For me random acts of kindness happens all the time-a smile to a stranger, holding the door for someone with their hands full, getting the mail for an elderly person so they don’t slip on the ice, sending an email telling someone you are thinking about them, donating to a cause that we believe in, making something for someone to make them smile, being there for a friend when they are down or need someone to vent to.
I do all those things everyday, for me random acts of kindness makes me feel warm and happy inside. It is also a way for me to give back and to “repay” those who showed me their own random acts of kindness, I will explain more about this later on in the post.
This past weekend, a friend called and was telling me about her Sunday school class and how the kids could earn money in the play store for learning bible verses or coming to class. They were able to purchase small gifts for family for Christmas. My friend then proceeded to tell me about this little boy, who has been a bit of a handful over the past few months. “Bubba” shopped in the store and gave the presents to my friend to wrap and asked her if she could put his names on the presents and he turned his back while she did it so he wouldn’t know what present was what.
My friend asked him why he bought presents for himself, and he replied
“Because this way I know that this Christmas I will have something under the tree”!
While my friend was contemplating this “Bubba’s” sister asked her if there was any food in the store that she could purchase to take home to her family. My friend replied no, I am sorry there is no food in the store.
It broke my heart to hear this story! These kids were 5 and 7 years old! They live in a run down home with 10+ other family members all living together. I sent them some money and my friend went out to purchase some items for the kids for Christmas.
Now I am not posting this because I am bragging that I helped. It is a story that I think needs to be shared to remind all of us that others have life a lot harder then we do, that we need to remember this when we pass people on the street.
How many times have we passed up a Salvation Army donation center, or another person who was collecting for the holidays or doing a drive another time during the year?
How many times have we gone to the grocery store and seen a sign “Donate a $1, $5 or more to the local food bank” and said “I can’t afford to do that”.
At our local Kroger through out the year they have donation tags you can purchase for food for the local food banks, not just during the holidays. I donate at least a $1 everytime I go, if that particular time I can donate more I do.
You may say “A $1.00 isn’t much.” but what if everyone who went to the store donated just $1.00 everytime they shopped.
How much money would go to the families that need the food, clothing, heat, or shelter?
How many lives would be changed?
The reason this story hit so close to me was at one point in my life my family depended on the generosity of strangers. My hubby wasn’t working, I was very ill trying to hold down 2 part time jobs and we had no food…I would try to get to the local food banks but without a running car I had to depend on people to take me. I remember watching my family eat and I didn’t eat, because I wanted to make sure my hubby and my kids had food first.
Many times when I would go to work my manager would have a huge plate of food for me, she always would tell me that “I packed too much food, here you go ahead and eat it.” I knew she didn’t want me to think it was charity…I am a proud person sometimes, but that she would think of me and give me some delicious homemade dinner to help me out was the best thing anyone could have done for me at that time.
Having been on the side of not enough money, not enough food, illness and so much more and having people all year long showing me random acts of kindness warms my heart.
Christmas time is when most people feel generous and when most people donate to organizations for the holidays, that is wonderful, but what about these families the rest of the year?
Can you do something for others more then just at the holidays?
It doesn’t just have to be about money either; a random smile, a shoulder for them to lean on, taking someone to the doctor’s, getting someone’s mail, telling someone you appreciate them, showing others that they are truly worth being here on earth and that things will eventually get better…just showing someone you care….even if all you do is smile at a stranger.I challenge everyone who reads this post to think “What can I do today to help someone else?”
Are you up to the challenge?
Post your thoughts and what random acts of kindness you will perform and remember this can happen anyday, anytime of the year…people need to know that they are thought about and loved…a smile will go a long way!
Random acts of kindness should not just be one day a year, or during a certain holiday…random acts of kindness should be everyday all year long.
Do you know someone online who has shown a random act of kindness to someone? Given you encouragement? Listened when you needed it?
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Awesome reminder to all of us – even what seems like so little to us can mean the world to others. Just smiling at someone else and letting them go ahead of you in merging traffic can make someone’s day or even turn their own mental attitude towards others around. You never know what your act of kindness will bring to someone else….I love this post!
Thank you for sharing that Lisa! I know you do what you say too, you have always been so thoughtful. I remember the time you mailed me a nice hand purse with a fancy box and a calendar for no reason just to tell me that you were thinking about me…and I can tell you right now You made my day!
I use that box everyday and it is sitting in my office right now
Fantastic post. You’re a good hearted person full of inspiration! Thanks
Today and every day. I am with you.
You’re so right. It’s those small things that build up into huge rolling snowballs of goodness. And I think you had a great boss as well.
I like this. Making kindness to others part of our daily lives. We all know goodwill is contagious, we just get caught up in our concerns from time to time and lose out on all of the warmth and energy available from helping someone else.
Virgina you hit it right on the head. When we lose site of the energy we can receive from helping others we also lose site of the wonderful healing powers we all have to help one another and ourselves.
Linda, I did have a wonderful boss. People say that they cannot make a difference because they are one person, but one person can make a difference! Look at Thomas Edison, Albert Eintein, Oprah and so many others I could just go on and on…they were just one person BUT they each in their own made a huge difference in our lives to better enrich our lives through phones, electricity, other wonderful inventions and soul and spirit.
So can one person make a difference in the world? You bet!
Together we can change the world!
Rebecca White
This is such a terrific story. One of my personal goals this year is to do a random act of kindness every single day. Yes.. things as small and simple as a smile to a stranger can make a persons day. And it’s not just at this time of year that we need to remember this either – though it is very sad when you hear about kids not having anything under the tree
I heard yesterday that 87% of the news we hear in the world is negative. I’m all for your challenge Becca, let’s reduce that number and increase the amount of POSITIVE!!
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That is a heartbreaking story, but wonderful that you and your friend were able to find out and do something! Children will often innocently show their family’s need for help at church or school so that’s why it’s so important for adults at such places to have open eyes, ears and of course hearts to recognize the needs (and sadly know the signs of neglect and abuse.)
There’s a couple of programs that America’s Second Harvest designed and many local food banks use, including our local one, that are really special. One is a Kid’s Backpack program. Kids who are on free or reduced lunch program and are at risk for going hungry on the weekend, take a backpack full of food home on Friday. Kid’s Cafe is another program where kids get dinner at places like Boys & Girls clubs and other host organizations. You might see if your local food bank has these programs and refer the family to them or vice versa.
Sandra, that is an awesome program! I wonder if we have anything around Toledo Ohio like that? The kids I was talking about live in Arkansas, I will give my friend a call and see if she can find out about a local program in her area. We know these kids do not eat on weekends because they come to church asking for food.
Thank you for sharing Sandra.
-Rebecca White
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I will be posting links to other posts I run across that have written about Random Acts of Kindness. Here is one to get started:
http://internetmarketingreview.org/blog1/2007/12/17/random-acts-of-kindness/trackback/
How Reiki has helped not just the giver but the receiver as well:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/1051348/24256656
Do you know of anyone who is alone at Christmas Time? Who is longing to have arms hold them and love them?
This is an amazing post:
http://www.selinawragg.co.uk/blog/2007/12/17/acts-of-kindness-december-17th-2007.html?lastPage=true&postSubmitted=true
Want to read what other bloggers have written, this blogger read each and everyone of people’s posts and has linked to them all.
Thank you Andy!
http://andybeard.eu/2007/12/98-remarkable-acts-of-kindness.html#comment-153423
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Hey-one-and-all
I very thought proving article- I agree with you- such acts need to be every day, it costs so little but is worth so much.
Please do come by and visit Random acts of kindness collection at Don’t be sad (click on link above). Feel free to submit your own random acts of kindness to be published in the collection.
Don’t be sad.
I stumbled on this post by such a circuitous route — and I am so glad I did! Here I am writing a daily blog on kindness and I myself am guilty of walking by the Salvation Army kettles and not always giving. To read your words about, for a time, not having enough food — bless you for a gentle and true reminder that we need to wake up from our own petty thoughts a bit and look to see who around us might need a hand. Your kindness post has kept on giving well past the Bloggers Unite challenge day!
Thank you Jen, I know many times I don’t have much money on me so I use a cc or my debit card to buy groceries but if I can give even $1 in change or even 25 cents it helps.