The following quote from Mary Davis posted on everydayspirit.net says it all: “Bring love wherever you go. Shine light wherever it’s dark. Leave blessings wherever you’ve been. Be kind wherever you are.”

The above is a quote from Mother Teresa. What it means is that when someone is emotionally down, or at their wits end, the last thing they need is advice or criticism—a lecture, if you will. Instead, they need a hug—comfort, support, and understanding from someone who cares.

I came across a Charlie Brown cartoon recently where the caption read, “Do everything with a good heart, expect nothing in return and you’ll never be disappointed.”

I saw a posting on Facebook that read something like, “Big houses, expensive cars, designers, and a fancy lifestyle is not wealth. It’s debt.

A number of years ago when our grandaughter Mia was three years old, about ten of our family members went to dinner together. When dinner was finnished, one of the servers brought out a gigantic (see photo) serving of cotton candy in a very over-sized martini glass.

I saw a quote the other day that went something like, “A friend is one of the nicest things you can have and one of the best things you can be.” So, a friend is something you can both have and be at the same time. “To have and to be.”

When I got back to the car, I told my wife, Marcia, about the sign and how I thought it would make a good Weekly Reminder. She said, “Where’s your hook?

Growth experiences—those journeys into the difficult and unfamiliar—are often challenging and sometimes painful. This is why many people choose to avoid them—they prefer to stay within the friendly confines of their “comfort zone.”