame many struggles when they were young and married - they worked really hard for what they got. And my grandmother is always willing to help others, whether it be by volunteering at her church, helping her daughters or grandchildren or even just sending me an email while I'm away in college just to say how hot it is in texas, but the flowers sure are nice. : )
My other NICE role model is my friend Laura. She's dealt with a lot of hardships recently when she lost her mother but she always has a smile on. Even throughout her tough time, she would talk to me about the good memories she had and could always see the good from everything and in anyone.
I love your site, I will visit this when the world seems to turn upside down. It's so refreshing to know there are still good people out there. : )
It's probably my friend Kathy.
Everything she does comes from a place of goodness...even when she's angry she tries to find the good in the situation or the person.
I call her my Saint on earth, my earth Angel, my sister in Christ and my forever friend. I am so blessed to know her.
My NICE rolemodel is my very good friend Vanessa. We are the same age and she is a sweet as can be. never causes conflict and is always peaceful. She so nice it's discusting I jokingly say... and I want to be like her :)
XO.
Tiffany.
Melissa, YOU are my NICE role model. Since finding your blog (through crazy lady on route 80) I have taken on things I never would have other wise, like a pay it forward event, and making cards for heroes. YOU are my NICE role model!
~Shari R.
My Grandma (my mother's mother) was my role model too! She passed away 06.26.2009. I did a tribute to her at her funeral and on my blog.
http://handmadebydirtylaundry.blogspot.com/2009/06/goodbye-grandma.html
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