Hi

I say "Hi" to everyone.  Friends, family, co-workers, random strangers I pass on the street.  It is amazing how a simple "hello" can brighten someones day, even if it is just for a moment.  I love gong on walks, and saying, "hello" or "good morning" to other patrons as I pass.  I have noticed, that even if they don't respond, they ALWAYS smile.

Someone I know seems to thrive on negativity.  Gossip, and complaining are her speciality.  We were talking today, and she mentioned one of the myriad reasons she is miserable is that her boss never says "hello" to her; even if she says "hello" to him first, he never responds.  She told me that she finally stopped talking to him all together, "unless it is absolutely necessary for work."

I told her that this happens to me all of the time, but I don't let it get to me.  How could something so small, so meaningless, as small a non-hello, cause such offense, that it festers and turns into hate?   This year, even more so than the last few, I am determined to wipe unnecessary negativity out of my life.  So, I will continue my "hellos," "good mornings." and "how are yous," even if I never hear a response, even if I always have to say it first.

A few years ago, I was taking pictures of the town my grandparents grew up in.  This is my Grandma's old house {since converted into a saloon and now abandoned}.  Someone wrote "Hi" with their finger in the dust on the window. It made me smile.  I ♥ this picture.