All Kinds of Kinds

    Until very recently, it had been months since I had written. When I lost my Noni, not only did I lose my best friend, I lost myself. I hated that I had to go through each day without her. I still do. She was my inspiration, especially for my writing. When I lost her, I lost my voice.

     Well, she would smack me and tell me to quit moping and keep moving. So, even though she is not physically here, I have now found her in myself. That tough cookie that was in her is in me. So I continue to move, even though some days are harder than others, forward, which has become my new favorite word. Forward.

      So with that sappiness out of the way, Noni talked to everyone. Even if she didn't like you, she talked to you. She knew everything about everyone and everyone went to her for the scoop. Why isn't the rest of the world like this? I have adopted this way of life. I like people, most of the time. Sometimes they are just plain stupid. BUT most of the time, I like people. People are entertaining. Even the stupid ones. Maybe especially those ones. 

      Barbra Streisand even wrote a song, "People." People who need people are the luuuuckiest peopleeee in the worldddd. I know you're singing it. (unless you're under the age of 50 and uncultured. then i feel sorry for you) As people, we need each other to survive. You never know what anyone is really going through, even though they are happy as can be on the outside. You should know that people have feelings. So - why can't we all just be like Noni and be kind to each other? Talk to each other. Learn about each other. Believe it or not, you can learn things from other people!

       I read Hoda Kotb's autobiography a few years back. In one chapter, she talks about her breast cancer diagnosis. The people at the Today Show asked her if they could follow her through her breast cancer journey. Hoda was unsure if she would like that. She sat next to a man on a plane who told her, "Don't hog your journey." Share your journey. Someone else is probably going through the same thing somewhere in this world. And isn't it always comforting to see that someone else has been through a similar situation? When you hog your journey, you are being selfish. 

        I could end this with a million silly quotes about journeys and battles and somehow incorporate the word "brouhaha" because that's just a great word, but I'll just say this : be kind to one another. It's really, very simple.

"Ever since the beginning, to keep the world spinning, it takes all kinds of kinds."