Tax Time Kindness

You know how when you know someone from a certain setting, you sometimes don’t recognize them if you see them in a different place?  Like, maybe you see your hairdresser at the grocery store, and you know you know her, but she isn’t in the “right” place so you aren’t sure who she is…  Well, that is how I imagine it would feel if I saw Kurt Fitzpatrick sitting behind a desk asking me to hand over my receipts for the year so he could do my taxes. 

THIS is how I think of Kurfitz, on STAGE performing...

You see, Kurt is a performer.  I know him from “the Fringe circuit” – he is an artist who travels around doing his shows at Fringe Festivals around North America.  I first met him at a welcome party for out of town artists at the Orlando Fringe.  I remember that he and I were both hovering around the hors d’oeuvre table, a bit uncomfortable in the setting and quietly chowing down on veggies and dip.  He introduced himself and (I am not sure if I ever told him this…) I THOUGHT he said his name was Kurfitz Patrick.  Now that I write it out, I know that makes no sense.  Now I know, now I know…  But at the time, I thought I had just met a guy named Kurfitz, which was pretty cool!  So my partner David and I still privately refer to him as Kurfitz Patrick anytime we mention him.  (Now you know Kurfitz!!)

I also think of Kurfitz like THIS - riding on a blue jackalope.
Cuz that is the sort of thing I think of him doing.

I have seen Kurt do 5 of his original shows (“Hooray for Speech Therapy”, “Best Picture”, “The Last Straight Man in Theatre), “Bromance” (where David and I got to do a walk-on), and “Dancing in the Mist”.  I have hung out with him in beer tents and theatres.  And I know that he also does work on TV shows and movies.  So when I saw him post on Facebook that he was volunteering to do TAXES for low income people, I had to read the post again.  KURFITZ DOING TAXES FOR PEOPLE??  FOR FREE?? Huh???  That bit of news necessitated some question asking.  And what I learned is, Kurfitz is a kind guy.  Well, I already knew THAT.  What I learned was, he deserves to be named a Kindness Activist.  Here’s the scoop:

Kurt usually lives in New York/New Jersey, but he fell in looooove (something I was really happy about) and moved to Seattle to be with his sweetheart.  They lived there a while, then decided to come back to NJ.  But it was the off-season for touring performers so he needed a way to make money.  The background acting gigs and stand-in jobs weren’t cutting it.  He told me: 

    “I realized how much I enjoy doing my own personal         

    finances.  It’s weird, but I get an odd thrill out of budgeting 

    and organizing receipts, etc., but I have never used that 

    skill outside of producing my own work. I thought, “Hey, I 

    can do taxes!  But do I have to be an accountant?”  An 

    accountant friend of mine said, “No!” and I said, “Good! 

    Because I’m not!”.  He recommended that I walk into an 

    H&R Block and say, “I want to become a tax preparer. Will 

    you hire me and train me?”.  So I put together a nifty 

    resume and walked into my local H&R Block and said just 

    that. They said, “No. You have to take our class in 

    September to work here.” Well, it was January…

Kurt looking all actor-y.  Who knew he can also look TAX-Y?

    
    In years past (Kurt continued) I have volunteered through 
    New York Cares. I would tutor kids in the early mornings
    to help them with their reading, deliver food to the elderly, 
    and teach kids how to swim on the weekends. But I had 
    been out of New York quite a bit the last two years, so I 
    hadn’t done much with New York Cares. A friend of mine 
    told me about the IRS’s VITA program, which is free tax 
    preparation for lower income people. New York Cares 
    partners with that program. To do taxes for this program, 
    you have to study up on information on the IRS site, take 
    an exam, and get at least 80% on it. The exam is “open 
    book,” and you can take as long as you want, but that 
    doesn’t make it easier considering all the data and 
    information you have to wade through and process. I got 
    cocky and figured I would take the advanced exam, but I 
    failed it, and you only get two tries. I passed the basic 
    exam and that was enough to be qualified to volunteer. 
    When I was halfway through tax season, I retook the 
    advanced and passed.”

Isn't that cool? I mean, I also like doing budgeting and paying bills, but you don't see ME studying the IRS website and helping other people complete tax forms... I asked Kurfitz about getting into tax preparation and the time required to do it and he said, “It was a huge commitment to learn how to do to it. The other volunteers had some kind of background in finance, but I'm an actor for crying out loud. That doesn't scream "qualified" in the financial world. But this is how I've always been in my life - I throw myself into things, no matter how odd it seems, and sometimes I predictably fail and other times I surprisingly flourish. The volunteer sessions themselves have been every other Saturday during tax season. For a full Saturday, I'd be in Brooklyn preparing returns."

No, this is not Kurt in Brooklyn on his way to do taxes...  It is him in his "Best Picture" costume.  Lookin' good!

Seriously KIND.  Giving up an entire Saturday to help people do their taxes!  I mean, not a lot of people would be willing to do that.  And Kurfitz wants to do it again next year.  He wisely says, “I could have taken a class or learned from a book. I like that I learned more and more by helping people.”  And how do the people who come to the program to get their taxes done feel?  “I think they are pleased that such a service is offered, but I don’t take credit for it. If they are getting a refund, I’m not giving them the money and if they owe money, I’m not the one getting it. It’s a complex system and I’m just there doing my thing the best I can.”

Then, in true Kurfitz Patrick style, he proceeded to tell me a story about doing taxes that made me laugh out loud.  “The people I meet can be interesting. I have had several people who don’t speak English and a translator is provided. They bring their kids as well, and the kids and the translator will get bored and get up and do things and you have to at least wrangle the translator back. I had a woman who grossed $200 last year who didn’t speak English and spent the entire time smiling at me as if she wanted to eat me. I was flattered yet terrified. One woman came here from Canada to take care of her aunt, and her aunt would not allow herself to be claimed as a dependent. Bitch!”

Oh Kurfitz, only you would be flattered that a woman smiled at you like she wanted to eat you…

Kurt adding his head to Mt. Rushmore.

So now that I have written this story up and dubbed Kurfitz a Kindness Activist, I realize:  I don’t think he ever really solved the issue of needing a bit more income to make it through the off-season of performing!!  I mean, volunteering is super kind and all, but it doesn’t help pay the mortgage.  Oh well, I guess next year when tax season rolls around again Kurfitz will be super good at filling out his own taxes, plus the forms for low income people he assists.  J  Way to be kind, dude. 

Kurt is about ready to start his 2016 tour of “Best Picture”.  If you are in London (Ontario), Ottawa, Victoria BC, Vancouver, or Toronto make sure you check the show out!  You can learn more about his work at:  www.KurtFitzpatrick.com .  And hey, follow him on Twitter: @kurt_fitz because he is a funny guy! 

If you know of a Kindness Activist, please, please, please tell me about them!  Email me at:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com 

Bonus photo!  Kurt and Xan in their touching production of "Dancing in the Mist"

Zapping Kindness

I do not have any tattoos.  In fact, I cannot for the life of me imagine ever being able to decide what to get on a tattoo and committing to have it on my body forever.  That, to a commitment phobic like myself, would be one of life’s toughest decisions. I see some I like on other people – swirls, amazing quotes, beautiful art – but to PICK ONE and actually get it done is beyond my commitment level.

But, in my naiveté, I also thought of tattoos as just that:  a CHOICE.  I thought, people decide they want one, think long and hard about what it should be, then they get it.

I was recently reminded that tattoos are not always a CHOICE. 

Maybe you remember Amy from one of the first Kindness Activist pieces in this project - Waffle Kindness .  She is a kind soul.  

Amy and her sweetheart Michael

I recently saw this touching status on her Facebook wall:

     “The most amazing thing happened to me yesterday. I couldn't wait to share.

     Michael and I were heading home from the farmer's market and we passed a smal

     storefront. The name on the glass was, "Zap a Tat".

     I have been wanting for quite a while to remove my radiation tattoos. Every time I look in 

     the mirror, I see them and feel a twinge. They do not remind me of the end of treatment 

     or of surviving cancer. They do not bring with them feelings of elation or completion.   

     These 6 small blue dots remind me of struggle and sadness. They are a flashing neon 

     sign that blinks, CANCER, every time I see them.

     I walked into the store and was pleased that it was clean, comfortable and a certified,     

     licensed facility. I began to speak with the person at the desk, and was then surprised to 

     be greeted by the owner, Chris. As I explained what I wanted, his face became 

     concerned, and slightly sad. It is always disconcerting to me to be on the receiving end  

     of the, "I am so sorry you had cancer"' face.

     I quickly recovered and continued with the most important question I have had since     

     recovery: "How much will it cost to remove these 6 blue dots."

     I was surprised and unprepared for his response, "free", he said. 

     I cried and hugged him. 

     I am now dot free. I am elated. I am thankful. I feel blessed.

    So if you find yourself in Arlington, Virginia, and you want your dots removed, see Chris   

    at, "Zap a Tat".

    Radiation dots are free, and so are hugs.”

Well, I didn’t even have to get to the end of reading her blurb to know that Chris at Zap a Tat HAD to be dubbed a Kindness Activist!!  So after a bit of phone tag, I went in to meet him.

His store is only five minutes from my house.  I had walked by it before and admired the clean, crisp design, so I was excited not only to meet him but to take a look around!  Chris Slavin is the founder and CEO of Zap a Tat (which he started 6 years ago) and struck me as humble, bit shy, very knowledgeable, and super smart.  Oh, and NON-JUDGEMENTAL, too!  He seemed like one of the most non-judgmental people I have ever met.  He was very cool!

Chris, Founder/CEO of Zap a Tat and Kindness Activist!

The shop is just as cool inside as it looks from the outside.  It’s super clean, modern, crisp, and comfortable.  I told him I felt like I should be there to get my nails done!  J  I had a lot of questions and he was nice enough to sit and talk with me.  When I mentioned it felt like a sleek salon, he said, “Removing a tattoo is a cosmetic decision.  Getting a tattoo is a cosmetic decision so removing one should be, too.  I think it should be a good experience.”  Well he sure has the environment set up to make it a good experience!

Zap a Tat removes all kinds of tattoos.  I got to look at some “before and after” photos and it was amazing. 

Disappearing cat tattoo - one photo was taken each session.

An advanced technique - this dark tattoo lightened up
THAT MUCH in one treatment!

But the most pressing question for me was WHY he would “zap” radiation tattoos for free.  I mean, sure, it is an amazingly kind thing to do, but this is his BUSINESS…  I asked if he always removes radiation tattoos for free or if this was something special he did just for Amy, and he explained, “Really, since I started the business I have done free removal of radiation tattoos.”  When I asked how many people his business had removed radiation tattoos for, his immediate response was, “Not enough!”.  He told me that when Amy went into his shop, she didn’t know it was going to be free and was just inquiring about the price.  “When I said it was free, she was overjoyed.  And that is really our ‘2^nd paycheck’.”  

Isn’t that the sweetest philosophy – that being able to see other people so happy is a “2^nd paycheck”?  I love it.  He told me that not charging people to remove radiation tattoos is, “Just the right thing to do.  It is very meaningful to people.  And the emotional gratification that people get out of it is big in terms of what it costs me to do.”

Funky store signage

Chris told me that he was surprised to learn that some women really want to keep their radiation tattoos, which are the size of Sharpie marker points.  “Some women say, this is my reminder, this is my badge.  But others just can’t wait to get rid of the memory.  I like to help the people who want to get rid of the memory.  Those “small” tattoos look like HUGE things when they are on your body.  Because you are looking at them every day and it is a painful reminder.  So to be able to remove them I think is a really great thing.”  Chris, I think everyone would agree with you on that one!

Now, as far as HOW the removal happens, Chris explained that the shop has very advanced laser removal techniques.  The laser shatters the tattoo ink into teeny tiny pieces for your body to take away.  Basically, when the lasers hit the ink, the ink rapidly expands and collapses – it snaps.  Your circulatory and lymphatic systems are the agents that act to take the ink away.  To make the experience less painful, they use cryogenic air (which is below zero and much colder than ice) and topical numbing.  But the most important part, he stressed, is the SPEED; the laser covers a very large area really quickly.  He had a good analogy – zapping the tat is like ripping off a Band-Aid super fast. Once they “zap” the tattoo, you wait around 3 months to see the results.  Then if you would like to you can come in for another treatment.  (He explained the process more in detail – the actual system of how it all works. I hope I captured it all correctly above.  He is a smart, smart guy and if you go in to get a piece removed, he will be happy to explain it all!  It is a really cool process!)

Prep room

Treatment room

The problem with finding people who want their radiation tattoos removed, he explained, has been getting the word out.  He really likes to offer this service, but most people don’t know about it.  He has asked the American Cancer Society and breast cancer sites about putting information on their pages, but they want him to PAY to advertise.  He is probably too sweet to say this publically, but geez Louise I will say it, that is ridiculous!  He is not wanting to solicit paid customers, he wants to offer a FREE SERVICE to people who decide they want to remove their radiation tattoos.  After all they must have already gone through with diagnosis, perhaps surgery, chemo, and radiation, having a kind soul offer a GIFT to them to complete the experience is amazing!!  I wish the national organizations would help spread the word so that people knew that this was an option. 

But since the big organizations won’t help get the word out - WE WILL!!!  Readers of this blog, TELL PEOPLE about Zap a Tat.  If you know anyone who has radiation tattoos and is ready to be rid of them, please have them call and make an appointment.  The toll free number is 877-ZAPATAT (877-929-2828).  Chris currently has two locations – Arlington, VA and Newport News, VA.  Now I know that readers of this blog live all over and not are necessarily close to one of his shops.  So I will throw in THIS as a complement to Chris’ offer:  if you do not live near one of Chris’ shops but have radiation tattoos you want removed, message me on Facebook (go to Kindness Activist on FB) or email me at kindnessactivist@gmail.com . I will give you a place to stay for a couple of days while you are in the DC area so you can zap those radiation tats!  (I also give a great nighttime tour of the DC monuments, if I do say so myself, so that would be included in your stay if you would like J .)

Finally, as Chris said, “I would love to get the word out.  If we could do a lot more of this, we would.”  Get the word out, people!  Share, share, share and tell people about Zap a Tat.

Thank you Chris.  Your kindness is contagious and you are a welcome addition to the Arlington neighborhood.  It was an honor to talk with you and dub you a KINDNESS ACTIVIST!

  

Website - www.zapatat.net

Look for Zap a Tat on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram under Zap a Tat (Chris prefers Facebook because it allows for more conversation and lets him post photos easily)

Children's Books Kindness

Sure, most of us enjoy reading a children’s book aloud to a child.  You get to do the funny voices, you have an appreciative audience, and the books are usually sweet and fun.  But most of us DO NOT commit to reading to children as much as the lovely Rick Wasserman does.  Here is his story:

Rick in the studio

Rick is an actor in Los Angeles.  He does a lot of voice-over work.  In fact, I would bet you have heard his voice, you just didn’t know who it was.  Take a listen:

Short promo - listen until the end - that is RICK!

Yup, Rick is a big deal.  (My words, not his.  But he IS a big deal!)  He is the 10 year “signature voice” of AMC Network. Remember the “Better Call Saul” commercials telling you about the next episode??  Or how about “The Walking Dead”??  Yup, those were Rick.  He also does voice-over work for many other networks, cartoons, animation, commercials, video games, documentaries, and movie trailers.  So see, a BIG DEAL.   J  (Note:  all you “Better Call Saul” junkies out there, do NOT spoil it for me!  We are in the middle of season one.)

And not only is he busy PROFESSIONALLY, he also has a beautiful wife and two adorable sons.  He loves magic and cooking.  I tell you this to explain:  Rick has a lot of stuff to do, he is a busy person!  It is not like he is just sitting by the swimming pool drinking margaritas…  And yet…

Rick and his awesome family

For the last four years Rick has volunteered his time to go to UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles and read books to patients.  Once a month.  For FOUR YEARS.  He started by working with a group of professional voice-over artists called PRIMETIME VOICES FOR CHILDREN, led by popular VO artist Joe Cipriano (who Rick calls a “fine human being”). Here is how Rick tells the story of his introduction to reading at the hospital: 

“The idea was that we’d make a recording of us voicing THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, each artist taking a couple of sentences. The sales of the recording would be gifted to the Child Life Center at UCLA's Mattel Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.  As a special bonus, we were scheduled to perform the story, live, at the hospital for the children on an early December afternoon.  So I went along with the boisterous group a few days before the holidays and we performed and it was very well received.  During that first visit, I noticed that three of the five children I read to didn’t celebrate Christmas. A few didn’t speak English. Some didn’t want to be read to, rather, they just wanted some company. I felt compelled to come back and read to the children again, but with the stories I read to my own kids: short, fun, and provocative.  I asked the head nurse if I could come back by myself with this new plan. I was allowed to return the next month. And the next. Now I am going on my fourth year. I never miss a monthly visit.”

Voice-Over Artists entertaining at the hospital

Rick and team in action 

Isn’t that amazing?  Every single month he gives of his time, his voice, and his heart.  He usually goes alone, but every Christmas the PRIMETIME VOICES group visits and dresses up, reading all sorts of holiday and non-holiday books (and singing carols J ).  I would say that annual visit by those artists is a holiday mitzvah not to be missed!  What a way to give back to their community.  Heck, I am not a patient and he doesn’t sit and read books to me, but every once in a while I see a photo like this of his on Facebook and it makes me smile so big:

Great selection of books, eh?  It would be hard to choose which one I wanted to hear!

I asked Rick about the origins of his visits, which he had never done anything like before, and how the volunteering makes him feel.  He explained it so well: “After I’d been performing voice-overs for about a decade, a close friend asked me if that’s ALL I wanted to do. He said it seemed to him that while VO served me and my family, it didn’t really serve humanity. I am still not sure how I feel about that remark, but it did start me thinking: how can I serve humanity besides throwing money at charities.  The first time I read for the children, I was focused on performing and doing a good job; I probably did that on purpose so I didn’t have to feel all the emotions one might feel surrounded by what the nurses have called “catastrophically ill” patients and their worried and exhausted families. The next time I read to them, I forced myself to connect and open up. It was a very hard visit. I felt like crying and leaving. Each time I visit, I challenge myself to stay open, to stay available…and play. Just play. I try and “read” each room I visit and let the patient dictate how they want to interact. Sometimes I read a story or two. Sometimes we just talk or play a game.  I am pretty good with magic and mentalism, so we often enjoy some fun tricks as well. For better or for worse, I see a lot of the same children during my visits and we both look forward to meeting up again. Many children have passed; I won’t ever get used to that and I don’t want to. I love them.”

Oh I can imagine how excited those “repeat customers” are when they see Rick walk into their room!!  I bet their eyes light up and they are thrilled to have a REAL VISITOR, not someone who is going to take blood or make them do physical therapy.  Sure, those medical treatments are very, very important, but so is feeling like a kid and hearing a story, or watching a magic trick!  I would bet money that those kids are healthier AFTER Rick’s visit than they were before he walked in. 

A thank you card from a kid - super sweet.

I asked Rick how he thinks the kids and their families feel when he visits here is how he described it: “I think the kids get a kick out of my visits. For some, it’s a distraction from their illness and monotony of their daily lives, often being confined to a bed. Many patients equate an adult stranger with someone who is going to poke at their stitches, give them shots, or bring them bad news; so I think I help demonstrate that some adults wanna just have a good time with them…with no pain, anxiety, or fear. Some don’t have family with them, so I can provide them with the comfort of a familiar face. I think they mostly see me as a big kid, a playmate. Parents and siblings are grateful for my visits too. I regularly read to the kids who are unconscious which their families find comforting.”

Click here to hear some of Rick reading "The Frog and the Ox" - it is lovely!

My partner David is a clown with the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC.  It is a fantastic program that sends clowns into Children’s Hospitals across the country.  I am a firm believer that programs like Clown Doctors, reading to kids, music in hospitals, etc. help the patients and their families.  Heck, I even think it helps the STAFF by giving them a bit of a distraction and something fun to focus on for a moment.  And I am certain that the families of those unconscious patients that Rick reads to are so grateful to have him pay attention to their child, to treat them as normal. 

How could the sight of this sweet man in your hospital room with this book NOT make you feel better??

Rick told me he can’t see himself not reading to the kids.  To him, it is not difficult and is something he loves.  He explained, “If it provides the kids just a few moments when they are not thinking about being sick in a hospital, then it is well worth it. I like me better when I am with the children. I encourage others to read to children. Kids need the interaction. A TV or phone or tablet is NOT the same. I also never call the kids “soldiers” or “angels” or “special” and I don’t tell them how brave they are: they are tired of hearing that stuff. They just wanna be treated like other kids. That’s how I try and make them feel.” 

To close this out, I must use Rick’s words, for they are much more poignant than anything I could write about his experience, “It is not emotionally easy…but it shouldn’t be. I used to avoid sad music, movies, stories and the like because I don’t like feeling sad. But I have realized it is part of the emotional spectrum. I NEED to feel sad sometimes. Some things are sad.  And as a bonus, feeling the sad makes feeling the happy that much sweeter. When a patient’s health improves, my heart swells. I once visited a child I’d read to many,many times.  When I finished reading a story, her mother nudged her and asked her to tell me her news. She smiled with a big cheeky grin and said, “I got my new heart.” I was honored to be there for that moment.”

Rick, it is an honor to dub you a Kindness Activist.  Thank you for reminding us that we need to experience all stops along the emotional spectrum.  Thank you for using your talent, your voice, and your heart to bring joy and kindness to the children and their families.  You said that the head of PRIMETIME VOICES FOR CHILDREN was a “fine human being”, and I would have to say, sir, that that label definitely applies to YOU as well. 

Are you inspired by Rick's kindness?  Hopefully hearing about his big heart (and big voice) give you ideas about going into YOUR community and BEING KIND!  Make sure to "like" Kindness Activist on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@KindActivist) so you can be inspired by more Kindness Activists!

Resources:

PRIMETIME VOICES FOR CHILDREN reading “The Night Before Christmas”:  click here

Rick Wasserman website for Bookable VO (study with the best!):  click here

Rick Wasserman on Wikipedia (ok, I fan girled out a bit while writing this one…):  click here

Rick on IMDB:  click here 

Big Apple Circus Clown Care:  click here

Compliment Kindness

Everyone likes to get a compliment.  Giving compliments is kind!  And sure, sometimes it is a little bit embarrassing for some reason when people compliment us.  And we might not be all that great at accepting compliments…  Many of us “cancel” the compliment as soon as it comes our way: 

     Friend: “Wow, you did such a great job on that ski run!!  You looked like a pro!”

     Us:  “Awwww, ummm, well, not really…  I mean, did you see how I almost fell there making that turn??  It        was pretty sloppy really….”.

I think human beings NEED compliments.  And because that is my belief, I try to GIVE them.  And I do not mean fakey, “blow smoke up you’re a**” compliments. I am talking about honest to goodness sincere COMPLIMENTS.  And maybe it is because of some articles I read about the way we tend to talk to girls (complimenting them only on their beauty, not their skill or knowledge) that I try to notice and compliment people on things other than how they look.

So I decided to do a little experiment.  I made a sheet of tear-off strips entitled FREE COMPLIMENTS.  I hung it up on a telephone pole outside our house.  I wondered if people would take time to pause, read the compliments, and take one.

  

I was a bit excited to see if these compliments would inspire kindness...

Guess what?  THEY DID!  So I made a second sheet and hung it on another telephone pole.  The sheets have been hanging around 40 hours and already 10 compliments are gone!  I love it!!!  I think these random, “secret”, happened-upon compliments are a wonderful way to share kindness! 

I thought carefully about what to write on the tear-off slips.  I wanted them to be compliments that people would actually like to receive.  Things that would make them proud, happy, and content.  I didn’t want to focus on superficial things, but I did throw in a few about how people looked (for good measure).  I was excited to see which slip would get taken first.  I really thought, “No, those pants do NOT make your butt look big” would be the first to go.  It was funny and might make someone laugh.  But I was pleased that “You are a great cook” went first instead!  I bet whoever took it really IS a great cook and doesn’t hear that enough from the people she/he cooks for. "You are wicked smart" was also taken early :) . 

Compliments, free of charge of course!!  Take one!  :)

I am would like to attach the documents I made here, but Blogger does not have a way to attach a file...  Please email me at  kindnessactivist@gmail.com and I will gladly send you the files needed to make it easy for you.  You can use my template - why reinvent the wheel?  Then I ask that you SHARE THE COMPLIMENTS.  Find good spots to hang them!  Mine are on telephone poles in our neighborhood, which has a lot of people taking walks.  You might choose to hang it on a grocery store bulletin board.  Or at your place of worship.  Any place could be a good place to give a compliment! 

Color me SO HAPPY.  This trio stopped and studied the compliments for a long time!!  They had a hard time choosing, so each girl took 2 I think!  One of them took one that said, "Your kids are sure lucky to have YOU as a mom".  I can't wait for them to get home and hand it to their mother!!

I like to think that whoever took the slips from my signs has squirreled them away in their wallet, to be discovered again another day.  I hope that they took the compliments to heart.  I think maybe because they were given anonymously and not in person, they might be more genuinely accepted and not negated by the receiver.

I like that people are accepting the compliments - it makes me very happy

Help me spread some compliments!!!  Email me for the files and start giving out free compliments! And please comment on this piece if you do, and let me know where you posted yours and if people took them!  Because really, everyone could use a compliment, don’t you think?

It worked!  People accepted the compliments!

P.S. – By the way, “No, those pants do NOT make your butt look big” has not been taken yet.  I think people want the GENUINE compliments, ones they wish their friends and family would really say, and not just the silly ones.