People I Like

I love to read other people’s blogs, which is why I have the list over there on the right side of the page.  It lets me know when my favorite bloggers have posted a new post.  I’ve recently added a few new blogs I’ve found.  Mange, Fille is written by my friend Maria.  She just started her blog and I can’t wait for her to add more posts!

Another new one I’m enjoying is today is my birthday! This blogger titled a recent post “Stuff I Like” and it got me thinking about stuff I like, which really led me to think about People I Like.

My list is not going to include names of specific people.  Just general people I like, so don’t hold your breath:  you are not going to make my list.  (Although I am not above bribery and will add on later if I am… ummm… persuaded).

1.  People Who Turn to You in Church at the End of the Service and Say, “Don’t worry it gets better.  My children had ants in their pants too”.  Or better yet, the ones who turn to you, after your naughty child has been kicking their pew for the last hour, and say, “Oh, your children are ADORABLE!”  On the flip side are the meanies who turn around every 3 minutes and huff at us.  But I’m not writing about PEOPLE I DON’T LIKE.

2.  People Who Don’t Honk Their Horn at You or Make Mean Exasperated Faces at You When You Make a Little Mistake on the Road.  I don’t often make mistakes, but they happen.  I recently sat at a stop sign that has a big bush right by it.  I pulled out pretty far and looked both ways, but between the bush and the part of the car between the front and passenger side windows, I DID NOT SEE THE CAR COMING.  And so I pulled out.  She braked for me, I braked as soon as I saw her and gave her a look that said, “OMG, I am so sorry!  My fault!”  But she waved me through with a look that said, “Honey!  Been there done that.  It all worked out okay!”  I felt bad enough that I almost caused a collision.  I stop and look much longer at that intersection every time now, because I learned a lesson.  But not because someone made me feel like an idiot.

3.  People Who Notice Your Weight Loss and Comment on It.  Now, I have no noticeable weight loss, YET.  But man, does it make me feel good when someone says, “You are looking good!  Have you lost weight?”  I am not offended.  I know what I looked like before I lost the weight.  And I appreciate that you noticed.

4.  Pharmacists Who Go Out of Their Way.  I go to The Palmyra Pharmacy and love it there.  When I was a gestational diabetic, one of the pharmacists actually pricked himself with a blood sugar checker (can’t remember the name—have blocked the memory) just so he could show me how to work it.  Just today I was there to pick up Ben’s asthma meds for his puffer, and the pharmacist asked me how it was going with the puffer, did I think Ben was using it correctly, etc.  These are just two of many examples I could share.

5. The Grocery Cart Man at the Hershey Giant.  If he is in the parking lot, (and he usually is on weekdays) he will take my cart from me after I have unloaded my groceries and put it back for me, and he will even often offer to help me unload the grocery bags.  So NICE.  And don’t tell me it’s his job.  There are a lot of teenagers who have this job and who glare at you when you put your cart back (yourself!) because you have just made more work for them.  But, again, this post is not about PEOPLE I DON’T LIKE.

6. Good School Bus Drivers.  And I am going to get specific here.  My kids have the best bus driver, Miss Beth.  She knows every child’s name, she will not move that bus until every child is safely with a parent or far enough away that she knows they are safe, she will have the little ones call home if their mom is not there to pick them up (it only happened once!), and one time she even drove Maddie’s backpack to our house in her own car when she found it at the end of her route.  I heart you, Miss Beth.

7.  People Who Comment and Follow.  I started this blog last year as a way of recording memories and thoughts, and keeping my brain from going too mushy.  Then eventually people started reading, and darnit, it feels good when you-all comment on something I’ve written!  There!  I admit it! (I am feeling very vulnerable and pathetic now, but so be it). I know some of you are lurking out there anonymously, and I'm okay with that, but if you would like to Follow, it would make me feel really good.  And when you tell me in person that something I’ve written made you laugh, well, I get all happy and pink and tingly. 
8.  Okay, Okay, I am going to name two names (and they did not even bribe me).  I also really like Jim and Mary G., Swim Coaches on Maddie’s Swim Team.  Besides being terrific at what they do, they will stop everything and talk to you, give you their full attention, like you are the most important person to them in the world.  Every child on that team feels like he is the favorite, I am sure.  Actually, I think that I am probably their favorite, really.  It’s just a feeling I get when I talk to them.  The kids of Annville-Cleona are so, so lucky to have them.

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Thanks for reading.   I hope you will do your best to ignore my driving mistakes and naughty children in church, comment on my (currently tiny) weight loss, maybe even put my grocery cart back for me the next time we are in a parking lot together?  I probably like you already.  It would just be the cherry on the sundae.