In a time when we often find ourselves divided instead of united,

Be reminded, there is only one force that overcomes fear and hate,

LOVE makes US great!

You may be thinking, "Wait, this is the 5th Thursday in July, not the 4th Thursday. Is Joyce losing it?" Nah, Joyce is just following her own advice and decided to take a week off – more about that next week.

Today I sold my gently used vacuum. Before the buyer arrived, I emptied the dirt chamber and gave the whole device a once-over with a dust cloth. Why go to the trouble of cleaning a cleaning tool? I was selling it dirt cheap (pun intended); would it matter to the buyer? It mattered to me because it would matter to me. That little bit of extra care shows respect and kindness.

On a larger scale, earlier this week, I closed the sale of my previous home of 20+ years. Over the weekend, I went over to give it a final vacuum (yes, that was the last duty of the one I just sold), clean the bathrooms, and sweep the deck and garage. Why go to this trouble? Not doing any of this would not have impacted the deal. I did it because I had many great years in that home, and I want the new owners to start off in a fresh, clean, inviting space.

I'm not sure if any of these new owners have even noticed. It’s just like when you pick up a piece of litter in a park or an escaped bit of trash on your street on garbage pick-up day – we pick it up because all of these little acts of kindness and respect add up in our communities. 

When we all do just a little to make things a little bit better, it benefits many.

Leaving the beach, a park, a street, a condo, or even a vacuum just a little bit better benefits others – this is love in action in our community.

Love requires participation. Love requires sharing. Love requires action. Love requires commitment. 

What is the last thing you did to leave something just a little bit better? 

(And, yes, for those that remember the COVID-era post-it windows, this pic is a nice memory of that great loft space.)

With gratitude,

Joyce Aiko

(yes, love really is my middle name)