Ladies and Gentlemen, the longest paragraph EVER:

There was a customer today, not my customer, but there was NO ONE else in the place so I was listening to him talk, where was I going with this awful sentence. Oh. This man today was telling Denise that a sure way to get people to smile is to give them a high-five. He said not many people give high-fives anymore, that we should bring them back in style. Denise informed him that I give people hugs all the time. He asked me for a hug. I said no, but I gave him a high-five instead. And then he told us another way to get people to smile was to do a cartwheel. Is that how you spell cartwheel? SO, he asked if I would like to see him do a cartwheel. I did. So he did. That was delightful. And after that man left, I was smiling for a long time. And I felt happier. If that man can make himself look foolish just to bring joy into other peoples lives, than why can't I be unreasonably friendly to people I meet everyday. And after that I had that smile on my face that hasn't been there for awhile and I didn't know it was gone until it came back again. That smile that has nothing to do with me but everything to do with the person I'm smiling at and now I wonder when I lost it. Because people always tell me that my "happy" will wear off and suddenly it started to and I don't like that and I don't care if this paragraph/sentence/entry is grammatically or structurally sound (but actually I do just a little but, okay, a little more than a little bit.) ANYWAY, why did I let my happy fall to the wayside? And then, as I realize this, someone tells me that I've been an example of kindness and patience to them and it makes me feel ashamed of myself because lately I haven't been nearly as kind or patient as I am capable of. Why not? Anyway, that's changing folks, because God has shown such incredible kindness and patience with me, how can I not imitate my hero? And sometimes, okay, lots of times, everything in me just wants to sing for joy ( and I do) for how wonderful, how awesome, how great is God and that joy should not leave me because my customer swore at me, or because some boy doesn't like me, or because I'm worried about the future, or because I'm feeling insecure, because NONE of these things changes who God is or what He has done for me or what He is going to do in me. And all these temporary concerns are just that, temporary. I just need to lift my gaze a little higher, stop focusing on the details, and start focusing on the Creator. And that customer did make me smile, right down into my heart.

Sarah Jo