Year-Round Kindness

I have been pondering something this holiday season and want to share it here.

The holidays bring out the best in many people. 

Yes, holidays can also be very hard for some and bring up grief, sadness, addiction, depression, and loneliness.

But many people really “up their game” during the holiday season in terms of KINDNESS. 

People who don’t normally set aside funds for donations find a way to squeeze a bit into their budget to give to a local group or place of worship.

People who are normally too busy to give the gift of physical help and time somehow find pockets of availability to give assistance.

People who are normally too shy to interact with others find the strength to come out of their comfort zones and participate.

I have been pondering how to harness that holiday feeling and convince people that the kind acts they do during this time can be replicated year-round.

I think if we could all find a way to remember how good it feels to be kind, how amazing it feels to get involved, and how special it feels to help, then this type of “holiday kindness surge” wouldn’t have to plummet once the new year rolls around.

Many organizations, mine included (Kindness Activist) need support and assistance year-round.  There are always things that need to be done.  Yet many organizations are inundated with kindness and support during the holidays, which then dries up for the next several months. 

An example of this is a story I heard recently.  Someone was looking to donate TOYS about a week before Christmas to a worthwhile organization.  They contacted a women’s shelter and were told that their capacity for toy donations was full up.  The organization could not physically take any more toys.  So many people had been moved to donate that they could not store anymore. 

But think about it…  The children in that shelter with their mothers need toys year round.  New children come and go.  Toys break.  Children have birthdays.  And I would bet $5 that donation of toys to the shelter surges in November and December, then dies out until the next November.  If the offer had come in to donate after the holiday season, the shelter would have been thrilled and had space to accept.

Another example is giving gift cards, food, and items to people experiencing homelessness.  There are so many stories during the holidays of people going out to feed others living on the streets.  And that is LOVELY and I am sure very appreciated, but those same people (and more) will also need food in March.  In August. 

Or how about the groups of volunteers who come out in droves during the holidays to serve meals to those experiencing homelessness in shelters?  Yes, it is amazing that people are willing to give of their time to plate meals and serve them to strangers with a smile, but those same dinners need to be served every single night of the year, not only during the holidays. 

I do not want to come across here as ungrateful.  I promise I am grateful for every ounce of kindness that people put out into the world, be it during the holidays or at another time.  The world NEEDS.  MORE.  KINDNESS.

But I encourage you (us, really, myself included for sure) to work to find a way to keep the spirit of kindness going…  Long after the menorah is put away.  Long after the lights are taken off the tree.  Long after the holiday spirit moves you.

Make time for kindness.

It doesn’t have to be big.  It doesn’t have to take loads of time or money.  It doesn’t even have to cost a penny! 

o   Send someone a greeting card (not a holiday card) in the middle of the year

o   Offer to drive someone to a medical appointment

o   Bake a batch of cookies for a neighbor

o   Do you drop your spare change in the red Salvation Army bucket during the holidays?  Drop it in a cup in your car instead, and when it adds up a bit use that money to buy a stranger’s lunch

o   Donate your time or money to an organization whose mission moves you

o   Ask a local public school teacher what is needed for their classroom (there will be needs) then follow through on meeting one or two

o   Donate blood or plasma – that is needed year-round

o Did you leave snacks out for the Amazon delivery people during the holidays?  They work hard for the same pay the rest of the year, too - keep treating them

o   Make an extra big pot of soup or other food and surprise a neighbor with some

o   Stop and say hello to someone who looks sad – you may be the only person they talk to all day

 

Keep the kindness you feel in your heart during the holidays kindled year-round.  Not only will you feel better about yourself, you will be making the world a kinder place. 

And isn’t THAT a mission that we can all get behind??

To learn more about Kindness Activist and perhaps share some of your kindness with us, visit: TheKindnessActivist.Org