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 more kindnesses are like that: People being kind effortlessly.

Kindness in a time of grief

My sister-in-law passed away in the past week; Loved-One’s sister, just a year older than he. It wasn’t exactly sudden. She’d been in hospice since July. Still, her illness seemed to come full-blown out of nowhere. Lucky for us, we live close enough that we could visit often. The outpouring of condolences fills our hearts. Kind wishes, kind cards, kind prayers. We are awash in kindness.

Kindness of Book readers

One thing very nice about Zoom, is it can connect people far away. Rez Reads book club continues to meet via Zoom because we have some vulnerable people in the group. For that reason, Mom can join us from across the big lake.

Mom’s got Covid. Again. Well, after medication, she’s recovered enough to get back in the kitchen and bake some apple pies. That didn’t stop Rez Reads members from sending her cards and kind wishes. I only wish she could share the pies over zoom!

Kindness from an 11-year-old

Isaac Winfield expanded his parents’ example of donating to the local food bank. He used his birthday money to convert their garden shed to a food pantry of his own.

When people can’t come to his shed, Isaac delivers food on foot. He’s even attracted the attention of local organizations who are pitching in to help. Any one of us can help Isaac, even though he lives on the other side of the Pond (not to be confused with the big lake where Mom lives.)

Well-wishers can now donate food or ask for supplies by contacting the schoolboy via his Friend’s of Isaac Food Bank Facebook page.

Isaac was born with a rare chromosome disease, and the food bank has helped “massively” with his confidence, as he can’t read or write.

Good News Network

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.