Plotting
A random sample of your happy plotting– see me grinning?
“I’m a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.”
― J.D. Salinger
I’ve often identified with this quote, and never more than in the past three and a half years, since starting this blog. Some of the world’s nicest people have landed on this page, and it’s a wonder to me.
See all those fun things in the collage above? They are just a random sample of the delightful surprises I’ve received in the mail from blog readers. If you’ve been part of the Defeat Despair family for very long, you know how much I believe in the power of kindness to help us survive “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Your warmth, good wishes and presence here have helped me more than you know!
Some of you send me unique, handmade treasures or tiny gifts chosen just for me. Some send photos of places I’ve wanted to see but never been able to visit in person, giving me a personalized virtual tour of what I might otherwise miss. (Thanks, Raynard, for letting me see the Philadelphia Flower Show for several years in a row now– not to mention more virtual cakes than I could ever have eaten in person. Most of the fun, none of the calories!)
Some of you send me kind thoughts and reminders that we are in your prayers, a form of support that we need and cherish. Some of you leave your Gravatars in the “like” section of the blog so I know you were here, which is a gift that keeps on giving. Some send encouraging comments and personal stories that keep me and other readers focused on happy and inspiring things. Some of you send me handwritten notes via postal mail, a tradition I love to keep alive, which always brightens my day.
However you show your friendship and good will, rest assured that you make a difference in my life, as I know you must in all the lives that you touch. Isn’t it fun to engage in happy plotting, finding ways to shower blessings on those who are greatly in need of them? Keep up the good work and let’s continue in this congenial conspiracy to make the world a better place.
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: compassion, considerate, friends, fun, gifts, happiness, joy, plotting, sharing, supportive, surprises, thoughtful, treats
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia!
I went back and read the original post and many comments, since I didn’t remember if this was the post that triggered my thoughts to tell you of my daughter, Jill’s, group of like-minded Meliorists called “Adorn Phoenix.” I’ll have to ask her if she’s party to a new such group, now that she’s moved to the Philadelphia area.
Speaking of Philadelphia, I’ve never been to the flower show. That sounds like a fun potential meeting destination, if we can organize ourselves to get there?
Yes, I’ve always wanted to go to that show since Raynard first told me about it years ago. But in just the past few years, crime there has become so totally out of control that I don’t plan to go there anytime soon…