A goal I've been thinking about

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
  -Plato

I have always loved this quote but I've been thinking about it more lately. Isn't it overwhelming to think of how little you actually know about people, just from day to day stuff? I mean think about it. When you go to the bank or to the post office or to the grocery store, do you tell the worker there your life story? No. But how many times can you recall when something they did really affected you, whether for better or worse, based on what had happened to you during that day or something you had been dealing with? Lately I feel like I've become more aware of a responsibility and desire to be that good influence for anyone I come in to contact with in the day, whether I know their life story or not. I just hope I can be. It's so easy to get caught up in your own self. I mean, life IS busy. We all have schedules and for the most part, life happens as if on fast forward. I guess I'm just writing this to remind myself to have that genuine interest in other people's lives. I feel like most of the time people are so good about knowing what's going on in my life (I can think of a few people specifically who are wonderful at this, whether I've known them long or not), but I want to be more of that for other people. So this is a message from me to myself, for the most part, and anyone who may read this: Be kind. Be interested. Everyone is fighting battles you may not (and probably don't) know about. 

Also, because Mandee says I need more pictures...these are totally random, but chronological.

 Did I already post this before?? Oh well, it was such a good day in Ukraine, it deserves a repeat!

I found this sign in an metro station in Prague. Coincidence, I think not! :)

One of the best days of my life, hands down.

 Two of my best friends! We go way back to the beginning of high school. I got to be a bridesmaid for both of them, and they were my bridesmaids :)

 One of my favorite little girls, my niece, on my wedding day. She would say, "That nice princess dress!" :)

 And I plan to put pictures up of my apartment soon. I hope!