love notes to strangers

I want to talk about my whole "write more love notes" way of thinking.
Why is it that we feel shy to tell a stranger something nice?
Will they think we are weird? maybe. Will they feel touched? maybe.
Will we completely make their day? that's possible too.
Maybe we are a little shy because we are afraid of feeling weird?
Lately I've been less worried about what they might think and more worried about being myself and saying how I feel. I am more worried about showing my kids not to be scared to BE WHO THEY ARE.
So recently, as I was sending a random tweet to someone I was thinking of, that strange feeling popped into my head. Will she think I am weird? It made me start wondering to myself what made me feel blocked from doing things like this in the first place. Because in my life today, I have decided it's worth the risk. I don't want to regret not sending out the love later on. That "love note" was from the heart without worrying about being weird or not.

When I first got married, I was a young betty home maker. I thought Mary poppins was cool.
I was sure that I just had to see the world through rose colored glasses and then, well, the world would be rose colored. One day, a young couple (about our age) moved into the house right next door to us.
I was so excited to see that it was a couple that maybe we could relate to! I decided that I should be neighborly. JUST LIKE THE MOVIES...
so I made them a batch of my famous chocolate chip cookies.
I filled up a pretty basket and attached a simple note that said welcome neighbor.
I had never done anything like this before and I was excited at what their reaction might be.
DID I GET MY MOVIE TALE ENDING?
no.
for ever more they acted like I was weird.
Why?
Maybe they thought they had a Miss Kravitz on their hands. {gosh, I loved that show}

Which now makes me giggle because I could not be further from it.
maybe I came off as overbearing.  Maybe they didn't like chocolate chip cookies.
Maybe, maybe, maybe.
I was young, I was suddenly gun shy.
I never gave another welcome basket to anyone.
Now, over 13 years later I still think about it.
And I laugh at that young Mary poppins.
I wasn't the weird one. They were! To act so strange about someone just trying to do something nice...

Maybe the world isn't as rose colored as I thought.
Or maybe more people need to start passing out those glasses.
My point is, it's nice to do nice things.
There is nothing wrong with paying a stranger a compliment.
Maybe at some point something made you gun shy too?
Let it go.
Today.

I plan on sending out a "love note" to a person who makes me feel the need to.
simple notes...
I love your shop.
I love your tweet.
I just wanted to say hi, I was thinking of you because I just am.
I have finally decided it's ok to risk that feeling, that they might think "I'm weird."
Because actually I am not.
I am just saying how I feel.
And you should too.
I give you permission....
and I'm probably older than you....
and, you have to respect your elders ;)