Diane Britt-Smith

It started with my eyebrows. 😄

I mentioned to a woman on the bus that I use mascara on my eyebrows because I love my gray hair… but not my gray eyebrows. She immediately questioned it, and honestly, it made me laugh.

But it also reminded me how quickly we all pass judgment.

We hear one sentence, see one choice, or notice one detail, and suddenly we think we know what’s best for someone else.

The truth is, we’re all making hundreds of little decisions every day about our own lives, bodies, families, and happiness. We don’t owe anyone an explanation for them.

If it isn’t hurting anyone, maybe we can get a little more comfortable letting people live their lives… even if we’d choose differently.

And yes… I’m keeping my gray hair and my mascara eyebrows. 😉

I am so glad i called my friend. I just wanted to hear her voice because she’d been on my mind constantly, and come to find out she had just lost her mother...

it made me realize that nothing takes the place of a phone call and I want to start doing it more.

Social media lets us stay connected, but it can also fool us into thinking we’re staying in touch.

Maybe this week, call one person you’ve been meaning to check on. Not because you have to. Just because they’re worth hearing.

Do you still call people, or have texts and DMs mostly replaced that for you?

Social media is one of the few places where people from completely different backgrounds, faiths, cultures, and life experiences can meet in the same conversation. I love that.

I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. In fact, I think respectful disagreement can teach us a lot.

Where I draw the line is when someone believes their personal beliefs should become someone else’s obligation.

Your beliefs are yours.
Mine are mine.
We can share them, discuss them, even challenge each other thoughtfully. But respect has to go both ways.

If we can disagree without trying to control one another, these conversations become a whole lot more meaningful.

What do you think? Is it possible to disagree respectfully online?

We talk a lot about kindness creating patience.

But sometimes it’s the other way around.

The other day my Uber stopped in the middle of a one-way street to let me out. The driver behind us was clearly annoyed. I probably would have been too.

As I grabbed my bags, I turned around, smiled, and said, “Thank you. Thank you for your patience.”

And just like that, their expression softened.

It reminded me how often we don’t know what’s happening in someone else’s moment. Sometimes people aren’t trying to inconvenience us. They’re just living their lives.

A little patience can make room for kindness.

And a little kindness can make room for patience.

Either way, somebody has to go first.

Random hair tale …

Grateful for a head of hair that reminds me of my mom