Last week I visited Mom. We crammed so much activity into what seemed like a short visit. I also got put in a boot again. Too much walking strained my foot. The doctor said I had “old feet.” Lucky for me, he didn’t say anything about the rest of me.
I thank you all for your kindness in sticking with me through my blogging absences. Sometimes, things, other than blogging, get priority.
My family began practicing Random Acts of Kindness when my kids were teens. Now they have teens of their own. This year, I decided to make RAKs my focus. With a twist.
CoCo received a beautiful Act of Kindness at the beginning of the 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.
Sometimes a little act of kindness, a smile, or a word of recognition can make a big difference in someone’s life. Sometimes we don’t even realize we are being kind with our automatic response to someone. This week’s recognized kindnesses are like that: People being kind effortlessly.
“A woman appeared out of the clear blue sky. And then a young man. Out of nowhere they came to me.”
As she told me the story, I tried to figure out whether she saw a vision or if these were actual people.
They stayed with her. The woman took her pulse and assessed her condition. The man offered to call paramedics. After a while, and with some help, Geri stood up, and she and her husband walked home.
The Good Samaritans disappeared as quickly as they arrived. What kind people. Not only did they check on Geri, but they stayed with her until she proved she could manage on her own.
It turned out that Geri was really, really hurt. The next morning she couldn’t get out of bed. OH MY! She had two cracked vertebrae. She’s been recovering ever since.
The kindness of family
I know it’s a little thing, and maybe I should take it for granted. Still, I am so thankful to have grown children that invite us over for dinner. What a lovely ham dinner CeCe and her beau prepared for the family. It was like a mini Thanksgiving. Everyone sat and visited, full of ham and beans and salad and desserts. What a lovely way to spend a Sunday.
Kindness in a bottle
Have you or your children ever put a note in a bottle and tossed it out to sea? That’s what 11-year-old Brian Dahl did as part of his sixth grade class project. That was back in 1989. A couple of salvage workers found the bottle with a mostly disintegrated note. Clear words included “please,” “thank you” and “call or phone.” The salvage workers finally connected with Eric Dahl, over 200 miles away.
The message in a bottle was a sixth-grade class project in 1989. Martha Burnett, now 82, was his teacher.
USA Today
“Who would ever have imagined this would happen?” said Burnett. “I think it brings him back to life in a way.”
Brian was eleven when he put the bottle in the water. He died in an accident when he was 29. I can only imagine how touched his family was when they received a visit from two salvage workers delivering Eric’s message in a bottle.
…they all marvel at how something so small from decades ago could prove so meaningful all these years later….they don’t feel like new friends, but rather, like instant family.
USA Today
I really want to highlight this particular act of kindness because it means incorporating kindness into the workday. And because it took more than one day to find the Dahls and deliver the kindness. Plus, the salvage workers had no way of knowing how much their act would mean to Brian’s family.
Sometimes it can be difficult to remember to interject kindness when our minds are busy and we are working against time. We never know when a simple act of kindness will mean the world to someone. What a beautiful way to bring joy into the world.
What acts of kindness did you observe this week?
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.