A "cool" act of kindness...

Ever have a day where you take yourself off on a whim and see where the mood takes you? Well... I was craving a bit of "me" time recently & decided a nice long walk with my dog Poppy was in order!... We jumped in the car and just drove! The sun was beaming, not a cloud in the sky and there was a kind of holiday feel in the air... So where's best to keep that feeling going? The beach of course! Absolute heaven....

One of my favourite things on a day like this, after melting in the sun & walking miles on the sandy beaches, was to have an ice cream to cool down, never mind the fact I've a ridiculous sweet tooth lol.  But... there was a festival on the beach this day & the place was packed!!  The queues were soooo long and the hustle and bustle of the crowds had me anxious about waiting in line for an ice cream!! Poppy is a nervous little thing.... Ok wait, she's not actually a little dog lol, she's not even a medium sized dog!! She's a big dog ha ha.... but she's very nervous around crowds and I wasn't sure how she'd react to standing in line with me while I waited my turn... I figured I'd give it a go, 'cause I didn't just "want" an ice cream lol, I "needed" an ice cream... ha ha
Got to the top of the queue, got my 99... Even got some sprinkles on it after a bit of a flirt with the driver!! (yes I do realise he offers them to everyone, but I'm gonna go with the fact I felt special!!) I turned to walk away, mouth watering and then it happened....

My ice cream fell off the cone!!!

DEVASTATED...

I barely had a sliver of ice cream just on the top of the very dry cone!! What could I do? I had to walk away as Poppy was ready to dive straight into the dollop of ice cream in the sand... I couldn't queue again! Yes I could've gone to the top and explained, but I just wanted to get outta there... I was gutted lol...  I walked a little bit down the beach, and plonked myself at the base of the sand dunes... I set up a drink for Poppy and proceeded to eat my practically dry cone!! feeling particularly sorry for myself I must add ha ha ha

I sat quietly soaking up the sun, while Poppy sat, almost on guard, beside me.  After a little while, I noticed a man approaching with a big smile as if he knew me... I looked around thinking there surely was someone actually behind me he was coming over to, but nope, just the dunes reaching up to the skyline... As he got closer he put his hand out towards me with, wait for it, a new ice cream cone!!! I couldn't quite believe it... He had been in the queue with his family and saw my tragedy, he told me that the look of devastation on my face broke his and his kids hearts & they just had to do something about it... This lovely man and his family went out of their way, to not only buy me an ice cream, but to traipse down the beach, looking for me too... I can't begin to explain how big my smile was and how overwhelmed I was... It's only an ice cream, I know that, but the gesture? That's BIG...

Thankfully, there are still people out there who are willing to go that extra mile... How often have we all been lost in our own little world and missed an opportunity to do something randomly kind for someone... Whoever you are, I wanted to thank you again... Your kindness instilled a fresh sense of joy and I went on about my day with a spring in my step!! 

Not forgetting as a result, that was, in fact, the nicest ice cream cone I've ever had ha ha ha!!!

Luv & bubbles ♥♥♥

A moment to keep singing

It's usually when I'm alone that I will let myself sing lol... My kids and extended family are always there to let me know I really shouldn't sing out loud!! No they're not mean or hurtful, it's actually a bit of a running joke, but I will absolutely be the first to tell you that in fact, and for a fact and even truth be known (can't be anymore clearer than that) I DO NOT SOUND GOOD WHEN I SING... To be honest lol... I don't even like the sound of my own voice when I sing...

But...

Sometimes, just sometimes I forget all of that and sing as loud and as free as I possibly can!    Have you ever sat in the car and burst into song? Gosh I'm a divil for it ha ha... I used to drive alone, for an hour, to and from work every day and by golly did I sing out loud when I felt like it   :o)   There's no words to describe how a song can lift you, make you feel alive, even in the depths of a bad mood.  It's usually when you least expect it, a simple verse... The build to the chorus... and then I'M OFF!!! (you'll note it's only really the chorus I sing along to, I never remember the words properly) 

It can stir emotions deep inside that I don't expect..
There can be tears, laughter, pure joy!!!
 I've been known to truly express myself & thump the steering wheel to the beat, mouth open wide belting out the tunes... swaying and bouncing to the chorus!!!

And then one day....

There... In traffic... In the lane beside me... Watching me in my full glory... Was a work colleague!! OMG... no way...

To say I went purple would be the biggest understatement of the year! Of course I knew people could probably see me, so I would usually compose myself when the traffic was stopped... But this one particular day, I was in my own little world. Inspired, joyous, basking in my expressiveness, happy as Larry (who's Larry by the way?)...   Until I looked to the side and there my colleague & friend was absolutely beaming at me! lol... 

Immediately it felt different... I didn't think she wasn't laughing at me... No, she was laughing with me :)  She had seen a moment of simple (though to see the state of me, it wasn't actually simple) happiness... How many of us get to see that honestly? There's always a little something held back when there are others around. But I decided in that moment, not to stop, not to hold back!!  I waved at her across the car lane and we were both in fits of giggles lol... can you see it? Can you picture us in the middle of traffic, wrapped up in our car bubbles (it was raining out) just two people, separated, but both in a shared moment of pure happiness, and by golly, we were in knots!

I kind of decided then and there... that no matter what... If I was in a good place, in a joyous moment and something that would or could be embarrassing were to happen, I wouldn't hold back, I would just laugh it off 'cause down the road, the memory of that moment could come back often, when I least expect it, and make me come alive again, would make me want to sing again... 

Oh and by the way, don't worry I'm not actually going to share my singing with you though ha ha ha

Luv & bubbles ♥♥♥