Bless you

loving our empathic nature

May 24, 2025

“Oh, bless you…”

It’s something we usually say when another person sneezes.

I find myself saying that, even to total strangers. I am usually met with a surprised look, followed by a smile and a thank you in return.

But I have another memory regarding those same words.

gray car near trees during sunset — Photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash

One of my friends said these words under her breath as we were driving together and we passed a deceased animal along the side of the road.

The first time I heard her do it, I wondered if I missed something, like a part of a conversation I didn’t realize we were having…

But I hadn’t. It turned out it was just something she made a habit of doing. And I ended up absolutely loving it.

This experience happened about eight years ago when I was traveling with her and another teacher friend to a professional development workshop and it was the first time I heard the phrase “bless you” being directed toward what most people would define as “roadkill”.

But if you knew my friend, you wouldn’t be surprised that she uttered these words or that she did it repeatedly, as she drove us to and from the workshop.

She has a very kind heart and her concern for others extended far beyond her family, friends and students. It also showed up for animals - both domestic and wild.

I carried that experience with me and now I find myself saying that phrase when I am driving and I come across the same situation.

So why do I do that?

I think it comes with being an empathetic person. You see something. You feel something…sometimes you feel it very deeply… Then you say or do something.

Thinking about others, even roadkill, makes you stop and realize the need to acknowledge and send well wishes because it feels like the right thing to do.

Some people may see having a soft heart as a detriment and I honestly can’t figure out why…

Our world becomes what we make it.

Even the words we speak and the intentions those words reflect, go out into the world and come back to us.

Just like a boomerang…

So why not put out positive words as we interact with the world and those that surround us?

We might be amazed at the results…

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Tranquil Moments…

I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:

This week’s Smile video…

It's not easy to surprise Steve Hartman, but a Fort Worth, Texas man and his dogs did just that while he was "On The Road".

#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove

A Graduation Message…

Kermit the Frog will deliver the commencement address to the graduating class at the University of Maryland this week. Muppets creator Jim Henson graduated from the university in 1960. NBC News' Hallie Jackson spoke with the beloved muppet ahead of his big speech.

What I am reading…

This week I finished reading the book Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. This book gave me strategies for reducing my time on social media and rediscovering how to prioritize where I should be spending more of my time instead.

Here is the Amazon summary: “In this timely and enlightening book, the bestselling author of Deep Work introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives.

Digital minimalists are all around us. They're the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don't feel overwhelmed by it. They don't experience "fear of missing out" because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction.

Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world. Common sense tips, like turning off notifications, or occasional rituals like observing a digital sabbath, don't go far enough in helping us take back control of our technological lives, and attempts to unplug completely are complicated by the demands of family, friends and work. What we need instead is a thoughtful method to decide what tools to use, for what purposes, and under what conditions.

Drawing on a diverse array of real-life examples, from Amish farmers to harried parents to Silicon Valley programmers, Newport identifies the common practices of digital minimalists and the ideas that underpin them. He shows how digital minimalists are rethinking their relationship to social media, rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world, and reconnecting with their inner selves through regular periods of solitude. He then shares strategies for integrating these practices into your life, starting with a thirty-day "digital declutter" process that has already helped thousands feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad. The key is using it to support your goals and values, rather than letting it use you. This book shows the way.”

What I am watching…

I have returned to watching This is Us, one of my all time favorite television series. It’s not the same as watching it as it originally aired but like a great book that you return to and read again, this is a wonderful series to watch all over.