Oh, the drama of the world. Somedays it’s best to turn off the outside noise and focus on dust bunnies. Heaven knows, there are plenty multiplying here at Winterpast. I’m not sure why this is such a dusty summer, but it sure it. That’s a great place to turn my attention, away from the drama all over the world.
How I long for the olden days of the 1900’s. We’d wait four years to cheer for our country as American athletes did their best to represent us. Heck, I loved the Olympics so much, I visited Innsbruck, Austria just to see that little Tyrolean Village in the summer of 1977. How disappointed I was to find out it was nothing like the Olympian town I’d witnessed just a few month before on television. I should have known the Olympics were fabricated for television right then.
A couple days ago, an Egyptian Judo expert refused to shake the hand of an Israeli Judo expert. At the Olympics, no less. Really? Where have the simplest acts of kindness gone? Is it just too late? Even at the Olympics??
Random Acts of Kindness are positive actions that changes the givers thinking. A connection to others in a way nothing else is. A simple smile can change someone’s day for the better. I know of someone this happened to.
There is a pleasantly nice woman that works at a local store here in town. She has back issues and it’s apparent she suffers through her work days. Somedays, her employer allows her a chair, while other days, she stands, wincing as she scans codes. She rarely smiles
One day, HHH and I were in buying something. HHH had witnessed something outrageous across the store and made a simple but hilarious comment. What he said wasn’t important. It was that she found it as funny as we did and the three of us broke into laughter. Three strangers sharing a belly laugh. Now, that’s priceless.
Since then, her back doesn’t seem to have improved. However, she always has a broad smile for us when we shop. We, in turn, always try to get in her line. A shared bit of laughter has changed the way we see our time in that store. Hers, too, it seems.
When I came to my little town, without knowing it, I started planting a friendship garden full of strangers I’ve since gotten to know. Their smiles and encouragement bloom year round and for that I’m truly grateful.
Some of the best random acts of kindness are anonymous, spontaneous, and unplanned. When the time is right, you just know.
Pay for something that’s not yours.
Pick up a piece of trash you didn’t drop.
Teach something.
Rescue another living being from a rough situation.
Pay a visit to a shut in, even if only by a phone call.
Carry something heavy for someone else for a little bit.
Write a heart-felt Thank-You note.
All the while, smile, smile, smile. That smile costs nothing and can mean the world to another going through a rough time.
Whatever you do today, think about doing a random act of kindness this week. Just one. Maybe even something secret and anonymous. You will be surprised how it affects your day!
