This week I observed some tiny kindnesses that warmed my heart. And I read about a great big act of kindness that may just help the world.

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, even when I’m not the direct recipient of the act.

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. Sometimes big acts of kindness astound us. Today, I’m sharing a little of each.

Kindness of a small business.

CoCo regularly goes to a nail salon near her. Last week, the owner gave her a great big bottle of lotion. I could argue that’s just good business. But, to hear CoCo gush about the generosity of the salon just warmed my heart to the tippy most top. Perhaps being kind is good business.

Kindness to fellow travelers.

We had a snowstorm. Just a little one really. Still, the main road out of our subdivision became so slippery that Loved-One slid into the oncoming lane and almost into the ditch. Luckily, there was no oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, that was because an accident blocked traffic at the next intersection.

Rather than wipe his brow in sweet relief and continue on his way home, Loved-One stopped where it was safe, and warned other travelers trying to leave the subdivision. I’m sure it looked a little like one of those Dr. Rick, Parental Life Coach videos. And, I was home, looking at my tracker, wondering why he had not progressed past the corner, causing me to wonder if he had, indeed, gone in the ditch. Still, so kind of him to think of his fellow drivers.

Kindness to underdeveloped countries.

Okay, it was a long time coming. And maybe it wasn’t an overt act of kindness. Still, I clapped my hands together in thanksgiving when I read the article about the U.N. Climate Summit in the Chicago Tribune:

Negotiators early Sunday approved a historic deal that would create a fund for compensating poor nations that are victims of extreme weather worsened by rich countries’ carbon pollution…

Chicago Tribune November 20, 2022

For the most part, the countries that produce most of the carbon pollution are in the Northern Hemisphere. The countries that are already suffering from global warming are in the Southern Hemisphere. Those tend to be the poorer countries, less able to develop ways to overcome the effects of global warming.

The work is not done. Although there’s an overall agreement to create a fund, it’s still up in the air, how the fund will be, umm… funded. To read more about what happened at this year’s climate summit, click here.

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.