My family began practicing Random Acts of Kindness way back when my kids were teens. Now they have teens. This year, I decided to make RAKs my focus. With a twist.
CoCo received a beautiful Act of Kindness this year. The train conductor on her short commute surprised her with a generous Christmas Gift. She smiled for weeks with wonderment and told everyone she knew about the conductor’s kindness. However, I initially responded with suspicion. After a bit of reflection, I remembered an observation I got from a friend.
You are a much better giver than a receiver. It takes some humbleness to receive without the intention of paying back.
My dear friend, Nancy S (circa, 1980)
So with that in mind, I am devoting 2022 to recognizing kindness given. I noticed a change in myself. My effort to recognize the kindness of others helps me remember to be kind, too. I’m benefitting from the kindness of others. Now that I think about it, so are others.
I admit, I’m in a bit of a slump. School shootings, wars in faraway lands, and shortages of baby formula make me wonder, like a cranky old woman, “What’s this world coming to.”
Yet, kindness is everywhere, if I just take the time to look.
A Universe that’s kind
Or was it SPAM?
I got an unsolicited email asking me if I want some Nice News.
Yes, indeed I do. So, I signed up for the newsletter. That was the middle of last week. I got one newsletter (So kind to refrain for an every day inundation.). I learned: how we can help newly hatched turtles; there’s going to be a meteor shower tonight; Coca-Cola is unveiling new caps that stay with the bottle to make recycling easier; etc. A bunch of Nice News happening around the world.
Thank you Nice News. I needed that.
If you’d like Nice News, too, Sign up here. (I’m not an ambassador, just a fan.)
Kindness from book lovers
Don’t you just love it when you’re part of a group meets regularly because the members love books? Yeah, I mean a book club. Even better is a group of people willing to be flexible for each other.
One member had a conflict with our regular third Tuesday meeting, so I sent out a query: Will another day work? What’s your preference.
Not only does another day work, the busy people told me which days don’t work, so I could easily adjust to the request. Most people were open to, “what the majority wants.” And, no one said, “we always do it this way.”
Some small kindnesses make me think of pickup ballgame in the neighborhood when I was younger. Everyone adjusts so everyone else can have success.
Kindness of mothers’ milk
The formula shortage means that about 43% of the formula is out of stock. It can be difficult to change a baby’s diet because their digestive systems just don’t have that much experience with new foods. Add that to a formula recall that includes specialty formulas. Oh my goodness, what a lot of stress that causes. I’m sure there are people out there hoarding formula. At the same time, a lot of people are going above and beyond to help.
…two military mothers who happen to have infants were heading to Dugway, Utah for a 3-week training session when they heard that Utah is particularly hard-hit by the shortage. They decided to do what they could to help, pumping extra milk for weeks, then freezing it in special breastmilk storage bags.
PARENTING, May 30, 2022
The soldiers, who hail from North Carolina and Alabama respectively, delivered around 800 ounces of healthy breastmilk to the Mountain West Mothers’ Milk Bank!
What kindnesses have you witnessed this week? Just hearing about kindness lifts my heart and puts a smile on my face.
The official Random Act of Kindness Day is February 17. But RAKing can go on all year long. Visit the Website here. “The work to create a kinder world never ends. There is no limit on the amount of goodness we can put into the world..”
Use the hashtags #MakeKindnessTheNorm #RAKday #RandomActsofKindnessDay. Most importantly, “In a world where you can be anything…Be kind.” (And be willing to receive the kindness offered.)
I’ll be watching through my rose-colored glasses for opportunities to give a RAK. And I’ll have my antennae up ready to recognize when I get a RAK or see one.