Day 46-Thank You and You Rock my Socks Off

Day 46-Today is day forty six in my journey of kindness. Each day I find myself considering the tapestry of human connection that exists on this great planet. When I reviewed my blog statistics I saw that it has been viewed by many international followers. Some followers are from Canada, Australia, Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands, and Malaysia. This to me is amazing. Imagine if each of these readers completed just one act of kindness which prompted another in their area to complete an act of kindness and so forth. Wow! I hope others are still being challenged and still consider doing additional acts of kindness as the year progresses. One friend, my friend Karen who went with me to see Maya Angelous on Tuesday, bought someone a chai and provided a kind and compassionate listening ear this week. Another friend of mine, Jennifer, who also contributed to rescuing an animal in an earlier post, bought supplies of paper, coloring books and markers for a local pediatric unit in her area. I love when others share their stories! This is what this journey is all about! It's about sharing kindness and showing others the world can be a warm and loving place with a focus on generosity and creating a culture of helping. My act today is a simple one. I took the time to really, truly with an open heart and out loud way to thank one of the best teachers my son has had the privilege of interacting with on a regular basis. I genuinely provided her with encouragement to keep on her path with working with small children, provided reassurance for the job that she does with my son and thanked her from the bottom of my heart for all that she does. She truly makes a difference every day and, while I feel this way every day I have not told her so openly how much I appreciate her and all that she does. If I could shout it from the mountain tops I would. In fact, I think I will thank her again on my blog :). Thank you Ms. Kathy for all that you do, all that you are and all that you provide to my son every single day. You rock my socks off and I never worry about him when I know you are with him because of your warmth, balance of limits and nurture and great care you provide him. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 219 more days of kindness...are you in?

Day 45-Encouraging Words

Day 45-As I continue you journey of kindness I am trying to remember that not all acts of kindness have a monetary value. I am a service professional after all and do not have a large expendable income. As a result, as I embarked on my journey of kindness for day forty five I decided I would make a concerted effort to make positive statements and share encouraging words with each person, with whom I interacted today. As busy as my day was there were times this was difficult. Of course, I always try to say thank you and to express appreciation when others are helpful, share their ideas or give of their time to me at work. I watched as my words touched the ears of each person today and noticed that some smiled, some offered encouragement and positive statements in return and others merely accepted the words visibly unphased by the content or purpose of the message. I was again reminded that sometimes one does not get to see the fruits of one's labor but must understand that seeds of positivity are being planted. I felt particularly tired today so it took some focused effort to complete the task all day. I was rewarded at the end of the day by being able to engage in a fun game of rolling a soccer ball with my son, husband and father-in-law. It is difficult to describe the game we played but my son screamed with laughter throughout and it warmed my heart and provided us all with some much needed joy and distraction. May days I might have come home just wanting to veg out, which is really impossible with a toddler, or complete household chores, but with my focus on encouraging and being fully present with others I remembered to extend this to myself and my family as well. I was handsomely rewarded in the form of a really fun time! 220 more days of kindness...are you in?

Day 44-Once in a Lifetime and an Act Comes Full Circle

Day 44-Today is day forty four in my journey of kindness. I awakened this morning and got ready for work knowing that tonight I had a special date with my friend Karen. We planned to go see Maya Angelou speak in person. I knew that there would be a crowd and I got there early. I was so early in fact that I was the first person in line. Literally, I was the first person there waiting to see her. When my friend Karen joined me the line was about fifteen deep or so and I decided to go to the back of the line so that we didn't cut in front of anyone as others had already been waiting too. When I moved my spot in line the others asked me and I told them, "It seemed unkind to let my friend cut and since the line isn't long, it's the right thing to do." I smiled and they smiled back at me. I stood there knitting and talking to my friend (if you've never knitted standing up...it's a task for sure!). Many of the ladies asked to see the scarf that I was working on and I showed it to them and even showed them how to use the special yarn I was using. One lady gave me her contact information with request that I make her two (if my husband reads this he'll kill me since I knit all the time these days). She wasn't waiting in our line and joined others in a second line waiting at a different entrance to the building. We stood and we waited...we waited and we stood. We were in the line for about three hours, a little over actually, and as we realized all of the students of the college were admitted first and few other special groups there would be little to no room left for the public. Several of the older black ladies ahead of me turned and then talked with one another. They looked back at me and said, "Excuse me, but you were so kind and did the right thing by coming to the back of the line with your friend and we don't think you should miss out on seeing her (Maya Angelou) because you did the right thing." The group of people parted like the red sea and beckoned my friend and me to take passage through them to the front of the line again. I was speechless and hesitant. They saw how hesitant I was and one lady took me by the arm in a grandmotherly fashion and pushed me to the front. Little did I realize when I did it what a profound impact that act of kindness would have on others. As a result of their kindness, my friend Karen and I got in to see Maya Angelou. It was a once in a lifetime and profound opportunity. I literally sat on the edge of my seat the entire lecture soaking up her warmth, wisdom and humor. I was moved and touched by her words and the kindness of the strangers who gave me entrance when they could have thought of only themselves and their own ability to be in attendance. As I took my seat, initially, I saw the ladies file in behind me and thanked them again. When Karen and I left we enjoyed a late dinner and talked about the mob outside of the lecture venue and how badly people behaved yelling and pushing and how grateful we were for the kindness shown to us after we had extended kindness to others. Tonight Maya Angelou said, and I'm paraphrasing, "when you are presented with a good opportunity to do good and to do something kind....do it...say yes." She went on to challenge that we should all be a rainbow for someone else. I feel like that is what I am doing every day on this mission of mine. I am working to bring joy and care to someone every single day. Today was an amazing reminder of how doing the right thing brings good energy. 221 more days of kindness...are you in?

Day 43-The Sniffles

Day 43-Today is the forty third day in my journey of kindness. This time of year cold and flu symptoms seem to be everywhere and many at my work place have been impacted. A dear co-worker of mine who is kind and helpful has been plagued by such symptoms for several weeks. When I saw her today I noticed how congested she was and offered her some assistance. I told her that I had an almost full pack of Airborne Immunity Support in my desk. I left her in an office working and hustled across our campus to go and get it for her. I brought it back and gave her the package. I told her to keep the whole pack and use them as she needed. I hope that this small token will not only communicate my care for her, but will also alleviate some of her symptoms and provide her with comfort. In completing this act of kindness I reflected on the ability that we all have to help each other if the right tools and resources are available. I purchased the immunity support some time ago and had not really used much of it as I haven't been sick (*knock on wood) and it was waiting to be helpful for someone in need. I hadn't purchased it with the intention of giving it away, but as the situation presented itself I knew, in that moment, it was what was meant to be. 222 more days of kindness are you in?

Day 42-Helping Those Closest To Me

Day 42-On day 42 I decided I would target a member of my family and also help out a colleague for my acts of kindness as I am trying to remember to also impact those closest to me. On Sunday morning, although technically it was my morning of the weekend to be able to sleep in, when my son came in I quietly got up with him and left my husband sleeping soundly. I got up without disturbing him to allow him some extra sleep, although I badly wanted to sleep a bit longer myself. I spent extra time with my son, which was a bonus for me and fixed a nice breakfast for all of us. Typically, I might give my husband a hard time or complain about getting up both mornings during the weekend, but today, I brought no attention to this issue. My second act of kindness today was that I reviewed a program manual that a co-worker in a different position at work put together. He is younger in the profession and is eager to make an impact in a positive way and had conversation with me some time ago about the manual he created. I agreed to bring it home with me over the weekend to review it and to provide him with some feedback. This certainly took some time, but I was so grateful and humbled that he would be interested in the feedback I might offer. I hope that my feedback will help him with his professional development. Today I made an impact on two people I spend much time with and am reminded that small acts can go a long way to facilitating healthy and positive relationships. 223 more days of kindness...are you in?

Day 41-Helping the Hungry

Day 41-Today is day forty one in my journey of kindness. Today I went sledding with my son, made chocolate chip cookies and enjoyed a fun day together. We went out to dinner and as I was sitting in the passenger seat on the way home my husband and I began to talk about how cold it might get tonight. I began to think about all of those who may be suffering a night in the cold or may not be able to afford heat. I considered those who might not have enough food to eat or to feed their children adequately and I knew what my act of kindness would be today. I went online and did some research and found a charity with a good transparency and accountability rating that provides services to families in Virginia. In particular, they provide services to those living in the Prince William area. I made a donation to provide meals for a family for one week. While it may not seem like much I thought about how much of an impact such donations could make if everyone I knew chipped in to help. All of a sudden my brain felt like it might burst as I completed the math in my head. There would be so many helped if just a few people would make donations to their local food pantry. I think we are sometimes intimidated or stop ourselves from helping others because we do not have large amounts of finances available to donate or to time to give. I'm here to tell you, a little bit goes a long way! Just give what you can and watch what good it can do. I am feeding a family for a week with a donation. I would be willing to sacrifice my morning coffee or afternoon treats that I sometimes get for my son and me to be able to do this. How often do I take for granted that my refrigerator is full and my cabinets stocked. I will think of others and will be mindful of food production and consumption. 224 more days of kindness...are you in?

Day 40-Contributing to a Co-Worker

Day 40-Today is day forty in this journey of kindness. I can hardly believe that I have been at this for forty days. I think forty seems like an interesting number and has much significance to me as far as literature and sacrifice go in a metaphorical sense. Today, I completed a special act of kindness. The act for me today was that I contributed to a donation fund for one of my co-worker's to help offset medical costs. We could wear jeans if we paid a dollar to do so, and I contributed much more than that to the fund. I hope that my contribution, although small in the grand scheme of things, will be of assistance to a family in need. I was challenged by one of our office manager's when she found out about my journey of kindness as she stated, "Why shouldn't the acts of kindness start here at work?". She has also completed acts of kindness for co-workers and I hope the momentum will continue to grow. My plan all along was to start with acts of kindness in my own community and then to move out to the larger world and greater universe :). Getting back to my roots, so to speak, felt good today. 225 more days of kindness...are you in?