We often think that the receiver of an act of kindness gets the most out of it.
But here is a little
secret, shhhh. Often, the giver
of the act of kindness gets an equal (if not more) amount of wonderfulness out
of the interaction. Here is a hypothesis
I would like you to consider: in terms
of joy and magic received, the act of GIVING kindness is equal to or greater
than the act of RECEIVING kindness.
Don’t believe me?? Try the theory out yourself. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture – just carry
someone’s groceries for them. Or tell a
stranger how cool their necklace is. Or buy the person standing outside of
McDonald’s asking for money a Big Mac. Those
simple acts of kindness will make you feel good – I guarantee it! (And if they don’t, what the heck, I will
give you your money back!!)
I was reminded of this
concept this week when I saw a neighbor post about the neat trick-or-treat bags
she just made for people. You see, this
neighbor experienced a traumatic loss a few months ago, and has been having a
horrible time dealing with grief. She
spends her days working, and outside of that, crying. She hasn’t been eating right. She hasn’t been going out much. She stopped doing the crafty things she
always loved to do. This woman has been
drowning in a pool of grief. Which is
understandable - losing someone you love is horrible, and it takes a very long
time to process.
But then I saw her post in
a local group that she wanted to make trick-or-treat bags for people… I thought happily, “Ah, a hint of her old
self!”. Last night she sent me photos of
the completed bags and they are adorable!
I know that the receivers will be so happy with them.
And I also know
that the maker, the GIVER of the act of kindness, felt a little bit
better after giving them away. Did that
act of kindness make her grief disappear?
No, no. The grief is still there and
will be for a long time. But did that
act of kindness, the making of the bags, the reveal of how cute they are, the
giving them away, did that bring a spark of shine to her life? I bet my paycheck it did. And maybe that experience of giving kindness
will be like a little lifeline for her. Maybe
the next time she is feeling lonely and blue she will remember how giving
kindness felt, and she will dig deep and do it again. And little by little, perhaps kindness will help
to build a little ladder that she can use to crawl out of the overwhelming
sadness.
Thanks for being a
Kindness Activist, neighbor. I have a
Kind Is Cool shirt for you – may you wear it in good health.
Here’s an accounting
update on how some Kindness Yard Sale funds have been used recently:
A neighbor was looking for
headsets for her classroom. She wrote: “I hate to ask but ….. headphones. We need them
badly for our 3rd grade room. So many students cannot buy them, and I have a
special student who is triggered by noise. He loses it every time we need to
work on iPads and his seat mates don’t have headphones and need to have volume
up to work on apps. This teacher is stressing!”.
These are the
exact situations that Kindness Yard Sale money is perfect for! A friend found a great deal on headsets and we
ordered 12 for the classroom. But I wasn’t
the only one who heeded to call for help!
Other neighbors also pitched in! This
week the teacher who asked for the headphones shared a thank you: “Take a look,
my dear community. This is you in action! This is kindness! This is
consideration! This is thoughtfulness in action! When I asked for help with
headphones I only asked for a few. I never thought I could ask for the class
set I needed but nevertheless you came through. I was overwhelmed with your
generosity over and above. From the Kindness fund to each and every neighbor
who contributed or offered to help… I and my forty-five sweet 3rd graders want to send our deepest gratitude!”.
Isn’t that perfect?? And she has a
great system for storing them, too.
 |
| Headsets for all! |
I love helping out teachers. They have such important jobs and are deserving of our respect (and a lot bigger paychecks than they receive).
Kindness Activist funds spent: $139.80
Haven’t heard yet if they are a good solution for the situation, but I am
thankful to have the Kindness money to help the family give them a try.
Kindness Activist funds spent: $12.88 (again proving that acts of kindness don’t
need to be fancy or cost a lot, simple, small acts go a very long way)
Who likes to have a tea party?? Everybody
does, that’s who!! Including a 3 year
old neighbor boy. Turns out, he has
gotten into tea parties lately, so I hooked him up with a really cute tea set
and some fancy schmancy cookies (macaroons) to go with it.
Lucky for me, he came with his mom to pick it all up, so I got to try it
out, too!! Let me just tell you, tea
tastes even BETTER when it is served in a fancy pot and fancy cups (even if the
“tea” in question is water).
 |
| Ahhh, a little tea on the front porch. Delicious! |
His mom later reported that he tried a bit of actual tea at home, too. Little friend – may your tea parties always be fancy and may simple joys continue to delight you as your grow up.
You go kid! Even a fancy tablecloth! Now THAT'S a tea party!
Kindness Activist funds spent: $45.84
And finally for this report – spices.
A family from Bolivia moved to our community to start over. They came with practically nothing, so a kind
neighbor put out a call for needed items.
One thing on the list was SPICES, so I chose that.
I have learned from traveling to other countries and hosting
international guests at our home that each culture has their own spices that
they like to use. Not every country is
the same in the kitchen! I asked what
spices would be good, got them together, and the woman came and picked it all
up to give to the family.
I hope that the spices help them cook food that feels comfortable to them,
is tasty, and reminds them of home as they begin their new lives in America.
Kindness Activist funds spent: $113.02
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