"Today isn't a good day to be homeless and hungry"

I can always count on Hailey to help me put things into perspective. She reminds me that the mess can wait or that sometime we need to eat our dessert first. Today she reminded me that sometimes my plans aren't the ones that matter.

I woke up this morning ready to tackle the mess that is my house. We had just one quick errand to run, then it would be time to throw on some 80's music and get down to cleaning. Hailey apparently woke up with a different idea of how today would go. During the middle of our errand to the fabric store Hailey asked if we could fill some homeless people's buckets.

For those of you who haven't read Have You Filled a Bucket Today? I highly recommend it. Basically the book talks about how everyone has an invisible bucket that holds their good feeling. You can fill a person's bucket with kind words and actions. You dip into a person's bucket by being unkind. It is a great way to teach children that their actions affect those around them.

I tried explaining to Hailey that today wasn't the best day to fill buckets. It was close to lunch and nap time, I had nothing to keep Teague busy in the car, and basically tomorrow would be a much better day to do it. I got a response I wasn't prepared for. Hailey looked me in the eyes and said "Today isn't a good day to be homeless and hungry." She was right.

With that, we went on a mission to fill buckets. As we pulled back into the driveway Hailey asked "Aren't you glad we did that?" I am.

I urge you all to fill a bucket today. It doesn't take a lot of time, money or energy. Ask the cashier at the store how their day was and genuinely care about what they say. Hold the door open for a stranger. Pay for the coffee of the person behind you in line at Starbucks. It just takes a moment, but it will make your day (and theirs) much happier.