UBC Prompt #6: A Person Who Has Influenced Me

PROMPT: Pick a Person Who Has Influenced You in Your Life and Tell About Them

I’ve already written blog posts about specific people who inspire me: my Grandmother B, my Mother, my favorite teacher Mrs. Elliott. I don’t want to do a repeat piece. What if I write about the sort of people I meet every day that inspire me? Hopefully, you’ve been fortunate enough to meet one of these folks…

THESE. These are my people:

• Domestic survivors inspire me, all day, every day. If you ever slip-up and call them a “victim,” they’ll correct you quickly and keenly. We are not victims, we are survivors and thrivers!
• People who treat others with kindness and dignity and respect, despite their station in life.
• People who rant about how humanity is going to “hell in a handbasket,” but will pickup a lost kitten or a bird with a broken wing and care for them tenderly (my Boyfriend, in particular).
• People who dare to volunteer and work and fight for the care of others without boundaries, but keep their own existence very basic and simple.
• People who were outcast, or bullied, or treated badly in school because they were a little bit “different,” who are the kindest, most accepting people — even those who previously ridiculed them.
• Spiritual people who aren’t welcomed in churches because they are not “religious,” but give away nearly everything to make sure others are without “want” and “need,” accepting others without bias, and truly don’t have a hidden agenda.
• People who live modestly and without asking for help, because they don’t want to trouble anyone, even though they have more issues to deal with than others, but cheerfully help others when/how they can.
• People who go out of their way to compliment others, so they can see that person smile (and, no, not the ones looking for a way “in” to date/court that person).
• The few, rare folks who seem to have it all together, but will come over to your home when you’ve been in your PJs for four days straight, to make sure you are okay, so they can fix your kids dinner, fix a minor household repair that you couldn’t, and straighten up your living area — all because they cared enough to notice your depression, when you thought no one else saw it (and those other people really, really didn’t or didn’t think it was appropriate to interact).
• Service individuals who love their job so entirely, it ceases to be their job — it’s their way of life. I’m speaking of doctors and nurses, law enforcement, social workers. The ones who take their time to make sure you’re thoroughly taken care of and do it all with a true smile. These people also have a knack for not making you feel “less than.”

I see you and I am inspired to be like you all every day! Thank you, Lord, for having these people cross my path on the regular.